World record-holder Sydney McLaughlin in the 400m hurdles heats at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 (© Getty Images)
After three mornings of sleep-ins, it’s time to reset those alarms in Eugene.
Competition day eight brings the inaugural women’s 35km race walk, with the men’s on day 10. In between, there’s the first day of the decathlon on day nine.
If you’re the type of fan that can’t miss a minute of the competition in each and every event, then, you’re back to the early morning starts, particularly for the walks which step off at 6:15am local time (GMT-8).
Full daily highlights at a glance
WR action in women’s 400 hurdles?
Ron Clarke, the great Australian distance champion of the 1960s, was not stranger to world records. Clarke once said, however, that you could never predict a world record performance, it just happened.
That theory holds pretty well, but the recent history of women’s 400m hurdles may be the exception that proves Clarke’s rule. Since 2019, seems like every time Dalilah Muhammad and Sidney McLaughlin go head-to-head, the world record goes head over heels. It happened in 2019 at the US championships and in Doha, where Muhammad had the upper hand, and again last year when it was McLaughlin who came out on top. In Tokyo, too, Femke Bol was added to the mix.
Now, the same three meet in the final at Oregon 2022. About the only thing that has changed is that McLaughlin lowered the WR to 51.41 at Hayward Field in the US championships. Even taking the standard of her two rivals into account, she seems untouchable – but strange things can happen in a two-horse race. Just ask Valarie Allman, Sandra Perkovic and your columnist!
Van Niekerk can’t win. Can he?
Seems a strange thing to ask about the Rio Olympic champion and world record holder. But since he zoomed round Rio’s Olympic stadium in 43.03 and followed up with victory at London 2017 Van Niekerk has been to hell. And now he’s back – almost, but not quite, all the way. Can he return to the top of the dais here? One thing for sure: if he runs as he did in the semis, he will not leave anything on the track.
Then there’s Van Niekerk’s predecessor as Olympic champion, Kirani James. He was second in Rio, too, but illness threatened his career and he has only recently shown anything like top form. He has regained his trademark finish, so don’t count him out if he is behind coming into the last 50.
Well, then again, what about Michael Norman, the current world leader? He’s done nothing wrong either and will be roared on by an enthusiastic crowd. And, if we’re looking for a champion, what about Norman’s teammante, the aptly-named Champion Allison?
You know what, this looms as a great race.
Miller-Uibo, Paulino, or someone else?
A year ago, you would have given this to Shaunae Miller-Uibo at the declaration of entries. Given her record, the Bahamian athlete is still the likely champion.
But Marileidy Paulino is on a bit of a roll this year, crowned – so far – by a gold medal with the Dominican Republic in the mixed 4x400m relay on opening day. She has had several wins on the Wanda Diamond League circuit but this would be another step up again. Can she take it?
These two are the only sub-50 women in the final, but Candice McLeod has been there before and looked handy in the semis with her 50.05. As with the men’s final, it is a pretty even field and all of them may look possible medallists for most of the journey.
From the historic debut women’s 35km road walk in the early morning to the 400m hurdles in the early evening there’s plenty to get excited about in Eugene on day eight.
Len Johnson for World Athletics
