TOKYO (REUTERS) – A world record had been predicted but Norway’s Karsten Warholm did not just break it, he destroyed it to hold off American Rai Benjamin and win a superb men’s Olympic 400 metres hurdles final on Tuesday (Aug 3).
In July, Warholm broke Kevin Young’s 29-year world mark with a time of 46.70 seconds but he blew his own record away with an astonishing 45.94sec run.
Benjamin pushed him all the way to take silver in 46.17sec, also half a second inside the old record.
Brazilian Alison dos Santos got in on the act as well as he took bronze in 46.72sec, also inside Young’s previous best.
Meanwhile, reigning world champion Malaika Mihambo of Germany won the women’s long jump gold with her final leap of 7.00m.
Brittney Reese of the United States took the silver ahead of bronze medallist Ese Brume of Nigeria.
After an exciting competition during which the lead changed hands frequently between Reese and Brume, Mihambo, who was placed third going into the final round, settled the deal with her last leap.
Reese and Brume finished tied on 6.97m but the American took the silver owing to her second-best jump of 6.95m which was five centimetres longer than Brume’s 6.90m.