American comes through to deny European record-holder a golden moment after brilliant final in Paris
Matthew Hudson-Smith laid all of his cards on the table and broke his own European 400m record in an enthralling Olympic final on Wednesday night (August 7). However, it was Quincy Hall who came up with the ace, his late charge snatching 400m victory in Paris.
Barely 24 hours after Josh Kerr’s dramatic 1500m loss to Cole Hocker, another US athlete thwarted British hopes.
A century on from the famous 400m Olympic victory of Eric Liddell in the French capital, Hudson-Smith had also appeared to be en route to the sport’s top prize as he came off the final bend, with former world indoor champion Jereem Richards seemingly posing the greatest threat from out in lane nine.
With the line beckoning, however, Hall burst through from fourth place – straining every sinew to generate the momentum that made the difference, the clock showing a PB of 43.40 – the fourth-fastest time in history. Hudson-Smith also produced his fastest ever time, with 43.44 – easily the quickest losing time in a major championships.
After narrowly missing out on the world title in similar fashion to Jamaican Antonio Watson in Budapest last summer, it was another silver for the man from Wolverhampton but he was far from downbeat.
“I said that, if you are going to win it, you are going to have to really take it from me and that’s exactly what he did,” said the Commonwealth silver medallist who has battled injury and mental health problems in recent years.
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“I cannot complain, it’s my fastest time overall. I almost got it. Sometimes the journey is better than the outcome. It has been a hell of a journey and I cannot complain. This is just the start. I know there is a bigger time in there. The time will come. This is the healthiest I have been going into a champs and I almost got it.
“I thought I had it. We knew coming into this it would come down to the last 50m. I knew I would clear the field by 300m. We knew the last 50m would determine if I would get the championships. Quincy came and he nicked it.”
Commonwealth champion Muzala Samukonga clocked a national record of 43.74m for third, as did Richards of Trinidad and Tobago with 43.78 in fourth. With the 2012 Olympic champion Kirani James running 43.87, it was the first time ever that five athletes had run under 44 seconds in the same race.
Hall, racing with a grill of golden teeth that glinted under the Stade de France floodlights, has now collected another piece of precious metal and became the USA’s first Olympic champion in this event since LaShawn Merritt in 2008.
Hall, a former 400m hurdler, only switched to the flat 400m last year. It’s a decision that he says changed his life. The 26-year-old won bronze at the World Championships. In his post-race press conference he admitted to having grown up contesting everything from the 200m through to 1500m and hinted that he might move on from the one-lap event relatively soon.
“I don’t give up,” said Hall. “I just grit, I grind. I’ve got determination. Anything I think will get me to that line, I think of it. A lot of hurt, a lot of pain.
“I just won. It’s over. For the next four years I can say I’m an Olympic champion.”
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In the semi-finals of the women’s event, Salwa Eid Naser was quickest in booking her spot in Friday night’s final. The 2019 world champion, who missed the Tokyo Olympics due to a ban for breaching anti-doping rules, produced a season’s best of 49.08, with two-time world champion Marileidy Paulino (49.21) second-fastest.
There was also a hugely encouraging run from Britain’s Amber Anning as she clocked a PB of 49.45 in coming a narrow second to world silver medallist Natalia Kaczmarek (49.45). Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke also progressed with a run of 49.95.
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In the semi-finals of the men’s 200m, the prodigiously talented 21-year-old Letsile Tebogo raised some eyebrows by beating world champion Noah Lyles, the Botswanan clocking 19.96 (-0.2) to Lyles’ 20.08.
The newly crowned Olympic 100m champion looked a lttle short of his best, and there were reports that he had reported for medical attention after his heat.
He is through to the final, however, as is his fellow countryman Kenny Bednarek, who clocked 20.00 (-0.1) in the opening heat, coming home in front of Alexander Ogando of the Dominica Republic. He managed 20.09 (-0.1), while world silver medallist Erriyon Knighton clocked the same time in winning heat three from Joseph Fahnbulleh (20.12).
Defending champion Andre de Grasse did not go through, only finishing 10th-quickest with 20.41.
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The men’s 400m hurdles provided one of the standout races of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and, on the basis of the semi-final stage, it could well do so again here in Paris.
The defending champion and world record-holder Karsten Warholm looked sharp in qualifying fastest in 47.67, winning his heat from Frenchman Clement Ducos (47.85). In that same race, however, Tokyo bronze medallist Alison dos Santos – the second-fastest man in the world this year – came third in 47.95 and had to rely on a fastest loser’s spot to progress.
Rai Benjamin’s qualification was a little more serene, the world leader also running 47.85 to win heat three.
In the men’s 110m hurdles, defending champion Grant Holloway looked like a man with a point to prove as he qualified fastest for the final in a time of 12.98 (+0.1), the only competitor to dip under 13 seconds.
Jamaican Orlando Bennett got closest with a PB of 13.09 (0.6), as Daniel Roberts of the USA completed to the top three qualifiers with 13.10 (0.6).
Jamaica’s defending champion Hansle Parchment qualified as a fastest loser with his time of 13.19 (0.1).
Great Britain’s Tade Ojora didn’t progress after his run of 13.47 (-0.1).
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