USA’s Sydney McLaughlin ran the fastest time in the three heats of women’s 400m Hurdles semifinals at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha.
The 2019 Diamond League trophy winner ran a very good race, easing past the finish and taking the win by some margin in a time of 53.81s, well clear of European Champion, Lea Sprunger who clocked a Season’s Best (SB) of 54.52s as the only other qualifier from that heat.
World Record (WR) holder, Dalilah Muhammad, also dominated her own race, going through as the second fastest qualifier and winning the opening semifinal in 53.91s.
The race for second was now a toss between Sage Watson and Anna Ryzykhova who both came off the final barrier together. It was the Canadian Watson who found an extra drive, picking up the second automatic spot in a new National record of 54.32s, while Ryzykhova however qualified as a fastest loser in an SB of 54.65s.
Rushelle Clayton, the Jamaican National Champion who has had a breakout season, won the heat 2 in 54.17s, just a hundredth outside her Personal Best (PB) which she ran in July to win at the London Diamond League.
Former World Champion, Zuzana Hejnova earned her spot in another World Championships final as she finished 2nd in 54.41s while Ashley Spencer also made it through to the finals in 54.42s.
