by Larry Eder
Shamier Little, June 23, 2018, USA Outdoors, photo by PhotoRun.net
What has gotten into Shamier Little? Since the U.S. Championships, Shamier Little is racing with confidence and focus that we have not seem in some time. Her racing in 2018 is more focused, and more confident. In Lausanne, she scored a seasonal Best and a big win! This is not criticism at all, this is happiness that the 400m hurdle star is back and focused.
Her win in Lausanne required the most focus of the 2018 season, as Janieve Russell came oh so close, but Shamier Little held her off!
WATCH :@shambambino produces SB 53.41 for #LausanneDL 400mH win: https://t.co/rgKwFGRd19 pic.twitter.com/lEhPm9y4ju
— IAAF Diamond League (@Diamond_League) July 5, 2018
It is all about the progression and consistency. Shamier Little has moved through the season, running 55.23 for fifth in the Prefontaine Classic on May 26.
Then, on the 7 June, Shamier Little rolled into action, hurdling well and gutting out a 53.94 for second place in the Oslo Bislett Games. After that race, Shamier said:
“To walk away with a season’s best, I felt like I did a good job and I executed well. My finish was not as good as it usally is but my stride pattern was off. I’m still glad I ran well and now I hope to get into more IAAF Diamond League races.
My aim for the summer is just to keep performing well on the IAAF Diamond League stage to get more points and to hopefully with the final.
Dilalah (Muhammad) is a veteran with lots of medals and times so has been great to run with her, and next I will race in Lausanne.”
After Oslo, Shamier Little ran well in US Championships, making a big move over hurdles nine and ten, using focus and a determined move to take the 400 meter hurdles from Georganne Moline, who caught one of her spikes in the track. Little pushed on and took the win, and a seasonal best for 2018.
In Lausanne, Shamier ran with emotion, and over the last two hurdles, held off a determined rush by Janieve Russell, and Georgeanne Moline. Little held off Russell, 53.41 to 53.46 with Moline at 53.90, one of the deepest 400m hurdle races of 2018. Shamier was ecstatic, as she told the media: ” I am exhuasted! This race took a lot out of me, a very tough race. But, as season best is all I could ask for. For us, the USA Champs was a peak of the season…now I have to recalibrate the season. The focus is not on the DL, and if I get to compete at the DL final, that will be amazing…”
Shamier Little runs best with focus and emotion. There was that moment in Des Moines, where, as this writer was watching her, Shamier Little went from running to racing. Around the ninth hurdle, she seemed to realize that she could win the race, and she found this gear that gave her the difference she needed.
In Lausanne, Shamier Little had been running fantastic. But today, she was with the toughest women in the event. Janieve Russell and Georgeanne Moline will run you down as soon as look at you. And Delilah Muhammed, well, she has an Olympic gold and two World Championships silvers in her medal case, what do you think?
Like the sprint hurdles, the 400m hurdles is highly competitive and these women do not play around. Shamier Little, the three time NCAA champion over 400 meter hurdles, now knows she has the talent and hard work behind her to dominate this event.
Oh, #Fear the Bow.
Shamier Little, June 23, 2018, photo by PhotoRun.net
