Canada’s Christopher Morales Williams smashed the championship record to win 400m gold at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Kujawy Pomorze 26 on Saturday (21).

In a clash between two of the three fastest short track 400m runners in history, Morales Williams clocked a season's best of 44.76 to take the title ahead of USA’s Khaleb McRae, who chased him over the finish line in 45.03.

All three medallists came from the second section of the final and Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards – the 2022 world indoor champion and former championship record-holder – clinched bronze in 45.39.

Morales Williams and McRae both started strongly and the anticipated head-to-head battle was soon realised as they broke at the same time and ran level at the bell.

McRae had the slight advantage around the bend and was a few strides ahead along the back straight, with Richards chasing hard in third place. But Morales Williams was waiting for his moment to pounce and he surged around McRae off the final curve, maintaining that momentum all the way to the finish to achieve the third-fastest performance of his career.

Held under the new 400m format, the final was split into two sections with four athletes in each race using lanes three to six. The three fastest times overall determined the medallists.

Morales Williams and McRae lined up alongside each other – McRae in lane five and Morales Williams in lane six after the Canadian clocked the fastest ever World Indoor Championships heat time (45.51) during Friday’s morning session and the fastest semifinal in World Indoor Championships history (45.35) later that day.

“I have worked hard for this. A gold and a championship record – I could not ask for more,” said Morales Williams, who ran the fastest short track time in history – 44.49 – in 2024 but it could not be ratified as a world record due to an issue with the starting blocks. 

“I may be new on the world stage but, having raced in the NCAA, I have a lot of experience with indoor running. I was not worried about being behind for most of the race as closing is what I do best, so I actually love to be behind. 

“The two-race final format is nothing new to me. It is what I do in the NCAA and it actually makes more sense to me – it gives everyone a chance to win, there are no bad lanes. You race against the clock but first you have to beat the guys in your race. The win gives me a big boost for the outdoor season.”

McRae, who set a world short track record of 44.52 last month, was delighted with his own first individual global medal.

“Considering what I ran last year, coming out of college, just working hard, signing a professional contract – being here and walking away with the silver medal, even though I wanted a gold, it still means the world,” said the world 4x400m silver medallist. “Of course, I wanted to run faster, but 45.03 is not bad. 

“I don't think I will be celebrating this medal a lot. We need to prepare for the outdoor season – we need to keep on moving forward. But this has been the best indoor season I have ever had, for sure.”

The bronze was Richards’ third world indoor medal, 14 years after his first – he claimed 4x400m bronze in 2012 and won the 400m title a decade later.

USA’s Chris Robinson finished fourth after running 45.55 to top the first section.

At the age of 18 years and 13 days, Czechia’s Tomáš Horák finished fifth overall in 45.70, having become the youngest ever world indoor 400m finalist.

Jess Whittington for World Athletics

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