by Larry Eder
The Men’s 400 meters lived up to all expectations.
Coming off the 300-meter mark, Mike Norman, Kirani James, Mathew Hudson-Smith and
Wayde Van Niekerk was dueling with Champion Allison right there. Mike Norman blasted the last
100 meters, as Kirini James, the three-time Olympic medalist, battled Norman every step of the
way.
Mike Norman won the gold in 44.29. Kirani James took silver in 44.48, and Matthew Hudson-Smith took
the bronze in 44.66. Champion Allison was 4th and WR holder, 2016 Oly gold medalist, and Beijing and
London champion, Wayde Van Niekerk finished an honorable 5th.
Mike Norman had this to say in the mixed zone:
“It is an amazing feeling for sure. Just to come out here, on, let’s say, a home track, and pull out with a gold individual medal. It is going to be a memorable one. I want to remember what took me here, and I am just thankful to everybody who supported me throughout my whole career. without those people, I would not be where I am right now. So I really appreciate all those people. It took a lot of work to get where I was – obviously, last year was not a good year for me, so I had to do a lot of hard work just to kind of get back to where I was. This moment here is going to be remembered forever, so I wanted to make sure that all the people who are the closest to me and who understood what my objective was this year will never try to get me out of my path of success and will never doubt myself. It will take some time to reflect on what it means to be a champion and to understand what it takes to be better. Tonight for the dinner – salmon, rice, and veggies. I have to stay disciplined. I just wanted to make sure that I did everything that I could have possibly done to become the new world champion.”
The amazingly resilient Kirani James told the media:
“I knew it was always going to be a battle with Michael. I thought I had a good advantage in beating him to see him in front of me. But catching him, it is never going to be easy. For me, I am just grateful to compete against these guys at these competitions, putting on a show for the fans; that is what track and field is all about. If the fans enjoy it, they get excited, the sport grows, and I am happy. This medal is special because, after every Olympics, you always want to come back and show that you are consistent. We have a good team here in Javelin; Peters is a great guy, focused on doing the right things. He had an off year, and he’s trying to bounce back. Lyndon Victor in the Decathlon. If everything comes together, I think he could be a strong contender, so if everything goes right, we might get even three medals. Three athletes, three medals. So hopefully, that happens. You have to go out there and compete against the best athletes. For me, my next goal is the Diamond League.”
In third, Mathew Hudson-Smith was overjoyed; this was his comments:
“I think the European record will go now; that is the next thing. I was ready to get a medal, and I got it. That is all that really matters. How do I manage to keep the position? I just looked forward. I just kept going. I could feel someone, but I just did not know who was that. I just went and finally got a medal. I have been through the problems, and injuries, so I am just relieved and happy for the medal.”
And some deep thoughts from Wayde Van Niekerk, who has battled for 5 years to come back:
“As the world record holder, this is where I belong. This is what I need to fight for. I need to make sure that I do whatever it takes to patiently get myself back to the place where I belong, and that is on the podium. Fifth this time around, so I am working definitely towards the goal. Hopefully, next time, I am on the podium. The fitness plays a big role and a mental part too. The mental side, I take the responsibility for it. The physical side is the coach’s responsibility. Our job together will place us back to the place where we belong.”
Enjoy the video from NBC Sports showcasing this iconic Men’s 400-meter race!
