Karsten Warholm breaks 29-year-old world record in 400m hurdles

Norwegian star Warholm clocked 46.70 seconds in men's 400 metres hurdles to smash Kevin Young's long-standing world record of 46.78 secs at the Bislett Games, which is also the fourth Diamond League

Norwegian star Karsten Warholm clocked 46.70 seconds in men's 400 metres hurdles to smash Kevin Young's long standing world record of 46.78 secs at the Bislett Games, which is also the fourth Diamond League, here on late Thursday night.

Young's world record was set at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.

"Your competitors are what really push you towards bigger things. If it was only me running quick times, I wouldn't need to push it any further, but with people there running fast times, I need to take a step up as well," Warholm had said in a pre-event press conference.

Last week Rai Benjamin had run 46.83 secs at the US Olympic Trials in Eugene.

Benjamin's performance in Eugene had replaced Warholm's previous best of 46.87 secs, set in Stockholm last August, as all-time second best behind Young's 46.78 secs.

Cheered by a home crowd of 5000, the biggest gathering since the start of the pandemic in 2020, Warholm sailed over the hurdles to etch his name in record books.

Running in lane seven with Brazil's Alison dos Santos to his left and France's Ludvy Vaillant on his right, Warholm rocketed from the blocks and had clearly closed the stagger by the first barrier.

He was well ahead going into the final bend and crossed the finish line with a time of 46.70 secs to improve the previous world record by 0.8 secs.

Dos Santos was second, improving his South American record to 47.38 secs while Turkey's Yasmani Copello was third in 48.86 secs.

With Sydney McLaughlin having clocked 51.90 secs in 400m hurdles at the US Olympic Trials on Sunday, both women's and men's world records have been broken within the same week.

--IANS

nns/kh