THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NOBODY with a flawless case for the preeminent position: surprise world champ Antonio Watson didn’t compete in any international invitationals and was only 2nd in the Jamaican Champs; DL winner Kirani James lost his first 3 races of the year and was DQed in the Budapest final; yearly list leader Steven Gardiner came to Hungary undefeated, but pulled up injured in the semis…
THAT LEFT US WITH Wayde van Niekerk, whose blemish was a WC 7th. Other than that, however, he was undefeated, was the only winner of 3 DL races and with 5 sub-44.5s had the best collection of times. That gave him his first No. 1 since ’17…
REIGNING NO. 1 Michael Norman, preferring to prep for the Olympics, ran only a handful of races, none of them 400s.
| JUMP TO U.S. RANKINGS | VIEW WORLD TOP 50 LIST | VIEW U.S. TOP 50 LIST |
| 1. WAYDE VAN NIEKERK (South Africa) (7/15/92, 6-0/161) (1.83/73) | |||||
| 44.17(A) | … | 1)SA Ch | 4/01 | ||
| (45.99Ah, 44.95Asf) | |||||
| 44.21 | … | 1)Kingston | 6/03 | ||
| 44.38 | … | 1)Oslo DL | 6/15 | ||
| 44.08 | … | 1)Chorzów DL | 7/16 | ||
| 44.36 | … | 1)London DL | 7/23 | ||
| 45.11 | … | 7)World Ch | 8/24 | ▷ | 1. Watson; 2. Hudson-Smith; 3. Hall; 4. Norwood; 5. Bailey; 6. Ingvaldsen |
| (44.57h, 44.65sf) | |||||
| 2. ANTONIO WATSON (Jamaica) (9/11/01, 5-9¼/141) (1.76/64) | |||||
| 46.63 | … | 1)Kingston | 2/11 | ||
| 45.78 | … | 1)Kingston | 3/18 | ||
| 44.75 | … | 1B)Kingston | 6/03 | ||
| 44.54 | … | 2)Jam Ch | 7/09 | ▷ | 1. Bailey |
| (46.38h, 45.00sf) | |||||
| 44.69 | … | 1)Murphey Cl | 8/04 | ||
| 44.22 | … | 1)World Ch | 8/24 | ||
| (44.77h, 44.13sf) | |||||
| 3. KIRANI JAMES (Grenada) (9/1/92, 6-¾/163) (1.85/74) | |||||
| 44.76 | … | 2)Gaborone CT | 4/29 | ▷ | 1. Samukonga |
| 44.50 | … | 2)Los Angeles CT | 5/27 | ▷ | 1. Bailey |
| 44.92 | … | 2)Murphey Cl | 8/04 | ▷ | 1. Watson |
| dq[44.52] | … | “8”)World Ch | 8/24 | ▷ | 1. Watson; 2. Hudson-Smith; 3. Hall; 4. Norwood; 5. Bailey; 6. Ingvaldsen; 7. van Niekerk |
| (44.91h, 44.58sf) | |||||
| 44.38 | … | 1)Xiamen DL | 9/02 | ||
| 44.30 | … | 1)Eugene DL | 9/16 | ||
| 4. QUINCY HALL (US) (7/31/98, 6-2/165) (1.88/75) | |||||
| 45.40 | … | 1)Tallahassee | 3/24 | ||
| 45.36 | … | 2)Florida R | 4/01 | ▷ | 1. Benjamin |
| 45.30 | … | 5)Jones Mem | 4/15 | ▷ | 1. Richards; 2. Russell; 3. Williams; 4. Stewart |
| 46.09 | … | 1)Penn R | 4/29 | ||
| 45.09 | … | 3)Los Angeles CT | 5/27 | ▷ | 1. Bailey; 2. James |
| dnf | … | –)Music City | 6/03 | ▷ | 1. Deadmon; 2. Francis; 3. Miller; 4. Jewett; 5. Dedewo |
| 45.06 | … | 1)Atlanta ATL | 6/17 | ||
| 44.41 | … | 3)USATF | 7/08 | ▷ | 1. Deadmon; 2. Norwood |
| (45.21h, 44.86sf) | |||||
| 44.37 | … | 3)World Ch | 8/24 | ▷ | 1. Watson; 2. Hudson-Smith |
| (44.86h, 44.43sf) | |||||
| 44.38 | … | 2)Xiamen DL | 9/02 | ▷ | 1. James |
| 44.44 | … | 2)Eugene DL | 9/16 | ▷ | 1. James |
| 5. VERNON NORWOOD (US) (4/10/92, 6-1½/170) (1.87/77) | |||||
| (45.92i, 45.92i) | |||||
| 44.80 | … | 1)Baton Rouge | 4/22 | ||
| 44.68(A) | … | 2)Nairobi CT | 5/13 | ▷ | 1. Samukonga |
| 45.11 | … | 2)Rabat DL | 5/28 | ▷ | 1. Gardiner |
| 45.05 | … | 2)Hengelo | 6/04 | ▷ | 1. Kebinatshipi |
| 44.51 | … | 3)Oslo DL | 6/15 | ▷ | 1. van Niekerk; 2. Samukonga |
| 44.39 | … | 2)USATF | 7/08 | ▷ | 1. Deadmon |
| (45.06h, 44.43sf) | |||||
| 44.88 | … | 7)Chorzów DL | 7/16 | ▷ | 1. van Niekerk; 2. Ndori; 3. dos Santos; 4. Nene; 5. Willie; 6. Deadmon |
| 44.63 | … | 3)Gyulai Mem | 7/18 | ▷ | 1. Gardiner; 2. McDonald |
| 44.46 | … | 3)London DL | 7/23 | ▷ | 1. van Niekerk; 2. Deadmon |
| 44.39 | … | 4)World Ch | 8/24 | ▷ | 1. Watson; 2. Hudson-Smith; 3. Hall |
| (44.87h, 44.26sf) | |||||
| 44.99 | … | 4)Xiamen DL | 9/02 | ▷ | 1. James; 2. Hall; 3. McDonald |
| 44.61 | … | 3)Eugene DL | 9/16 | ▷ | 1. James; 2. Hall |
| 6. MATTHEW HUDSON-SMITH (Great Britain) (10/26/94, 6-4¼/172) (1.94/78) | |||||
| dnf | … | –)Miramar Inv | 4/08 | ▷ | 1. Russell; 2. Scotch; 3. Ito; 4. McDonald; 5. Ngozi; 6. Cedenio |
| 45.28 | … | 2)Baton Rouge | 4/22 | ▷ | 1. Norwood |
| dnf | … | –)Rabat DL | 5/28 | ▷ | 1. Gardiner; 2. Norwood; 3. McDonald; 4. Nene; 5. Ndori; 6. Haydock-Wilson |
| 44.92 | … | 5)Oslo DL | 6/15 | ▷ | 1. van Niekerk; 2. Samukonga; 3. Norwood; 4. Ingvaldsen |
| 45.57 | … | 3)Stockholm DL | 7/02 | ▷ | 1. Nene; 2. Bamidele |
| dnf | … | –)GB Ch | 7/09 | ▷ | 1. Haydock-Wilson… |
| (46.31h) | |||||
| 44.72 | … | 4)London DL | 7/23 | ▷ | 1. van Niekerk; 2. Deadmon; 3. Norwood |
| 44.31 | … | 2)World Ch | 8/24 | ▷ | 1. Watson |
| (44.69h, 44.26sf) | |||||
| dnf | … | –)Eugene DL | 9/16 | ▷ | 1. James; 2. Hall; 3. Norwood; 4. Deadmon; 5. McDonald; 6. Scotch; 7. Biron |
| 7. BRYCE DEADMON (US) (3/26/97, 6-2/181) (1.88/82) | |||||
| (46.34i) | |||||
| 44.72 | … | 1)Music City | 6/03 | ||
| 44.75 | … | 1)Windsor | 6/24 | ||
| 44.22 | … | 1)USATF | 7/08 | ||
| (45.12h, 44.70sf) | |||||
| 44.81 | … | 6)Chorzów DL | 7/16 | ▷ | 1. van Niekerk; 2. Ndori; 3. dos Santos; 4. Nene; 5. Willie |
| 44.40 | … | 2)London DL | 7/23 | ▷ | 1. van Niekerk |
| 46.20 | … | 7h)World Ch | 8/20 | ▷ | 1. Ndori; 2. Doom; 3. Barnes |
| 44.90 | … | 4)Eugene DL | 9/16 | ▷ | 1. James; 2. Hall; 3. Norwood |
| 8. STEVEN GARDINER (Bahamas) (9/12/95, 6-4¾/181) (1.95/82) | |||||
| 44.42 | … | 1)USATF Bermuda | 5/21 | ||
| 44.70 | … | 1)Rabat DL | 5/28 | ||
| 44.64 | … | 1)Bah Ch | 7/06 | ||
| (44.95h) | |||||
| 43.74 | … | 1)Gyulai Mem | 7/18 | ||
| dnf-sf | … | –)World Ch | 8/22 | ▷ | 1. Hall; 2. Bailey |
| (44.65h) | |||||
| 9. SEAN BAILEY (Jamaica) (7/15/97, 6-0/161) (1.83/73) | |||||
| 44.70 | … | 1)Lubbock | 3/25 | ||
| 44.93 | … | 1)Tucson | 4/29 | ||
| 44.43 | … | 1)Los Angeles CT | 5/27 | ||
| 44.48 | … | 1)Jam Ch | 7/09 | ||
| (45.15h, 44.90sf) | |||||
| 44.96 | … | 5)World Ch | 8/24 | ▷ | 1. Watson; 2. Hudson-Smith; 3. Hall; 4. Norwood |
| (44.98h, 44.94sf) | |||||
| 10. MUZALA SAMUKONGA (Zambia) (12/9/02, 5-11½/161) (1.82/73) | |||||
| 45.16(A) | … | 1)Ndola | 1/29 | ||
| (46.00Ah) | |||||
| 44.80(A) | … | 1)Ndola | 3/12 | ||
| (45.28h) | |||||
| 43.91 | … | 1)Gaborone CT | 4/29 | ||
| 44.25(A) | … | 1)Nairobi CT | 5/13 | ||
| 44.49 | … | 2)Oslo DL | 6/15 | ▷ | 1. van Niekerk |
| 45.05 | … | 1)Ostrava CT | 6/27 | ||
| dnf | … | –)Chorzów DL | 7/16 | ▷ | 1. van Niekerk; 2. Ndori; 3. dos Santos; 4. Nene; 5. Willie; 6. Deadmon; 7. Norwood; 8. Zalewski |
| U.S. RANKINGS | ||||
| 1. | *Quincy Hall (adidas) | 6. | Justin Robinson (Arizona State) | |
| 3)USATF, 3)World Ch, 2)Eugene DL | 3)Pac-12, 4)NCAA, 4)USATF | |||
| 2. | *Vernon Norwood (New Balance) | 7. | Emmanuel Bynum (Tennessee) | |
| 2)USATF, 4)World Ch, 3)Eugene DL | 1)Jones Mem, 3)SEC, 3)NCAA | |||
| 3. | *Bryce Deadmon (Nike) | 8. | Christopher Bailey (Arkansas) | |
| 1)USATF, 7h)World Ch, 4)Eugene DL | 4sf)NCAA, 1)Trackwired GP, 7)USATF | |||
| 4. | Rai Benjamin (Nike) | 9. | Matthew Boling (Georgia) | |
| 1)Florida R, 1)Trojan Inv | 2)NYC GP, 6)USATF, 2B)Murphey | |||
| 5. | Ryan Willie (Florida) | 10. | William Jones (USC) | |
| 1)SEC, 2)NCAA, 5)USATF | 1)Pac-12, 3sf)NCAA, 4sf)USATF | |||