Russia’s Sidorova upstages Morris for pole vault gold MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2019 © IAAF Samba aims for home delight as Warholm, Benjamin loom BigBig men’s 400m4 hurdles battle could raise the roof at Khalifa International Stadium RAAJIVRAAAJIVT TRIPATHIRIPA DOHADOHA IFIF therethetherth e is anyany racerace in which Qatar’s flamboyantflambflflamambmboyaoyyany t runnerrunner AbderrahmanAbde Sam- baae evereverve needsneneeds thethe backingbacking of his fans and supporters,suppsuuppporortorteo ersrs,s it isis at the KhalifaK Interna- tionaltitiontioioni nala StadiumStadtataditadiad um tonighttonight on Monday at 10.4010.4100.440 pmpm – thethe finalfinal of the 400m hur- dless ofo thethhee IAAFIAIAAA WorldWorld AthleticsA Cham- pionshipspioniononshipshishiphipps DohaDDoohha 2019.2019. AfterAfteAAff er havinghhavviving hishis 15-race15 winning streakstretreak curtailedcuurturtaurtaailiileiledede byby AmericanAme Rai Ben- jaminjamin inn theththe Saturday’sSaturday semi-finals, Samba,Sambamba, lookinglloookokiokinokining to bebe in the fast lane of recoveryr ecovoveryerry afterafaftafteafteer hishhis injuryinju in June this year,yearr, wouldwwooululduldd badlybadlbad y neednen e cheers of the homeomeme crowdcrowdw totoora raiseraiseiis his bar a couple off notches.nototchtchchhes.eses.s AccordingAccoA cordinrddininnggt tot thetht form, fitness andndd fluency,fluenflufluenency,y defendingdefed n champion I don’t even know if the sun is KarstenKarsrsstenten WarholmWarharhholmololm from Norway going to come up on Monday. We and BenjaminBeBenjnjaminmin undoubtedlyunddo appear will see what happens but I have a shadeshadadede betterbetttter thanthanhah Samba at the not come here to be second or moment.momeent.ntt. Butu theth DohaD fans may provideprovvidee SambaSambaba thethhe much-needed third, I have come here to win. I am boostboost thatthhat heh eere requiresrequiquuiu to beat the not worried too much about the challengechallengnge ananddstd standsttanandanndd on the top of record, the gold will do. the podium.podidium.. Warholm,Warhholm, BenjaminBenBennjja and Sam- – Rai Benjamin of the US baba tooktook theirtheir tuturnsurnn to be ranked amongamong thethhe fourfourr quickestq one-lap he was runner-up, he managed to record hurdlershurdlers inn historyhiststoorr of the event. 46.98 to tie Samba for the third spot. The setbacksetback offt theth 2017 London Samba is competing on his home soil so everybody will watch Now the three of the four fastest men worldsworlds spurredspurrredd SambaS to come him and literally push him to the finish. But Rai is also chasing me since of the event history – Warholm, Benja- backback intointo thethhe reckoningreec and set min and Samba - are pitched in the bat- all the trackstrackss afireafi last season, Zurich and he wants to beat me. I am very nervous to be honest and I tle for the gold and glory. Other runners afterafter hishis victoryvictotoo in the 2017 think it is pretty obvious why. It has been a final everyone has been in the final include 2017 London worlds ZagrebZagreb IAAFIAAFAFF World Chal- talking about. The level is very, very high and I am going to have dig very runner-up and Rio Olympics bronze lenge,lenge, inin whichwhhicic he started his deep to have a chance of winning. I am not looking forward to that tough medallist Yasmani Copello (Turkey), TJ winningwinning rununn with a 48.70 and painful experience on Monday but I am ready. Holmes (US), Alison dos Santos (Brazil) time.time. and Abdelmalik Lahoulou (Algeria). The QatariQaa then domi- – Karsten Warholm of Norway However, the leading trio is in class natednated thethe scene like an of its own. If the race has seen a huge unchallengedunchal Czar build-up, it is because of them. An un- ofof thethe men’s 400m Men’s 400m hurdles line-up precedented anticipation of fans for hurdles.hurdl In his in- LANE BIB ATHLETE COUNTRY PB SB the men’s 400m hurdles final may be crediblecredi sequence rewarded with a world record on Mon- ofof sizzlingsi runs, he DOHA 2019 day as well. It has to be seen if War- becamebec the second 2 1149 Kyron McMaster IVB 47.54 48.33 holm and defend the title and extend fastestfast man in the 3 1895 TJ Holmes USA 48.30 48.58 his winning run to nine. eventev in Paris in 4 1491 Karsten Warholm NOR 46.92 46.92 Samba always uses his unfortunate JuneJu when he 5 328 Alison dos Santos BRA 48.35 48.35 fumble on the last hurdle during the wasw timed home 6 1772 Yasmani Copello TUR 47.81 48.39 London WCH race two years ago to fire in 46.98. Then he 7 1867 Rai Benjamin USA 46.98 46.98 himself up. From a medal prospect, he wrappedwrap up his Di- 8 105 Abdelmalik Lahoulou ALG 48.39 48.39 could finish a heartbreaking seventh. amondamond League campaigncampaig with another 9 1603 Abderrahman Samba QAT 46.98 47.27 Can the flashback of that race can com- victoryvictory in July.July. bine with the fans support to push Sam- DueDue to Asian Games,Gam he had to run in Shanghai and posted a fine victory a head-to-head battle. The Norwegian ba to beat all the barriers and bag a gold? skipskip the DiamondDiamond LeagueLea finals and on Benjamin, the son of famous West produced a scorching run and clocked The possibility can’t be ruled out. If he is focusfocus on helpinghelping QatarQatar collect medals Indian cricketer Winston Benjamin. The 46.92 to rise to the second spot on the competing in three events in the Doha inin Jakarta,Jakarta, IndonesiaIndonesia last season. Or pair was entered in the Eugene/Stanford all-time fastest list behind the world re- 2019, with 400m and 4x400m relays be- withoutwithout a shredshred of doubt,do he would leg in June as well. But Samba pulled out cord holder Kevin Young of the US. He ing other two, he must be certainly hav- have beenbeen a proudproud ownerow of at least of the race due to injury. also finished the year as unbeaten. ing a game plan and plenty of power in one DiamondDiamond LeagueLeagueu trophy!tr Then it was the time for Benjamin Benjamin was also inspired and his legs. It has to be seen how he tackles Butt thishis year,yeaear, SambaSambaama began the out- and Warholm to up the game. In the Zu- launched a sizzling chase of Warholm. the most important race of his life thus doordoor seasonseaeaasonon with thethhe DiamondDiD League rich Diamond League finale, the two had The American was paid off and though far on the morrow. Abdelaziz Mohamed suffers 400m hurdles WR just a matter of time and date: Young a fall in 200m heats IAAF doubled to four the number of (Benjamin) and Karston (War- DOHA hurdlers who have smashed holm) and I asked, ‘how old are through the 47-second barrier. you guys? And they’re 22, 23 AS Kevin Young prepares to Three will be lining up in Khal- years old. I think, ‘Wow! Man!’ watch the men’s 400m hur- ifa Stadium in the final. You guys are still developing, dles final on Monday night, he “That’s the story,” Young you guys will probably break it does so knowing that his days said. “You have three hurdlers a few times.” as the world record holder in who haven’t reached their pin- The world record’s ‘X fac- the event are numbered. And nacle. That’s the beauty of this tor’, as Young calls it, lies in after carrying that honour for event right now.” the hurdler’s ability to control more than 27 years, he’s ex- Indeed, Young points out, their speed. cited about the prospect. the only component that’s “When I broke the world re- “Never in the history of the missing for the youthful trio - cord I ran six seconds to the first event have there been three Benjamin is 22, Warholm 23 hurdle. Between 5.8 and six sec- hurdlers at one time who have and Samba just turned 24 - is onds. I think it’s six seconds. Rai all run under 47.2,” Young experience. World record holder of 400m hurdles Kevin Young of the USA. told me it was 5.8 seconds. And said on the morning of Zu- “They are all young hur- I asked him, ‘How fast are you rich’s IAAF Diamond League dlers. And hurdling is a disci- he refers to as “the master” Young was 25 when he getting to the first hurdle?’ He final last month. pline which you develop over and a “well-oiled machine”. sped a seemingly impossible said 5.5. And I said, ‘You guys He didn’t know then that time. You get comfortable with “For many years I tried go- 46.78 to secure the 1992 Olym- are running too damned fast.’ ” less than 12 hours later his the race. And you get comfort- ing 13 steps, and floundered. pic gold medal, and his place in “That is the holy grail of the point would be underscored able with how you run the race. I tried it during the national athletics’ history. He smashed event. It’s called speed main- by Karsten Warholm and Rai It’s discipline and strategy.” championships in 1986 and the previous world record, Mo- tenance. I know personally, Benjamin after they joined Young said he spent much ended up going 11 steps at one ses’ fourth by a massive 0.24 when you get to that 200-me- Abderrahman Samba as mem- of his early career experi- of the hurdles. All through my seconds. That could only come, tre phase you start opening up bers of the sub-47 club in the menting with a variety of ap- last collegiate season I was go- he said, after a long period of and you want to run fast.