THIS ONE DEFIED predictions as Florida soph Vance Nilsson came up big when it counted most. He was only the seventh-fastest qualifier, taking 2nd in his semi at 49.39. Our formchart had him pegged just outside the medals at 4th.
But the 2024 World U20 champion has a taste for gold. Running blind in lane 9, he led the entire lap and blasted a new PR and CL of 48.06, well under the pair of 48.77s he ran at conference and regionals. He now stands at No. 9 on the all-time collegiate performers list.
Despite Nilsson’s authoritative run, victory was never certain until after the final hurdle. He chopped his steps on hurdle 9, allowing prerace favorites Kody Blackwood of Texas and Ja’Qualon Scott of Texas A&M (both seniors) to edge closer. Scott then faded slightly while Blackwood seemed ready to snatch the lead.
Then disaster struck for Blackwood. He clipped the final hurdle with his trail leg, stumbled a couple of steps, and fell to the track. Nilsson took the win as Scott held on for 2nd at 48.82.
North Carolina A&T junior Isaiah Taylor — one of 2-time Olympic 400H gold medalist Angelo Taylor’s twin sons in the race — took 3rd at 49.03. Blackwood got up to finish last in 53.52.
Nilsson let out a loud “Oh my God!” at the finish.
The next day, Nilsson told the press he had recovered well. “I feel really good, honestly,” he said. “I feel like I could run again if I had to.”
But that’s not how he felt crossing the finish line.
“Dude, that might have been the most painful race of my life. I literally puked like three times afterwards and I was like, Oh, shoot, I gotta get back for the 4×4. But yeah, it’s worth it to me.”
His lane draw wasn’t ideal, but he made it work.
“When I got lane 9, you know, I [didn’t] know if I liked that or not, but then, looking back to the U20 World Champs, I got lane 2. And now I won out of lane 9, too, so that kind of makes me think I can win out of whatever lane I get. I just have to run my race the right way, you know?
“At 300 meters, I knew I was flying. I can feel it. Everything just felt like it was coming together. Even my coach told me, you’ve got to come off the curve first. And then that was the plan.”
Nilsson botched hurdle 9 but kept his composure.
“Hurdle 9 and 10 is just guts. There’s not really any thoughts going through your head. It’s kind of just like fight or flight, I kind of just survived, to be honest.”
MEN’S 400 HURDLES RESULTS
FINAL (June 12)
1. **Vance Nilsson (Fl) 48.06 PR (9, x C);
2. Ja’Qualon Scott (TxAM) 48.82;
3. *Isaiah Taylor (NCAT) 49.03;
4. Marc Anthony Ibrahim’ (Tn-Lbn) 49.06;
5. Devin Nugent (Aub) 49.50;
6. *Jayden Douglas (TCU) 49.68;
7. *Xzaviah Taylor (NCAT) 49.98;
8. **Josiah Johnson (NnAz) 50.56;
9. Kody Blackwood (Tx) 53.52 (fell at last hurdle).
SEMIS (June 10)
I–1. Douglas 49.22; 2. Taylor 49.28; 3. Johnson 49.40; 4. **Andres Langston (Duke) 49.53; 5. *Elijah Mallard (Syr) 50.03; 6. Chris Brinkley (Tx) 50.25; 7. Calvin Wetzel (Tn) 50.60; 8. *Jarvis Anderson (SFA) 51.85.
II–1. Blackwood 48.95; 2. Nilsson 49.39; 3. Nugent 49.47; 4. *David Thid’ (Al-Swe) 50.02; 5. **James Ledbetter (Nb) 50.16; 6. Finn Andrews (UCSB) 52.69;… dq—*Yougendy Mauricette (USC), Ja-Van Poole (Oakl).
III–1. Scott 48.59; 2. Taylor 49.00; 3. Ibrahim’ 49.18; 4. *Jason Parrish (Wich) 49.77; 5. *Ryan Matulonis (Penn) 49.90; 6. Tamaal Myers (UCLA) 50.87; 7. *Danny Tragarz (Co) 51.47; 8. John Colquitt (In) 51.95.
