THIS EVENT CHANGED radically from fairly predictable to wide open after injuries and other factors made hash of the formchart.
The world’s premier 400 practitioner since ’17, Steven Gardiner looked to be the closest thing to a sure bet. The Bahamian had recovered his fitness after a ’22 Achilles injury kept him out of the WC in Eugene. However, while smoothly leading his semi race here, he grimaced in pain coming around the second curve, pulled up and crashed to the track with what was later revealed to be a “grade-one sprain of the tendon extending into his right knee from the right posterior thigh,” ending his season.
This season’s only other sub-44-second man, Zambia’s Commonwealth and African champion Muzala Samukonga, withdrew prior to the meet. Oregon22 winner Michael Norman did not take advantage of his entry bye, opting to seek physical and psychological stability at home after an unproductive season.
Among other formchart notables, USATF winner Bryce Deadmon exited in the first round with a hamstring problem. Botswana’s Bayapo Ndori pulled up injured in Gardiner’s semi, and Trinidad’s Jereem Richards did not advance from his race.
Remaining was WR holder Wayde van Niekerk, gradually trying to regain his form after debilitating injuries, but able to reach the final only as an unimpressive time qualifier.
Add super-veteran Kirani James — who owns full sets of both Olympic and WC medals, and is still a consistent mid-44 presence — and Americans Vernon Norwood and Quincy Hall, both enjoying excellent seasons and PRs.
The favorite’s burden had shifted to Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith, 3rd last year, who ran 44.26 in his semi to finally expunge a 36-year-old European Record. The “unknown factors” were 20-year-old Norwegian Håvard Ingvaldsen, who chopped his PR by a half-second with a 44.39 heat, and 21-year-old Jamaican Antonio Watson, winner of the fastest semi in a PR 44.13. Too much too soon? Time would tell.
After an even start, van Niekerk and Hudson-Smith were off quickest in the final, passing 100m in 11.05 and 11.08. Watson, Ingvaldsen and Hall were already 3m behind.
Hudson-Smith powered down the backstretch and moved well ahead, recording 21.06 at 200m. James, van Niekerk and Norwood were next, 3m back, followed by Watson and Hall in about 21.5.
Around the final curve, the Briton’s lead held, and he reached 300m in 31.97, ahead of James (32.18), Norwood and Watson (32.38), van Niekerk (32.44) and Hall (32.51).
Down the stretch, the tiring Hudson-Smith hung on gamely until the last 20m, when an onrushing Watson flew past two lanes outside for a stunning victory. Gritting his teeth and flailing his arms, Hall gained on everyone and outleaned Norwood at the line for 3rd, with the only PR in the race. James finished 5th, but was DQed for a lane violation, and van Niekerk faded to 7th.
Watson, who improved his PR by more than 2 seconds this year, said, “In the last 50m I did not look at the other athletes. I was focusing on myself. I just came and ran my own race. My coach told me what I needed to do and I did it.”
Hudson-Smith moved up one spot from ’22, but he wanted more: “I’ve come here for the gold medal. It didn’t happen. I started very strong. I controlled the race, and I was feeling OK. But the last 25 to 30m became hard for me. I’ve hardly raced. I just have to hang on, keep working.”
MEN’S 400 RESULTS
FINAL (August 24)
1. Antonio Watson (Jam) 44.22
(11.35, ?);
2. Matthew Hudson-Smith (GB) 44.31
(11.08, 9.98 [21.06], 10.91 [31.97], 12.34) (21.06/23.25);
3. Quincy Hall (US) 44.37 PR
(11.39, 10.18 [21.57], 10.94 [32.51], 11.86) (21.57/22.80);
4. Vernon Norwood (US) 44.39
(11.20, 10.16 [21.36], 11.02 [32.38], 12.01) (21.36/23.03);
5. Sean Bailey (Jam) 44.96
(11.18, 10.49 [21.67], 11.23 [32.90], 12.06) (21.67/23.29);
6. Håvard Bentdal Ingvaldsen (Nor) 45.08
(11.39, 10.27 [21.66], 11.25 [32.91], 12.17) (21.66/23.42);
7. Wayde van Niekerk (SA) 45.11
(11.05, 10.30 [21.35], 11.09 [32.44], 12.67) (21.35/23.76);
… dq[lane]—[5]Kirani James (Grn)
(11.13, 10.21 [21.34], 10.84 [32.18], ?).
(lanes: 2. van Niekerk; 3. Ingvaldsen; 4. James; 5. Hudson-Smith; 6. Hall; 7. Watson; 8. Norwood; 9. Bailey)
(reaction times: 0.133 James, 0.151 Hudson-Smith, 0.163 Norwood, 0.165 Watson, 0.169 Bailey, 0.171 van Niekerk, 0.192 Hall, 0.199 Ingvaldsen)
HEATS (August 20)
I–1. Steven Gardiner (Bah) 44.65; 2. Kentaro Sato (Jpn) 44.77 NR; 3. Attila Molnár (Hun) 44.84 NR; 4. Zakithi Nene (SA) 44.88; 5. Michael Joseph (StL) 45.04; 6. S.P.Aruna Darshana (SrL) 45.70; 7. Boniface Mweresa (Ken) 45.91.
II–1. van Niekerk 44.57; 2. Hudson-Smith 44.69; 3. Liemarvin Bonevacia (Neth) 44.78; 4. Collen Kebinatshipi (Bot) 44.80 PR; 5. Elián Larregina (Arg) 45.42; 6. Alonzo Russell (Bah) 46.95;… dq[lane]—Anthony Zambrano (Col).
III–1. Ingvaldsen 44.39 NR; 2. Norwood 44.87; 3. Jereem Richards (Tri) 45.15; 4. Dylan Borlée (Bel) 45.24; 5. Oleksandr Pohorilko (Ukr) 45.37; 6. João Ricardo Coelho (Por) 45.38; 7. Jonathan Jones (Bar) 46.03.
IV–1. James 44.91; 2. Fuga Sato (Jpn) 44.97 PR; 3. Bailey 44.98; 4. Davide Re (Ita) 45.07; 5. Leungo Scotch (Bot) 45.20; 6. Dubem Nwachukwu (Ngr) 45.60; 7. Gustav Lundholm Nielsen (Den) 45.66 PR;… dq[lane]—Carl Bengtström (Swe).
V–1. Watson 44.77; 2. Hall 44.86; 3. Yuki Joseph Nakajima (Jpn) 45.15; 4. Lythe Pillay (SA) 45.58; 5. Lionel Spitz (Swi) 45.69; 6. Karol Zalewski (Pol) 46.53; 7. Christopher O’Donnell (Ire) 46.76;… dnf—Desean Boyce (Bar).
VI–1. Bayapo Ndori (Bot) 44.72; 2. Alexander Doom (Bel) 44.92 PR; 3. Zandrion Barnes (Jam) 45.05; 4. Lucas Carvalho (Bra) 45.34; 4. Manuel Sanders (Ger) 45.34; 6. Matěj Krsek (CzR) 45.99; 7. Bryce Deadmon (US) 46.20.
SEMIS (August 22)
I–1. Watson 44.13 PR; 2. Norwood 44.26 PR; 3. van Niekerk 44.65; 4. Richards 44.76; 5. Sato 44.99; 6. Molnár 45.02; 7. Joseph 45.50; 8. Scotch 45.96.
II–1. Hudson-Smith 44.26 NR; 2. James 44.58; 3. Ingvaldsen 44.70; 4. Sato 44.88 PR; 5. Bonevacia 45.23; 6. Barnes 45.38; 7. Borlée 45.59; 8. Kebinatshipi 46.39.
III–1. Hall 44.43; 2. Bailey 44.94; 3. Nakajima 45.04 PR; 4. Re 45.29; 5. Doom 45.57; 6. Nene 45.64;… dnf—Gardiner, Ndori.