That is Stuart Weir’s piece on the 400m hurdles from ROMA 2024, June 7-12, 2024. I missed a number of superb tales from the European Champs. I’m publishing them now so that you simply, pricey and attentive readers, have a full image earlier than PARIS 2024. The European stars will play an enormous half within the Paris Olympics. Thanks, Stuart Weir, as soon as once more, on your glorious writing.
On successive days on the Tokyo Olympics, the ultimate occasion of the morning session was the 400m hurdles, with Karsten Warholm and Sydney McLaughlin breaking the world data. In Rome, we had hurdlers; quarter-hour with the 2 finals again to again. Warholm duly gained in 46.98 from Alessandro Sibilio, who set an Italian report of 47.50, adopted by Carl Bergstrom, who set a Swedish report 47.94.
Within the girls’s race, it was:
1 Femke Bol 52.49 CR
2 Louise Maraval 54.23 PR
3 Cathelijn Peeters 54.37
That is a lot to admire about Karsten and Femke past their hurdling. They’re each individuals who love their craft and their sport. They each take their media tasks critically, at all times keen to speak after a race. I’m positive there are occasions when Femke will not be smiling – I don’t keep in mind any. I keep in mind Karsten as soon as at a press convention in London, telling us that he was from the Scottish a part of Norway – he appreciated cash. He had had this concept of getting a racehorse be a part of their coaching group however informed us indignantly that his quote was unwilling to coach the horse! Our sport wants extra individuals like that.
I keep in mind talking to Femke on the European workforce’s championship in Poland final yr – a barely below-elite occasion that many high athletes skip. I requested her why she had come. Her reply was easy – her coach thought she wanted a race, and she or he beloved working for the Netherlands. For all her fame and success, she appears to have misplaced none of her useful enthusiasm for the game. She stated off her newest European gold medal: “I’m happy in regards to the victory and Peeters third place. I knew she may obtain a terrific consequence, and she or he did. It’s by no means simple; you possibly can by no means take something as a right, so it’s essential to remain centered on myself and never take into consideration what’s occurring round me. Even on an evening like this, it turns into a lot more durable. This environment is wonderful; it offers me chills. Rome has at all times had a particular which means: I really like this monitor and this stadium. I labored onerous for these championships, and I arrived right here in good condition; I consider I may be even higher on the Olympics. Tomorrow, we can even attempt to have a terrific race within the relay: right this moment, my teammates did a improbable job qualifying”. Her enthusiasm for the occasion, her nation, and her pleasure in her teammate’s achievements come by way of loud and clear.
Warholm commented: “At any time when I stroll on the monitor, I wish to accomplish my targets. However right this moment, Sibilio additionally had an ideal race. Thanks to those championships, I’ve seen that the Italians have a terrific season, so I knew that I additionally needed to combat very onerous right this moment. It was nice to compete right here, and I’m glad that Tamberi jumped on the identical day. The group was going loopy, and I loved the environment. And to my buddy Sibilio, congratulations to you, too. One other championship report – it’s nice, and you can not get sufficient of that. I’m beginning to get to the age when I’m additionally reflecting a bit bit on these years, which go by so quick. So, I simply wish to seize as many titles as attainable as a result of my first win in London in 2017 seems like yesterday. So I simply need all of the gold medals that I can have”.
Since he talked about 2017, we’ve the possibility to make use of that image of him scaring Jonathan Edwards in London once more.
