Yemi Mary John and Havard Bentdal Ingvaldsen claimed victory in the women’s and men’s 400-meter races, respectively, at the 2023 European U23 Athletics Championships on Day 3. Keely Hodgkinson, the Olympic and world 800m silver medalist, also made her mark by securing a personal best time and earning the bronze medal.
Yemi Mary John Was Just Too Stronger
After a delay of over an hour due to inclement weather conditions, Greate Britain’s John, who entered the race as one of the favorites for the gold medal in the women’s race, went on to deliver in dramatic fashion.
In a stunning display of determination, the Briton unleashed a powerful surge in the last 100 meters, overtaking Henriette Jæger from Norway to clock a personal best time of 51.04 seconds, securing the title.
Reflecting on her performance, John expressed her surprise at running a personal best. – Read Also: Day 2: Asian Athletics Championships 2023 results
What a race! 😱🤩
Yemi Mary John wins an instant classic in the 400m final in #Espoo2023! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/rn8ruHuE7d
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) July 14, 2023
“The rain came through before the final, but I’m definitely happy with how it went,” she said. “To run a PB and win really surprised me. I feel like rain is my lucky charm – when it rains, I win.”
Jæger, who led for a significant portion of the race and held a slight advantage going into the final lap, displayed resilience but couldn’t maintain her form in the closing meters. Nevertheless, she achieved a national record of 51.06 seconds, earning her the silver medal.
Keely Hodgkinson Delighted With Bronze Medal, PB
Meanwhile, Olympic and world 800m silver medalist, Keely Hodgkinson, stepping down is distance this week to work on her speed, demonstrated her versatility by delivering an impressive performance.
Despite entering the home straight in fifth place, Hodgkinson showcased her trademark strong finish, surging ahead to claim the bronze medal with a personal best time of 51.76 seconds.
“I cannot remember too much from this race,” she revealed. “This is really a lot more different than the 800m. The girls were so quick.
“I was just chasing them, and I am happy for the top three. I was trying to get a new PB and to enjoy the competition. I have learned to be patient with every round and just to trust myself and stay confident.
“I think my 800m got quicker also thanks to this event. It had been a lot of fun running the 400m.”
Havard Bentdal Ingvaldsen Takes European U23 Gold
In the men’s 400m event, Norway’s Havard Bentdal Ingvaldsen delivered another dominating performance to claim the gold medal. With a well-balanced race strategy, Ingvaldsen clocked an impressive time of 45.13 seconds.
Describing his approach, Ingvaldsen explained, “The first 100m I tried to push a bit, the 2nd hundred I really wanted to find the movement, the way of running without losing energy.
“But after 200m I said to myself that I´m back, I have to put the turbo on, so I pushed a lot the last two 100 meters and I could finish this race to the end.
“I did not expect such quick times today, but I won the gold medal, so I am very happy about it. The games in Espoo have been great. I am very thankful to be here. The next big event for me will be the World Championships.”
Ingvaldsen’s exceptional performance was accompanied by impressive displays from his competitors.
Lionel Spitz from Switzerland secured the silver medal with a personal best time of 45.27 seconds, while Attila Molnar from Hungary claimed the bronze with a time of 45.36 seconds.
For more information about the European U23 Athletics Championships – visit: https://www.european-athletics.com/
