EUGENE, Oregon (June 25) — Sydney McLaughlin lowered the 400 meters hurdles world record for the third successive time after running 51.41 seconds in another dominating performance at the 2022 USATF Outdoor Championships here at Hayward Field in Oregon on Saturday (25).
“What did I tell you,” Ato Boldon said during commentary. “Yes, she is that good. She is that good ladies and gentlemen.” Read more: Day 3 – 200m recap as Lyles, Knighton, Kerley, Steiner, Thomas and Sha’Carri all advancing
The Tokyo Olympic champion who opened her season with a very fast 51.61 seconds performance earlier this year, ran very conservative in the opening two rounds at the championships.
However, the 22-year-old held nothing back in the final on Saturday on her way to breaking her previous world record of 51.46 secs, set to win the Olympics title last summer. This was the third final that McLaughlin has lowered the record from 52.16 after she won here last year as well in 51.90 secs en route to her glory in Tokyo.
“I was just going to finish the race,” McLaughlin told Lewis Johnson on NBC. “We knew anything was possible. I’m really grateful for it.”
NCAA champion Britton Wilson clocked a personal best of 53.08 for second place with 2015 World silver medalist Shamier Little running a season-best 53.92 to finish ahead of Olympian Anna Cockrell (53.98) and made up for missing out last season at the trials.
Meanwhile, Michael Norman won the men’s 400m and improved his previous world-leading time when stopping the clock at 43.56 secs. Norman entered the championships with a time of 43.60 and his winning time to secure the national crown was the 5th sub-44 seconds performance in his career.
Florida’s NCAA runner-up Champion Allison ran a massive personal best of 43.70 seconds for second place behind Norman with the collegiate national champion and Olympian Randolph Ross of North Carolina A&T posted 44.17 to secure third place and land a second successive spot on a US team at a major championship.
Meanwhile, world record holder Keni Harrison won a very close women’s 100m hurdles race, clocking a world-leading 12.34 seconds to beat the in-form Alaysha Johnson, who closed strongly for second place in 12.35 secs. LSU’s NCAA champion Alia Armstrong punched a ticket to her first senior global championship by finishing third in 12.47. The trio will join reigning world champion Nia Ali at the World Championships.
Elsewhere, Sinclaire Johnson made her first World Championships team after she won the women’s 1500m in a time of 4:03.29 to get home ahead of Olympic finalists Cory McGee (4:04.5) and Elle St. Pierre (4:05.14).
The men’s 1500m race went to Cooper Teare in 3:45.86.
