– The bottom line was when we discussed the future of the Diamond League with Sebastian Coe and which exercises should dominate in the years ahead, says Bislett Games manager Steinar Hoen to news. – The 400 meter hurdles was part of a discussion about whether it should even be part of the future, along with the triple jump and hurdles. And then things turned around, to say the least. It started with Karsten Warholm’s WC gold in 2017. Now the event organizers are scrambling to attract the biggest stars in the 400 meter hurdles. It is only the pole vault – and Armand Duplantis – that has been a greater guarantor of world records for the athletics track in recent years. BISLETT-GENERAL: Steinar Hoen has hit well with the bookings in the 400 meter hurdles. Bislett Games was Sydney McLaughlin’s first Diamond League event in 2019 and in 2021 Karsten Warholm set a world record. Photo: Fredrik Hagen / NTB – It’s because of Rai Benjamin, Karsten Warholm, Sydney McLaughlin and Dalilah Muhammad, says Joanna Hayes to news. – Far more glamorous In recent years, Hayes has coached Olympic and World Cup silver winner Benjamin, and between 2018 and 2020 she coached McLaughlin, who set a world record for the fourth time in the World Cup. She herself became Olympic champion in the 100 meter hurdles in Athens 18 years ago, and has also tried her hand at the long hurdles. Hayes calls the development absolutely incredible. – The exercise has been through a fantastic journey over the past 7-8 years. It is a far more glamorous exercise. Now that’s a highlight. BREAKTHROUGH: Joanna Hayes (left) had coaching responsibility for Sydney McLAughlin until 2020. Here during an award ceremony in 2018, the year before she won World Cup silver in Doha. Photo: USA TODAY USPW / Reuters She says the 400-meter hurdles was treated as an unwanted “stepchild” while she was still active. – Before, the events categorized the exercises from A to C. 400 meter hurdles was a C exercise that paid the winners less than half of an A exercise. It was terrible, says Hayes. Hoen confirms that the exercise’s prestige has also led to it costing significantly more to organize the 400 meter hurdles than it did a decade ago. Now it is more attractive than its “big brother” without hedges – and more expensive to arrange. In part, this is due to the attention that comes with a world record. World record bonanza On the women’s side, world records have been set six times in the last three years. Russian Julija Petsjonkina’s 52.34 stood for 16 years before Dalilah Muhammad lowered it twice in the 2019 WC season with times of 52.20 and 52.16. Since then, Sydney McLaughlin has been the supreme world number one, smashing the old records. First 51.90 during the Olympic selection, then 51.46 in the Olympics in Tokyo – before she embellished it in this year’s WC selection with 51.41. – It’s not just me. We have a group of girls who are willing to push their bodies to the next level. We see times improving. It is a very exciting period, McLaughlin told news after setting another world record. Her most recent record is 50.68 seconds. HISTORIC TRIO: Dalilah Muhammad, Sydney McLaughlin and Femke Bol took the medals in the fastest ever women’s 400m hurdles at the World Championships in Eugene. Photo: Patrick Smith / AFP World Cup silver winner Femke Bol is the third runner who has been below Petsjonkina’s old record in the last three years. – It is fantastic. Now we have the three fastest ever in the world, said Bol after the all-time race over the distance in the WC final. The Dutch sensation followed up the WC success with EC gold in the 400 metres, 400 meters hurdles and 4×400 meters relay in Munich. WOMAN OF SUCCESS: Femke Bol secured Dutch relay gold in the 4×400 meters on Saturday. In just one year, she has won Olympic bronze, two World Cup silvers and three European Championship golds in the 400. Photo: INA FASSBENDER / AFP – A main attraction The world record in the men’s 400 meter hurdles has been broken twice by Karsten Warholm in the last 14 the months. The newly-minted European champion first took it with a small bite when he lowered it from 46.78 to 46.70 seconds during the Bislett Games in 2021, before taking a huge leap with 45.94 in the Olympic final. At the time, hardly anyone thought it was possible to achieve 400 meters with ten obstacles in the way. 45.94: Karsten Warholm reacted like this after the race in Tokyo where he set the world record for the second time. Alisson Dos Santos (background) from Brazil won the World Cup in 2022 and took bronze in the Olympics. Photo: LUCY NICHOLSON / Reuters Rai Benjamin and Alisson Dos Santos, like Warholm, have run in better times than the record that belonged to Kevin Young for 30 years. The American took Olympic silver with 46.17 in Tokyo. Dos Santos took Olympic bronze in 46.72 and World Cup gold in 46.29. – It has become a main attraction, says Hayes. PS! All the women who won a medal in the EC – Femke Bol, Viktorija Tkatsjuk and Anna Ryzjykova – will take part in the Diamond League event in Lausanne on Friday. There they meet former world record holder Dalilah Muhammad.
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The exercise was referred to as an “unwanted stepchild” and considered removed – now everyone wants them – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
