OREGON (UNITED STATES), July 23 (dpa/EP) –
The American Sydney McLaughlin won gold this Friday in the 400 meter hurdles at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon (United States), with a stratospheric world record (50.68), while her compatriot Michael Norman confirmed his favoritism in the same test for also hang the gold medal.
McLaughlin, 22, beat his previous personal best by 73 hundredths to complete the biggest display in the entire World Championship. The American was one of the fastest at the start and she quickly got ahead of Dalilah Muhammad -the woman who defeated her in Doha 2019-. Her progress was convincing, with an advantage over the second sprinter, the Dutch Femke Bol, who was much higher.
And McLaughlin did not disappoint by crossing the finish line in 50.68. The silver went to Bol with 52.27, the fastest silver in history, while the American Dalilah Muhammad finally hung the bronze with 53.13.
“It’s unreal. The weather is absolutely incredible and the sport is getting faster and faster. I just find out what barriers can be broken,” said the world champion after the test. “It was absolutely unreal to have my family in the stands… After Tokyo and not having anyone, this was like a redemption,” the athlete confessed.
For his part, the American sprinter Michael Norman won the gold medal in the 400 meters, after beating Kirani James from Granada in a tight race, with a time of 44.29. The young athlete, 24 years old, thus filled the only gap in his resume with this world victory.
James, world champion 11 years ago, took silver (44.48), after dominating much of the test, although without keeping up with Norman, Olympic champion in Tokyo in the 4×400 relay, in the last 50 meters. Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith was bronze (44.66). Effusive off the track, Norman was pleased after a “challenging journey” over the last three years.