By K. P. Mohan
Karsten Warholm of Norway had bettered his world record in the 400m hurdles just the day before. Today it was the turn of American Sydney McLaughlin to smash her own world record in the women’s 400m hurdles on the sixth morning of athletics action in the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
McLaughlin clocked 51.46s to better her US trials timing of 51.90s, which was the first time a woman had broken through the 52-second barrier,
The 400m hurdles is no longer looking second cousin to any of the shorter track events. In a way, both men and women’s records in this event were tipped to be bettered as the Olympics approached. The competition was intense in both sections and the main characters were in superb form. Warholm was in peak form into the season and the two American women had set up an exhilarating rivalry since the 2019 National championships.
As is her habit, Muhammad set a fast tempo right at the start and maintained a good lead through the backstraight and into second bend. Once the seventh hurdle arrived, McLaughlin stepped up the pace a little.
They were almost together on the tenth hurdle with Muhammad a fraction early. McLaughlin, 21, then showed her strength through the flat 40 metres to the finish
Muhammad had a personal best of 51.58s, Dutchwoman Femke Bol, in brilliant form this season, had an Area record of 52.03s for bronze.
“I can’t really get it straight in my head yet,” McLaughlin said. “I’m sure I’ll process it and celebrate later,” she said. She showed little emotions after the memorable victory quite in contrast to Warholm’s war cry the other day after the men’s race.
“Just like the men’s race, all three of our times would have won any Olympics, any other year,” Muhammad said. “I’m so proud to be part of that history and even more proud of my teammate Sydney. I’m just happy it’s a one-two final for USA and today I’m happy with second.”
Andre De Grasse became the first Canadian since 1928 to win the men’s 200m title, ahead of three Americans including world champion Noah Lyles. Bronze medallist in the 100m, De Grasse was able to overhaul Lyles past around 150m and held onto score a splendid victory in a national record of 19.62s, a world lead. Kenny Bednarek (19.68s) and Lyles (19.74s) followed while the third American Erriyon Knighton (19.93s), a 17-year-old who created much sensation while coming third in the US trials in 19.84s, world junior record, finished fourth.
Kenya made it a one-two through Emmanuel Korir and Ferguson Rotich in the men’s 800m in which Botswana’s Nijel Amos, Olympic silver medallist in 2012, was reinstated after having been eliminated because of a tangle and fall in the semi-finals. Amos could not benefit, unable to keep pace with the Kenyans over the final 150 metres and finished eighth in 1:46.41. Korir timed 1:45.06 and Rotich 1:45.23.
Ugandan Peruth Chemutai clocked a national record of 9:01.45 to take the women’s 3000m steeplechase, overtaking the front-running American Courtney Frerichs (9:04.79) from about 300 metres to the finish. The American had surprised many by hitting the front with three laps to go and stayed there till Chemutai passed her. Kenyan Hyvin Kiyeng was third in 9:05.39. World record holder Beatrice Chepkoech of Kenya finished seventh in 9:16.33.
Poland’s Wojciech Nowicki won the hammer throw gold with a personal best 82.52m. He had won the bronze in Rio five years ago. Three-time world champion Pawel Fajdek, also of Poland, was overtaken in the fifth round by Norway’s Eivind Henriksen (81.58m for national record) for the silver. Fajdek took the bronze with 81.53m.
In the semi-finals of the women’s 1500m, Nozomi Tanaka of Japan clocked her second National record at these Games to qualify for the final. She clocked 3:59.19 to better her own record set in the heats at 4:02.33. She was fifth overall among the qualifiers that included Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan, gunning for a rare treble of 1500m, 5000m and 10,000m. Faith Kipyegon of Kenya topped the qualification with 3:56.80.
India had reason to cheer this day as javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra made it into the final of the event, topping the qualifiers with just one throw of 86.65. German Johannes Vetter, favourite in all pre-Games forecasts, needed three throws to get past the qualifying mark of 63.50m. He did 85.64m on his third after having come close to elimination.
No. 2 this season, Poland’s Marcin Krukowski (74.65m) and No. 3 and former Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago (79.33m) failed to make it. Pakistani Arshad Nadeem and German Julian Weber were among the automatic qualifiers.
Among those who failed to make it included the Asian record holder Chinese Taipei’s Cheng Chao-Tsun (71.20m), another Taipei man Huang Shih-Feng (77.16m), Japanese Takuto Kominami (78.39m) and Indian Shivpal Singh (76.40m).
“I am at my first Olympic Games, and I feel very good. In warm-up my performance wasn’t so good, but then my first throw had a good angle, and was a perfect throw,” said Chopra.
Japanese Taio Kanai hit a hurdle and ambled along at the rear in the men’s 110m hurdles semi-finals in 26.11s.
“The tip of my foot went into the ground I touched the athlete on my right and then I fell down. My goal was to get into the final. I really regret (elimination in the semis)” said the 25-year-old Japanese.
Japanese Shunsuke Izumiya (13.35s), Chinese Xie Wenjun (13.58s) and Chen Kuei-Ru of Chinese Taipei (13.57s) were eliminated in the 110m hurdles semi-finals.
In the heptathlon, after day one, Zheng Ninali was in tenth place at 3754 points. World champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson of Britain was disqualified in the 200m. Anouk Vetter of the Netherlands led with 3968 points after the first day.
In decathlon, world champion Niklas Kaul of Germany suffered an injury during the 400m and did not finish. Canadian Damian Warner led with 4722 points on the first day.
