Qatar’s Samba faces tough challenge in 400m hurdles
Doha, Qatar: Abderrahman Samba had dominated the 400m hurdles in 2018 but now he has a couple of tough opponents in defending champion Karsten Warholm and US sensation Rai Benjamin, making the event one of the most hotly contested at the Doha World Championships starting on Friday.
Qatar’s Samba stormed into the scene and recorded a spectacular time of 46.98 in Paris in 2018 to raise hopes of a grand celebration in front of his home fans in Doha.
However, injury has restricted his 400m hurdles outings to just the Asian Championships and Shanghai Diamond League – although he won in a blistering 47.27 in China. His current form is unknown and given the quality he faces in Warholm and Benjamin, he faces a formidable challenge to strike gold in the Khalifa International Stadium.
Warholm is aiming to join an exclusive club, containing Ed Moses, Felix Sanchez and Kerron Clement, as back-to-back world champions in this event.
The dynamic Norwegian has so far enjoyed a perfect year, winning the European indoor 400m title in March before racking up a 100 per cent winning streak in the 400m hurdles this year, which has included five victories at IAAF Diamond League meetings.
The 23-year-old’s most impressive performance came at the IAAF Diamond League final in Brussels when he blasted to a European record of 46.92 to climb to second on the world all-time list behind Kevin Young.
Finishing just 0.06 adrift of Warholm in Paris – to himself elevate himself to joint-third on the world all-time list – is Benjamin.
Aged just 22, Benjamin made a huge breakthrough when running 47.02 to take the NCAA title in 2018 and he has continued to impress this season. Besides his stunning 46.98 time in Brussels, he also claimed the US title and Diamond League wins in Stanford and Rome.
The home fans would hope that Samba would have something spectacular up his sleeve, as he has shown plenty of times last season.
There is an ocean of time between the lead three athletes in the world and the rest but few would discount Yasmani Copello from a podium spot. The Turkish athlete scooped world silver in 2017, 2016 Olympic bronze and snared a European silver medal last year.
Another with a strong pedigree is Commonwealth champion and two-time Diamond League titleholder Kyron McMaster. The British Virgin Islands athlete has a season’s best of 48.33 and can also contend.
The US challenge is garnished by the presence of TJ Holmes, the 2017 World Championships fifth-place finisher, who finished second behind Benjamin at the US Championships. Amere Lattin, the 2016 world U20 110m hurdles silver medallist, completes the US men’s 400m hurdles team, boasting a season’s best of 48.66.
Alison Dos Santos of Brazil had enjoyed a breakout season, winning the Pan American and World University Games titles. The World Championships represents a big step up in class for the teenager but he will be hunting for a place in the final. His compatriot Marcio Teles set a season’s best of 48.60 to take the Brazilian title and could also feature.
Other names competing include France’s European Team Championships runner-up Ludvy Vaillant, who made a big breakthrough this year to run 48.30, Poland’s 2015 World Championships finalist Patryk Dobek, and 2016 Olympic finalist Rasmus Magi of Estonia.
