Muhammad, McLaughlin Produce Historic 1-2 Finish In 400 Hurdles

By Brooklynn Loiselle, Special To DyeStat

DOHA, Qatar -- Dalilah Muhammad of the United States stared at the scoreboard, waiting to see who won the 400-meter hurdles final at the 2019 IAAF World Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

She did not expect to see what she saw—a world record.

Muhammad won the gold in 52.16 seconds, breaking her own world record by .04. American Sydney McLaughlin took the silver in 52.23, third fastest time the world has ever seen, moving McLaughlin from No. 10 to No. 2 on the all-time performers’ list. Rushell Clayton of Jamaica won bronze in 53.74, a personal best.

“We knew it was going to be fast,” McLaughlin said. “We didn’t think that it would be another world record.”

Muhammad went out strong, beating McLaughlin to the first hurdle, but McLaughlin made up the distance on the back stretch. Coming around the final curve, McLaughlin began to stutter around hurdle No. 8, losing distance on Muhammad.

“I definitely knew she’d be there, and mostly, I was just trying to put as much distance as I could as possible,” Muhammad said. “She has a great finish, and I was just trying to focus on being a great hurdler and using my speed.”

Muhammad took the lead down the final 100 meters, but McLaughlin began to close. Off the final hurdle, McLaughlin began to quickly make up the distance, but Muhammad, 29, was able to hold off the 20-year old.

“I kind of at that moment actually thought of Naser finishing that crazy 400 last night and how open and relaxed she looked,” Muhammad said. “That popped into my head over the last hurdle, and I was like, ‘Look like her.’”

Muhammad and McLaughlin have battled each other all season. McLaughlin won their first matchup in Oslo and the Diamond League championship in Zurich. However, Muhammad won the U.S. title and Saturday’s world title, both in world record time.

“She’s amazing,” McLaughlin said of Muhammad. “She’s been doing this for a long time, and I’m constantly trying to learn from her. I think once I work on a couple things, I’ll hopefully be a little bit faster, and you know that world record will go again.” 

The United States has significant depth in the 400-meter hurdles: The top four women in the world this year are Americans. Ashley Spencer, No. 3, placed sixth in the final, while Shamier Little, No. 4, finished fourth at the U.S. championships and did not qualify for worlds.

“I think that [world] record is safe for 10 months,” Spencer said. “And who’s to say who will break it. We all run fairly well, especially together, seeing that the women’s USA 400 hurdles is really competitive … We push everyone else to run fast.”

The U.S. is the only nation to have hurdlers to collect gold and silver at consecutive World Championships in the women's 400 meters. The U.S. also did it in 1995.

In the men’s 400 meters, Steven Gardiner of the Bahamas, the 2017 silver medalist, won the gold in 43.48, a national record and personal best by about .40. Anthony José Zambrano of Columbia won the silver in 44.15, an area record, and Fred Kerley of the United States took bronze in 44.17, half a second off his season and personal best.

“Best feeling ever right now,” Gardiner said.

Gardiner had been near the front of the pack for the entire race but in the last 100 meters, he decided to distance himself.

“I was thinking, ‘OK, I’ve got to make my move now, or it’s going to be too late,’” he said. “I hit it at the right time and just managed to keep my technique and hold on for dear life.”

Gardiner has had a difficult year. His hometown, on Abaco Island, was destroyed by Hurricane Dorian, and his house, although still standing, was damaged. Many of his friends and family still do not have power and went to a watch party in the capital, Nassau, to watch his races.

“It was no pressure,” Gardiner said. “I got a lot of messages from people back home, friends, family, fans. They told me go and just do my best, and they’ll be proud of me. I wanted to give them a little more than my best. I wanted to be a world champion, and here I am now.”

American Michael Norman, the world leader in the event, did not qualify out of his semifinal heat. Afterward, he said an injury to his “lower half” that he had been battling for a few months forced him to shut down his race during the heat.

Kerley was taken to medical after the race and was not available for interviews.