World champion Kori Carter, silver medallist Dalilah Muhammad and bronze medallist Ristananna Tracey will face off in a 400m hurdles showdown at the M&uuml;ller Grand Prix Birmingham, the 12th IAAF Diamond League meeting of 2017, on 20 August.
USA's Carter overtook her compatriot Muhammad, the Olympic champion, on the home straight in the London Stadium on Thursday (10) night, to secure the world title in a time of 53.07. Muhammad clocked 53.50 for the silver, while Tracey of Jamaica set a personal best of 53.74 to take the bronze.
The three medallists will line up against a top-class field, which will include Olympic silver medallist Sara Petersen of Denmark plus world finalists Eilidh Doyle of Great Britain and Lea Sprunger of Switzerland.
&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t wait to race at the M&uuml;ller Grand Prix Birmingham as the world champion and I&rsquo;ll be hoping to follow up my amazing experience in London with another great run at the Alexander Stadium,&rdquo; Carter said. &ldquo;The field is really strong and all three medallists from London are competing, so it will be a really exciting and competitive race.&rdquo;
Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, who anchored Britain to gold in the 4x100m, will lead the British challenge in the men&rsquo;s 200m against a stacked field which will include five world finalists from London, including bronze medallist Jereem Richards of Trinidad and Tobago.
Olympic bronze medallist Christophe Lemaitre of France, Isaac Makwala of Botswana, US trio Isiah Young, Ameer Webb and Noah Lyles, plus Britain&rsquo;s Danny Talbot will all compete.
Mitchell-Blake finished fourth in the 200m in London and is keen to get a good result in Birmingham.
&ldquo;My performance in London has shown I can mix it with the best in the world and I&rsquo;m determined to build on this and take it into future races,&rdquo; said Mitchell-Blake. &ldquo;I really want to finish my season with a bang, so I&rsquo;ll be focused on producing another top-class performance.&rdquo;
Organisers for the IAAF
2017 IAAF Diamond League calendar: 5 May &ndash; Doha, QAT 13 May &ndash; Shanghai, CHN 27 May &ndash; Eugene, USA 8 Jun &ndash; Rome, ITA 15 Jun &ndash; Oslo, NOR 18 Jun &ndash; Stockholm, SWE 1 Jul &ndash; Paris, FRA 6 Jul &ndash; Lausanne, SUI 9 Jul &ndash; London, GBR 16 Jul &ndash; Rabat, MAR 21 Jul &ndash; Monaco, MON 20 Aug &ndash; Birmingham, GBR 24 Aug &ndash; Zurich, SUI 1 Sep &ndash; Brussels, BEL

World champion Kori Carter, silver medallist Dalilah Muhammad and bronze medallist Ristananna Tracey will face off in a 400m hurdles showdown at the Müller Grand Prix Birmingham, the 12th IAAF Diamond League meeting of 2017, on 20 August.

World 400m hurdles medallists set to clash in Birmingham – IAAF Diamond League

If you are ever given the unenviable task of racing against Sokwakhana Zazini, you need to know three things: he's got as much respect for you as you do for him; he's going to hammer it down from the gun; and he's almost certainly going to beat you.
The latest prospect in a rich history of South African 400m hurdling, Zazini flaunted his immense talent in the final of his favoured event when he coasted to a commanding victory at the IAAF World U18 Championships Nairobi 2017.
He won gold in 49.27, nearly three seconds clear of his nearest opponent, displaying his potential on the world stage for the first time in his fledgling career.
And though he was delighted to take the top step on the podium, his admittance that he was slightly disappointed not to break his own world U18 best of 48.84 (set in Pretoria in March) offers some insight into the lofty expectations the youngster has already placed on himself.
"It didn't go exactly as planned because I had to change (my lead leg) but I couldn't. I don't know what happened," he said after the race.
"I wanted to break the world record again, but it's fine. I'll take it."
The versatile teenager is a budding phenomenon, but you wouldn't know it unless you watched him run.
Reserved and unassuming, when you meet Zazini for the first time you are greeted with a soft handshake and a warm smile, and he offers none of the bravado that one might expect from a potential global superstar.
When he answers a question in an interview, he takes a brief pause, clearly considering his answer before sharing his thoughts, and it's immediately obvious that Zazini has a careful, analytical approach to the decisions he makes.
It's that same approach which is keeping him grounded.
While he is far and away the best 400m hurdler in the world in his age group, Zazini is careful not to get too far ahead of himself, ensuring he gives his competitors the respect they deserve.
"You never know what might happen, so I'll always stay hungry and I will never look down on my opponents," he says.
Born in the Eastern Cape, the 16-year-old speedster moved to Pretoria last year after receiving a bursary from the TuksSport High School.
Though he has gone on to enjoy a breakthrough season, chopping more than two seconds off his personal best over the barriers, his passion for the sport evolved when he was a child.
"I've always been in love with athletics and hurdles was always my dream event, so I started doing it from a young age and I was able to work on my technique," he says.
"Last year I struggled a bit with my technique and it was hard, but now I'm fine."
The technical aspect of his training, however, has done nothing to hamper his raw speed.
Aside from holding the world U18 400m hurdles best, Zazini also boasts a 400m flat PB of 46.20, which would have made him the fastest athlete in the entry lists in Nairobi last week had he opted to attempt the double.
With many more years ahead to tackle such gruelling tasks, he has wisely chosen to focus on the one-lap event over the barriers for the foreseeable future.
Firmly aware of what he hopes to achieve, Zazini already has his next goal on the back of his mind, and he is eager to make another impact at the IAAF World U20 Championships Tampere 2018.
"After these championships I will focus on next year's World Juniors, which is the main event for us, so I need to push for that."
For now, though the parents of his young opponents might not like them losing, they can at least be grateful that Zazini is able to offer them all a valuable life lesson: there's nothing wrong with second place.
Wesley Botton for the IAAF

If you are ever given the unenviable task of racing against Sokwakhana Zazini, you need to know three things: he's got as much respect for you as you do for him; he's going to hammer it down from the gun; and he's almost certainly going to beat you.

Sokwakhana Zazini – the cool, calm and collected new hurdling star

Pre-race favourite Sokwakhana Zazini hit it hard from the start, dominating the boys' 400m hurdles final with a spectacular performance at the IAAF World U18 Championships Nairobi 2017 on Saturday night.
Holding the world youth best of 48.84, which he set back in March, Zazini went unchallenged and stormed across the line in 49.27, the third-fastest time in World U18 Championships history.
He finished well clear of Kenya's Moitalel Naadokila who grabbed the silver medal in a personal best of 52.06 to the delight of a large home crowd.
Baptiste Christophe of France took bronze in 52.21, and he too set a career record to earn his place on the podium.
&ldquo;I feel great because I've really been looking forward to this moment, and now it has come. I'm really happy,&rdquo; Zazini said.
"It didn't go exactly as planned because I had to change (my lead leg) but I couldn't. I don't know what happened.
"I wanted to break the world best again, but it's fine. I'll take it."
Wesley Botton for the IAAF

Pre-race favourite Sokwakhana Zazini hit it hard from the start, dominating the boys' 400m hurdles final with a spectacular performance at the IAAF World U18 Championships Nairobi 2017 on Saturday night.

Report: boys' 400m hurdles – IAAF World U18 Championships Nairobi 2017

All eyes will be on exciting South African prospect Sokwakhana Zazini in the one-lap contest over the barriers.
Zazini, who set a world U18 best of 48.84 in Pretoria on 17 March, is the only athlete in the entry lists to have run faster than 51 seconds.
Also a formidable athlete in the flat 400m sprint, he will focus on the hurdles discipline with his eyes firmly focused on the clock.
Should he falter, his strongest challenges could come from Kenya&rsquo;s Naadokila Moitalel Mpoke, who holds a personal best of 51.20, Ismail Manyani of Morocco (51.83) and Asian youth champion Halomoan Edwin Binsar of Indonesia (51.96).
Wesley Botton for the IAAF

All eyes will be on exciting South African prospect Sokwakhana Zazini in the one-lap contest over the barriers.

Preview: boys' 400m hurdles – IAAF World U18 Championships Nairobi 2017

Matthew Hudson-Smith&rsquo;s third career sub-45-second performance was one of the key highlights at the three-day British Championships that concluded in Birmingham on Sunday (26).
Attacking the first 100 metres, the European silver medallist ran a measured race on the championships&rsquo; wet and windy final day, accelerating into the home straight and winning by some five metres in 44.88. Rabah Yousif, sixth at the IAAF World Championships last summer, was second in a season&rsquo;s best of 45.52.
&ldquo;To know I am now going to Rio is just indescribable,&rdquo; said Hudson-Smith, whose 44.75 lifetime best dates back to 2014. &ldquo;It was a really strong field and we have some fantastic athletes which is great for our relay team.&rdquo;
Hudson-Smith and Yousif were among 38 athletes who secured their spots over the weekend on the Rio-bound Olympic squad.
<h3>Competitive sprint finals</h3>
20-year-olds Dina Asher-Smith and Desiree Henry went 1-2 in the women&rsquo;s 200m on Sunday, the duo separated by just 0.02 seconds. Running into a marginal headwind, Asher-Smith led with 50 metres to go and just held off Henry as she stopped the clock in 23.11.
The men&rsquo;s 200m also saw a 0.02 winning margin, with European champion Adam Gemili getting the better of the in-form Danny Talbot. After a late start to the season due to injury, Gemili is starting to round into form at just the right time, his 20.44 clocking and the win a confidence boost as he targets his first global medal in Rio.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m over the moon &ndash; it&rsquo;s the best feeling in the world,&rdquo; Gemili said. &ldquo;I had to come here and run a time, and finish in the top two to guarantee selection, so it is a big relief I&rsquo;ve done that. There have been a lot of guys running very quick this year but I&rsquo;m still not where I want to be. I want to win a medal at a global championship and at the moment my best chance of doing that is in the 200m. If I can get myself in the final I know I&rsquo;ll be competitive. I am going out there to make the final and win a medal. If I don&rsquo;t, I&rsquo;ll be quite disappointed and I think that&rsquo;s the attitude you need to have.&rdquo;
On Saturday there were fireworks in the men&rsquo;s 100m final as, aided by a 3.0m/s tailwind, James Dasaolu led three men under 10 seconds as he won his first national 100m title in 9.93. Running his 9.91 personal best in the semi-finals of these championships three summers ago, Dasaolu held his nerve best in the close race to recapture the kind of form that saw him win the 2014 European title.
Better known as a 200m man, James Ellington has found a new lease of life over the shorter event this summer, and he finished strongest of all to secure second in 9.96, with Chijindu Ujah also dipping under 10 seconds in third.
In the women&rsquo;s event Desiree Henry had looked best through the rounds, running 11.14 and 11.15, but it was Asha Philip who prevailed in the final to win her third British title. Philip, a traditionally strong starter, tore out of the blocks and never looked back, winning easily in 11.17. Emerging talent Daryll Neita took second in 11.24, with Henry having to settle for third in 11.26.
<h3>Hurdlers in form</h3>
Eilidh Doyle ran a notable solo race to win the 400m hurdles title on Sunday in 54.93, undisturbed by the strong wind down the back straight. After top-three positions at the IAAF Diamond League meetings in Birmingham and Rome, and a win in Doha, the Scot is another British athlete aiming to land her maiden global medal this summer.
&ldquo;I never take anything for granted because you&rsquo;ve still got to go out and execute the race,&rdquo; Doyle said. &ldquo;I had to remain focused but I&rsquo;m happy to put on a show this afternoon. It&rsquo;s great to confirm qualification for the Olympic Games. I&rsquo;m confident going into that competition as the hurdles field on the international stage is wide open this year. I&rsquo;ve got to keep working hard because they don&rsquo;t just hand out medals to anyone.&rdquo;
In Sunday&rsquo;s men&rsquo;s sprint hurdles, Andrew Pozzi ran the race of his life as he stormed to a 13.31 personal best to beat Paris-based Lawrence Clarke. Injuries have been the limiting factor for Pozzi, who hasn&rsquo;t raced at the outdoor British Championships since 2012, but if he can stay in one piece he should be targeting at least a place in the Rio final.
Saturday was a good day for sisters Tiffany Porter and Cindy Ofili as they booked their Olympic spots, finishing first and second in the 100m hurdles final in 12.91 and 12.93 respectively.
<h3>6.75m PB for Sawyers</h3>
Jazmin Sawyers produced the best jump of her life to win the title and achieve her second Olympic qualifying standard, meaning she&rsquo;s an automatic pick for the Olympic squad. After having issues with the board, the national indoor champion reached 6.75m in round five to beat Shara Proctor, who jumped 6.65m.
Olympic bronze medallist Robbie Grabarz won the men&rsquo;s high jump on countback, as both he and 2.36m man Chris Baker cleared 2.26m.
The previous day Holly Bradshaw cleared 4.60m, her best vault since last year&rsquo;s World Championships, before going close at 4.72m. Having only returned to competition three weeks ago, she&rsquo;ll be hoping for further improvement between now and the Olympic Games.
<h3>Muir continues to impress</h3>
After breaking the Scottish mile record in Oslo three weeks ago, Laura Muir continued her good form in Birmingham, stamping her authority on a tactical women&rsquo;s 1500m with 300 metres to go. A huge injection of pace saw her move well clear of the field, crossing the line in 4:10.14 after a 60-second last lap.
In a tight women&rsquo;s 800m contest, Shelayna Oskan-Clarke overhauled Lynsey Sharp over the final few strides to take her first British title in 2:01.80.
Pete Matthews for the IAAF

Matthew Hudson-Smith’s third career sub-45-second performance was one of the key highlights at the three-day British Championships that concluded in Birmingham on Sunday (26).

Beating the rain and wind, 38 claim Rio spots at British Championships

Moments after destroying the field to win the 400m hurdles title at the IAAF World Youth Championships, Cali 2015 in Colombia last week, Norman Grimes walked up the steps to the mixed zone and, when asked about his preparations for such a performance, offered one of the most curious answers of the week.&ldquo;I still think I&rsquo;m out of shape,&rdquo; he said, keeping a perfectly straight face, having just run the second-fastest youth time in history, 49.11, to come home a massive 1.22 seconds clear of the silver medallist.It&rsquo;s easy to laugh at the suggestion &ndash; who wouldn&rsquo;t &ndash; but then it soon became clear that the 17-year-old US athlete isn&rsquo;t joking.In April, Grimes underwent appendicitis surgery, which left him inactive for a number of weeks and forced him to play a game of catch-me-if-you-can with his fitness all the way to Cali, a chase he eventually won by pushing the envelope at the practice track on a daily basis.&ldquo;Most of my training was constant because coming off surgery, I was out of shape,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I think I could be in better shape than this, definitely.&rdquo;For his rivals, who were left trailing far behind him in Cali, that must be a scary proposition.What&rsquo;s perhaps more impressive is that the 400m hurdles wasn&rsquo;t his singular focus in Cali; Grimes also competed in the 110m hurdles, bowing out in the semi-finals, and on the final day of competition &ndash; in his sixth race in five days &ndash; he helped the US 4x400m mixed relay team to gold.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m exhausted,&rdquo; he said afterwards. &ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t easy but I didn&rsquo;t want to let those guys down. I was just praying that my legs were going to hold it together. I&rsquo;m ready to go home now and nap for a whole day.&rdquo;It&rsquo;s safe to say he&rsquo;s earned it.Grimes &ndash; from Amarillo, Texas &ndash; was first shown the way to track and field at the age of seven by his supremely athletic family. His four sisters &ndash; Allison, Katie, Whitney and Mackenzie &ndash; are also athletes.Far from growing up amid a bitter sibling rivalry, though, Grimes says his sisters&rsquo; early accomplishments served as his first inspiration. &ldquo;I used to run around saying I wanted to be a track star like my oldest sister, Allison,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re all really close. We help each other out and lift each other up.&rdquo;Grimes&rsquo; mother, Deedy, is also a former NCAA athlete while his father, Norman, played American football in college. Together, they coach Grimes and on Saturday night, both were in the stadium in Cali to witness what was a memorable, if not entirely unexpected, performance by their son.After his semi-final last Thursday, Grimes spoke assuredly about his goal for the final, saying he hoped to go sub-49, which raised quite a few eyebrows, although he had clocked 50.59 over the senior-height hurdles leading into the championships.His confidence, though, proved well-founded.In the final, Grimes looked a class apart from the moment the gun fired. Taking just 13 strides between all but the last two hurdles, his long, fluid stride simply ate up the ground and made his rivals looks relatively pedestrian.&ldquo;Whenever you reach your goals, it feels awesome,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I switched to 14 strides on the last hurdle and I&rsquo;ve never got that far before, so the hard work has paid off.&rdquo;Much like his performances, Grimes&rsquo; insatiable work ethic belies his youth.With two gold medals in the bag, his attention has already turned to the next task &ndash; winning gold at the Pan American Junior Championships in Edmonton, Canada, beginning July 31.After that, he&rsquo;ll take a couple of weeks off before getting back training, hoping to rebuild the foundation of strength that he lost in recent months. &ldquo;Ever since my surgery in April, I haven&rsquo;t done any weights or core because of the effect of cutting through all that muscle,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;so that&rsquo;s a goal going into the off-season &ndash; to get stronger in my lower body and become more explosive.&rdquo;With Grimes about to enter his final year of high school, there&rsquo;s also a big decision to be made, and he will spend much of the coming month visiting colleges, who will be lining up thick and fast to have him sign on the dotted line. Grimes, however, is in no mood to divulge his preferences just yet.&ldquo;I have a couple of ideas but it&rsquo;s confidential,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll decide at the last minute. It has to be the right college; it has to be perfect.&rdquo;Wherever he goes, Grimes plans to study geology, a choice he hopes will lead him into the oil and gas business, just like his father.On the track, Grimes plans to continue juggling both hurdles events for as long as possible. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to work on my 110s more,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;They help with hurdle form and quickness between the barriers. It&rsquo;s good to have that mix of quick turnover of endurance.&rdquo;He&rsquo;s already faster &ndash; much faster &ndash; than his 400m hurdles peers at youth level, and now Grimes wants to continue his steep ascent to the top of the junior, and eventually senior, ranks.&ldquo;I want to keep dropping my times and get as strong as possible,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I want to chase the Olympic dream.&rdquo;But Grimes &ndash; once again showing an ability rarely seen in a person so young &ndash; is wise enough to know that the only certainty about tomorrow is that nothing is certain.&ldquo;This sport is full of surprises,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;You never know what the future holds, and that&rsquo;s what I love about it.&rdquo;Cathal Dennehy for the IAAF

Moments after destroying the field to win the 400m hurdles title at the IAAF World Youth Championships, Cali 2015 in Colombia last week, Norman Grimes walked up the steps to the mixed zone and, when asked about his preparations for such a performance, offered one of the most curious answers of the week.

World youth title is just the beginning for Grimes

USA&rsquo;s Norman Grimes produced one of the most dominant 400m hurdles performances in IAAF World Youth Championships history as he crushed the field to win by more than a second before a high-energy crowd at Pascual Guerrero Stadium on Saturday (18).The 17-year-old&rsquo;s 49.11 performance was the second-fastest winning time ever in these championships, a world youth lead, and a massive 1.22 seconds clear of the Japanese runner-up Ryusei Fujii.&ldquo;I knew I had to run sub-50 to get a medal so I had to go for it,&rdquo; said Grimes, who moved up to the number two position on the world youth all-time list over the 84cm barriers. &ldquo;I just felt better and better going through the rounds.&rdquo;Grimes had already built a clear lead by the contest&rsquo;s midway point. The only thing that could stop him would be a misstep or crash. Neither came to pass. Instead, the lanky Texan was the picture of confidence as he rounded the bend into the final straight. &ldquo;Tonight my legs felt as fresh as they did when I arrived,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Technically, I 13-stepped almost the whole way. That, together with the great crowd, made me just felt great.&rdquo;Inspired by Grimes&rsquo; stellar performance, the next three across the line all produced lifetime bests. Fujii clocked 50.33, more than half a second better than his previous best, for second place while team-mate Masaki Toyoda took the bronze medal in 50.53, improving his best by 0.19.&ldquo;Me and my friend Ryusei have always talked about being on the podium together so we&rsquo;re very excited about this achievement,&rdquo; Toyoda said.Rivaldo Peacock of Barbados was a distant fourth, clocking 51.13.Bob Ramsak for the IAAF

USA’s Norman Grimes produced one of the most dominant 400m hurdles performances in IAAF World Youth Championships history as he crushed the field to win by more than a second before a high-energy crowd at Pascual Guerrero Stadium on Saturday (18).

Boys' 400m hurdles – IAAF World Youth Championships, Cali 2015

With just six hurdlers having run faster than 52 seconds, and none having dipped under 51, it&rsquo;s been a modest year in this event and Cali provides the perfect opportunity for someone to break out from the pack.
That somebody could be Rivaldo Leacock of Barbados, the 16-year-old who took the Carifta Games title in 51.34, the season&rsquo;s fastest performance. More recently, he also finished second at the national senior championships.
His primary challenger is the USA&rsquo;s 17-year-old Norman Grimes, who finished second at the national junior championships over the 91cm barriers in 50.59 before winning the youth title over the lower 84cm barriers in 51.67 just four days later.
Grimes will be busy in Cali as he is also down to contest the 110m hurdles.
Others to look for include South Africans Morne van As (51.49 at altitude) and Gianni Lombaard (51.76), Spain&rsquo;s Aleix Porras (51.75), and Croatia&rsquo;s Hrvoje Cukman (51.83).
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF

With just six hurdlers having run faster than 52 seconds, and none having dipped under 51, it’s been a modest year in this event and Cali provides the perfect opportunity for someone to break out from the pack.

Boys' 400m hurdles preview – IAAF World Youth Championships Cali 2015

Spain&rsquo;s Eusebio Caceres and USA&rsquo;s Barbara Pierre were crowned as &lsquo;the best performers&rsquo; at the Meeting de Madrid, the annual IAAF World Challenge Meeting in the Spanish capital on Saturday (19).However, gusting winds that picked up throughout the evening meant their impressive respective winning performances, 8.16m for Caceres in the long jump and 11.08 by Pierre over 100m, were wind-aided.In the long jump, the last field event to finish, South Africa&rsquo;s former world and Olympic silver medallist Godfrey Mokoena was the early leader with a 7.93m effort in the opening round but the reigning European under-23 champion Caceres leapt 7.97m in round two to take the top spot. However, it would be his fellow Spaniard, Jean Marie Okutu, who would be the author of the first 8.00m-plus leap with 8.05m in round three. USA&rsquo;s Tyron Stewart, who can boast of a personal best of 8.39m set in April, came close to the lead when he reached 8.02m with his fourth jump but the fireworks only took place in the final round when the 22-year-old Caceres landed at a wind-assisted 8.16m to win the contest ahead of Okutu and Stewart, with Mokoena in fourth also reaching 8.00mCaceres, who finished a fine fourth at last year&rsquo;s IAAF World Championships in Moscow, commented: &ldquo;I felt very strong physically but I still have to improve my technique." Asked of his expectations for the European Championships next month, a cautious Caceres said: &ldquo;I only think now about my next competition which will be the Spanish Championships next weekend, but I&rsquo;m optimistic of my chances in Zurich."As was the case 12 months ago, Barbara Pierre took the win in the women&rsquo;s 100m although the 27-year-old US sprinter could not run as fast as last year and had to settle for an 11.08 clocking, despite a tailwind of 2.6m/s. Pierre was pushed to the finish line by Jamaica&rsquo;s Kerron Stewart, who was given the same time but not the verdict.&ldquo;I like the new track, I think it&rsquo;s fast but it will faster when time goes on," said Pierre, who has a career best of 10.85. "I&rsquo;m very consistent this season running under 11.10 and hope to dip under 11 (seconds) soon."Nazarov beyond 80 metres again The men&rsquo;s hammer throw, part of the 2014 IAAF Hammer Throw Challenge, saw Egypt&rsquo;s African record-holder Mostafa Hicham Al-Gamal take an early lead with with an opening throw of 76.00m but soon was overtaken by Dilshod Nazarov&rsquo;s 77.61m second effort. Al-Gamal regained the lead from the prolific Tajikistan thrower, with Madrid being his 13th contest already in 2014, in round two thanks to a 78.23m effort but Nazarov&rsquo;s response in the third round was a huge toss of 80.51m to head the contest at the halfway point. It was his second-best throw of the year and his third best ever, just 20cm short of his career best set last year. Neither Nazarov nor Al-Gamal could go further with their remaining three attempts and so the victory went to the 32-year-old Nazarov, who finished fifth at last year's World Championships in Moscow.Nazarov consolidated his second place in this year's IAAF Hammer Throw Challenge, in which the best three competitions are taken into account and metres are converted into points. He now has 241.37 points but he is still effectively more than two metres in arrears of challenge leader Krisztian Pars from Hungary. There were two sparkling performances over one lap of the track from Jamaican women.Jamaica&rsquo;s world indoor 400m silver medallist Kaliese Spencer took the women&rsquo;s 400m hurdles in 55.08. This season&rsquo;s world leader was still fresh after her commanding win at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Monaco the night before, where she ran 54.09. &ldquo;To be honest, I felt a little bit tired after yesterday&rsquo;s race in Monaco," she said. "In addition, it was quite windy and it also hampered my performance. I&rsquo;m now heading to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow where my primary goal will be to set a career best (52.79). If I can do that, I should win a medal there."Getting on the podium in Glasgow would ease her frustration at major championships successive fourth places at the 2009 and 2011 World Championships and the London 2012 Olympic Games. Ukraine&rsquo;s Hanna Titimets came home a solid second in 55.49.No blues for McPherson on new trackJamaica&rsquo;s Stephenie McPherson, fourth at the World Championships, ended a five-month drought in her favourite event when she won the 400m comfortably in 50.45. Spain&rsquo;s Indira Terrero finished a distant second in 51.65.Cuba&rsquo;s rising star Orlando Ortega was the overwhelming favourite in the 110m hurdles following his massive personal best of 13.01 in Monaco the night before, but the 23-year-old felt some discomfort on his right leg and decided to give up the race after only negotiating the first two barriers. Ortega confirmed afterwards: &ldquo;the injury is not important, I just dropped out of the race as a precautionary measure but I&rsquo;m OK."With Ortega out, USA&rsquo;s Alec Harris proved to be the quickest and won in a windy 13.18. A powerful second-round heave of 20.91m gave USA&rsquo;s two-time world indoor champion Ryan Whiting an easy win in the men&rsquo;s shot put ahead of Jamaica&rsquo;s O&rsquo;Dayne Richards, who was second with 20.33m.Latoy Williams of The Bahamas was an impressive winner of the men's 45.17, holding off Trinidad and Tobago&rsquo;s fast-finishing Renny Quow who had to settle for second in 45.36. The 15-event programme was held at a newly refurbished blue track in the Madrid suburb of Moratalaz on a windy evening which saw temperatures steadily drop over the main two-hour programme, finishing at about 16 degrees Celsius.Emeterio Valiente for the IAAF

 IAAF World Challenge; Eusebio Caceres; Barbara Pierre; Madrid 

Caceres and Pierre shine in Madrid

Jamaica’s Marvin Williams improved his own personal best by almost one second to clock a world youth-leading mark of 50.39 and become a surprise winner of the boys’ 400m Hurdles here in Donetsk.It was in fact his team mate Okeen Williams – his best friend and school mate who shares a surname, despite not being related – who was expected to be on top of the podium after clocking 50.53, then the fastest time in the world this year, to win his semifinal.In arguably the most dramatic final of these championships so far, Okeen did not even make it to the finish line after crashing into the ninth hurdle.Okeen and Marvin, respectively in lanes three and four, ran stride-for-stride for the opening 200 metres. As the pair entered the final bend, Okeen was marginally ahead of Marvin with Kenya’s Geofrey Kipkoech Cheruiyot also running well on the inside lane two.As the trio approached the final straight, Cheruiyot’s unconventional hurdle technique got the better of him and the 17-year-old saw his hopes of becoming Kenya’s first World champion at the event come to an end as he crashed into the eighth barrier.As the spectators rose to their feet to signal their disappointment at the fall of the Kenyan, Okeen and Marvin seemed to be destined to acquire Jamaica’s first double of these championships but their hopes too were short-lived with Okeen failing to clear the next hurdle, prompting an even louder roar from the crowd.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The double drama left the way open for Williams’ comfortable win ahead of China’s Wang Yang, who was second in 50.78, while the USA’s Kenneth Selmon was third in 51.30.At a championship where Jamaica failed to win a medal in the marquee 100m event, they have now conquered gold in both sprint hurdles and the boys' 400m Hurdles!

Williams gets surprise gold as rivals' hurdles hopes go crashing

The IAAF Centenary weekend will be seeing some of the world&rsquo;s biggest stars of the present and past grace the celebrations. We put Kevin Young, the 1992 Olympic 400m hurdles champion and world record-holder, under the spotlight and asked him 10 quick-fire questions, a few serious, a few fun, on Friday (23). Who is your favourite athlete of the past 100 years?Kevin Young: Can I pick two? It was Edwin Moses and Herald Schmid. The battles they had in the 400m hurdles inspired me early in my career. But there are so many great 400m hurdlers like Britain&rsquo;s 1968 Olympic champion David Hemery. What has been your favourite athletics moment of the past 100 years?KY: I look at Edwin&rsquo;s 1976 400m hurdles win at the Olympic Games in Montreal on YouTube all the time. If I want to smile, I look at Allen Johnson&rsquo;s run in the 110m hurdles heats at the Athens Olympics in 2004. I&rsquo;m sorry, I can&rsquo;t help it, he was running so fast but then it went wrong and he went under a hurdle. He was almost decapitated. Do you look at your own races on YouTube?KY: In fact, I even upload my own races, if they are not there. It&rsquo;s not being arrogant, I hope, I want to help youngsters understand the event. I also still look at other races by Edwin (Moses) and Harald (Schmidt). Where do you see your event in 100 years&rsquo; time?KY: I&rsquo;m not sure but hopefully no one will have run faster than 46.78. Have you been back to Barcelona since your Olympic triumph?KY: Only once before today, in 2006. I was at the Cannes Film Festival and we drove around the coast to visit the city again. It was nice to actually see the city properly, I never had the chance in 1992. Why not, didn&rsquo;t you have plenty of time to go sightseeing in 1992?KY: Before the competition, I was just focused on what I had to do and then the day afterwards, having just broken the world record, I just got on a coach which went to Monte Carlo for a meeting there. But you must have got a couple of good souvenirs other than your gold medal?KY: I think the best one is a flag of Barcelona football club. I like soccer and follow their fortunes. We&rsquo;ve already established that you are a film buff. How many times have you seen Chariots of Fire?KY: Well, a 400m hurdler is an important character in it. I watched it a few times when it came out, it&rsquo;s quite inspirational, all that running on the beach. However, I&rsquo;ve seen a lot more things in it the last one or two times I&rsquo;ve watched it. What is the one thing you would like to see changed in the sport?KY: I think young people coming into the sport have to be a lot more aware of its history. I talk to so many people who don&rsquo;t know who Ed Moses is, who Andre Phillips is, who Danny Harris is, or even who Kevin Young is. I definitely knew who I was running against in my races. As an Olympic champion, world champion and world record-holder, what still gives you a thrill in athletics?KY: At heart, I&rsquo;m still a track fan so coming to an occasion like this and getting the opportunity to meet people like Dick Fosbury and Harrison Dillard makes me just tremble in my boots. &nbsp; Phil Minshull for the IAAF

Ten Questions for the Legends - Kevin Young

Ten questions for the legends – Kevin Young

23 November 2012 – Barcelona, Spain – Two-time Olympic 400m Hurdles champion Ed Moses (USA), 1992 Olympic champion Kevin Young (USA) and 1983 World silver medallist Harald Schmid (GER) appeared at the press point at the IAAF Centenary Gala in Barcelona. These were some of the highlights.This city, Barcelona, was the scene of your World record. What are your thoughts on being back? Kevin Young: It’s great to be back in Barcelona. Since then a lot has happened, I’ve got married and my life has changed in many ways, but it’s always great to be a part of the athletics family, especially as a lot of my track and field heroes are here.Did you think your world record would last as long as it has?KY: No I didn’t. I remember saying to Angelo Taylor when he was in college that if there’s anyone talented enough to break my world record, it would have been him. The fortunate part is that, including him, no one else has figured out how to run as fast as I did.Harald, tell us your memories of the 1987 World Championships – that was an extremely close race.Harald Schmid: There really was only one big problem for me with the track in Rome – it was two metres too short! Had it been a 402m Hurdles race, I would have won! It was a wonderful race in Rome and it’s funny how no one can remember the winning time – the most memorable thing was three of us finishing really close on the line.Do you think that some of the current generation of athletes are afraid to look at legends of the past as idols because they fear that they’ll never be as good as them?KY: I look at myself and recall when we were chasing 47.02 as the World record. If you don’t set goals high enough, then you’ll never get there. But also for the current young hurdlers, they need to know the event. I was a big fan of the sport throughout my whole life and even now when I see all the legends of the sport I become like a nervous fan again because I still really admire them and look up to them.Usain Bolt gets a lot of headlines, but what do you think will help the rest of the sport get better exposure?Ed Moses: I come from the old school and I think the top athletes need to race against each other more often, six, seven times a year – that’s what the sport is missing. I think athletes are afraid to lose; they think they’re going to lose marketing value when they lose. But at the same time the fans want to see the athletes. They don’t care if you win all the time. I want to see Usain race against Tyson Gay and Yohan Blake a few times a year and see who’s going to win the best out of seven times across the course of a season.HS: I personally think that there are too many championships. It’s the Olympics one year then the World Champs the next year, then the Europeans the next. There are too many winners. Then again, you have to keep the sport in the public eye so maybe there is no perfect solution.How did you manage to keep the motivation and hunger throughout your incredible winning streak?EM: I enjoyed the training. What I was doing every day to get in that condition took a lot of time and a lot of energy so it wasn’t hard for me to remain focused. It was a lifestyle for me, the enjoyment was never a problem. If I ran 20 races a year, that was 16 minutes of training – out of nine or ten months of training, that’s nothing.I would wake up at the morning, and in California we’re about nine hours ahead of Germany. I’d say to myself, ‘Harald has probably finished his workout by now, I need to get busy!’ Guys like him were my motivation.Jon Mulkeen for the IAAF

Barcelona Press Points: Ed Moses, Kevin Young and Harald Schmidt