Karsten Warholm at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (© Getty Images)
The men’s 400m hurdles, which promises to be one of the most compelling spectacles of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, began to shape up on Monday (5). Its principal protagonists – Norway’s defending champion and world record-holder Karsten Warholm, Tokyo Olympic silver medallist Rai Benjamin of the US and Brazil’s 2022 world champion Alison dos Santos – all reached Tuesday evening’s semifinals.
Benjamin, who leads this year’s world top list with 46.46 and is the second fastest man in history thanks to the 46.17 he ran in Tokyo, is desperate to earn a first global gold after adding two world silvers and a bronze.
But he took a relaxed attitude to his opening heat. A touch of acceleration around the final bend was all the 27-year-old needed to win and he eased home in 48.82, with Jaheel Hyde of Jamaica second in 49.08 and world silver medallist Kyron McMaster of the British Virgin Islands third in 49.24.
While Warholm has varied his tactics in recent races, he reverted to his classic approach as he gunned out from the blocks and seized the initiative, closing down over the final 30 metres before crossing in 47.57. Home athlete Clement Ducos, hugely supported by the crowd, finished second in a personal best of 47.69.
A clenched fist showed the Norwegian was happy with his first impression in a time that proved the fastest of the morning.
Dos Santos qualified serenely, finishing third in 48.75 behind CJ Allen of the United States, who clocked 48.64, and the fast-finishing Rasmus Magi of Estonia, who won in 48.62.
USA’s defending women’s pole vault champion and joint world champion Katie Moon looked over the moon with her opening clearance of 4.40m in qualification – she had so much outer space between herself and the bar.
She and the Australian who shared the world title last year, Nina Kennedy, were among the six vaulters to achieve the effective qualifying height of 4.55m without blemish in a qualification which turned out to be bad news for Britain.
Britain’s Tokyo bronze medallist Holly Bradshaw, who has endured so much in the last three years, broke down and sobbed on her knees after jamming her poles back into their case following her failure to qualify for her fourth Olympic final.
Molly Caudery, Britain’s world indoor champion, was at hand to try and console her but disappointment also awaited the 24-year-old. Caudery, who leads this year’s world list with 4.92m, made her own tearful exit after failing to clear her opening height of 4.55m. She had been the only vaulter to skip 4.40m, a height which proved enough for nine women to advance to Wednesday’s final. Soon she was the one being consoled.
A second-round effort of 67.47m was enough to see Lithuania’s 21-year-old world record-holder Mykolas Alekna through to Wednesday’s men’s discus final, where he will seek to emulate his father Virgilijus, who won this Olympic title at the Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 Games.
The family connection ended there, however, as Alekna’s 23-year-old brother Martynas failed to progress after a best of 58.66m.
Australia’s Commonwealth champion Matt Denny, super-keen to make a global podium after placing fourth at the Tokyo Games and last year’s World Championships, also surpassed the automatic qualifying mark of 66.00m with 66.83m, and he was joined by Austria’s Olympic bronze medallist Lukas Weisshaidinger.
Slovenia’s Kristjan Ceh, who has won world gold and silver since finishing fifth at the Tokyo Games, progressed with 64.80m from group B, which was headed by Germany’s Clemens Prufer, the only other thrower to beat the automatic qualifying mark of 66.00m with an effort of 66.36m.
World 400m champion Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic, seeking an upgrade on the silver she won at the Tokyo Games, was the fastest qualifier from the heats, moving through to Wednesday’s semifinals with a time of 49.42.
Next fastest was the Briton who clocked a split of 48.81 in earning mixed 4x400m silver on Saturday night, Amber Anning, who registered 49.68, with Bahrain’s 2019 world champion Salwa Eid Naser next best on 49.91 ahead of mixed 4x400m gold medallist Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands on 49.96 and Poland’s European champion Natalia Kaczmarek on 49.98.
Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke was able to slow down halfway down the finishing straight before winning her heat in 50.09 from Alexis Holmes of the United States, who clocked 50.35.
Shaunae Miller-Uibo’s defence of the title came to an end in the third heat as the 30-year-old, who became a mother last year, failed to finish.
There were tears of joy for Britain’s Jessie Knight in the women’s 400m hurdles repechage as an inspired final surge over the final 30 metres enabled her to claim the second automatic qualification place after catching Panama’s Gianna Woodruff on the line, with both clocking 55.10 behind China’s Mo Jiadie, who won in 54.75.
For home runner Shana Grebo, who surfed a wave of patriotic noise as she front-ran her way to automatic qualification, this race will surely remain in her memory, as cherished as any gold medal-winning performance.
In the men’s 400m repechage round, Ammar Yahia Ibrahim of Qatar was the fastest of the qualifiers for Tuesday night’s semifinals in 44.77. Canada’s Jacqueline Madogo was the fastest qualifier from the women’s 200m repechage round for tonight’s semifinals with a personal best of 22.58.
Mike Rowbottom for World Athletics
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