こんにちは – kon’nichiwa – and welcome to the World Athletics Championships – night four!
And, of course, it’s another nicky banger. Matt Hudson-Smith, Olympic 400m silver medallist, found it tough in qualifying, a leggy last 150m leaving him reliant on a fastest loser’s semi-final spot. But he made it, the question now what he’s got left – but he’s had a little more luck: he runs in heat three, with Jacory Patterson, so impressive on Sunday night, in heat two and Zakithi Nene, fastest in the world this year, in one.
The women’s event looks just as exciting, our three favourites kept apart. In heat one goes Marieldy Paulino, the Olympic champ, while in two, we’ve Salwa Eid Naser, this year’s fastest, and in three, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the Olympic gold medallist in the 400m hurdles having switched to flat in search of a new event to dominate. It’s going to be hot.
Those, though, are our appetisers. The centrepiece of the evening could well be the men’s 110m hurdles, in which Rachid Muratake, the home favourite, is chasing gold. He’ll do well to get by USA’s Grant Holloway and Cordell Tinch, but he’s got a chance.
Our other track final comes in the women’s 1500m with the frankly wondrous Faith Kipyegon, undefeated over the distance in more than four years, looking to make (yet more) history. Should she win, the three-time Olympic and three-time world champion will draw level with Hicham El Guerrouj, who won this race at this meet on four occasions, and at 31, it’s incumbent upon us to savour her while we still can.
Or, in other words, Mondo needs to budge up, because there are others planning to take out a des res inside our heads.
Action starts: 7.35pm local, 11.35am BST
