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Karsten Warholm (24) was chasing a world record, but never came close to threatening the 28-year-old record. At the finish line, the Norwegian clearly gave up.
Karsten Warholm had blood stained his teeth and during the “Golden Spikes” competition in Ostrava, Czech Republic, he made another attempt for the world record in the 400m hurdles.
It has been around for 28 years and belongs to Kevin Young. The Norwegian athletics star has closed in on the American’s time of 46.78, and Young has been aware that his time as the record holder will soon be over.
In Ostrava, Warholm reached 47.62. He is far behind his own record of 46.87. At the finish line, the Norwegian shook his head and didn’t seem to understand what had gone wrong.
– It’s always good to win, but tonight I was a bit surprised. I really thought it was going a bit faster and checked the schedule. Maybe in the end I got a little tired. Regardless, this is a sport where you have to take what you get, Warholm tells the organizer after the race.
THROWING THE GOAL: Karsten Warholm did not look completely satisfied after the goal and shook his head after glancing at the schedule. Photo: MARTIN DIVISEK / EPA
– Do you think it hit the wind ?, Coach Leif Olav Alnes writes about the race in an SMS to VG right after the race.
However, the coach is aware that he and Warholm owe nothing.
– This is how it happens, we don’t owe anything. It’s an outdoor sport, and then you have to wait for the conditions to vary a bit. It blows well outside, but inside the stadium there are slightly different conditions. There’s a bit of the charm of outdoor sports, Alnes believes.
The coach is aware that 47.62 is still a good time, but that the student’s fantastic form has raised expectations. Athletics NM at Bergen’s Fana Stadium on September 18-20 may be the last competition for Warholm this season, but the duo have yet to make a final decision.
– The great thing about our sport is that the clock starts to zero every time. It is absolutely beautiful. If you’ve lost every game of the spring season in soccer, it seems dark, says Alnes.
Because it was undeniable that it was slower than usual for Warholm. And even before the start, there was drama, when one of the competitors got off to a good start. The Norwegian star was almost there with the first hurdle before realizing they had to restart.
– Probably imagined another moment. I saw that he was very surprised by the time he ran to the finish, but the same was under the gold in Doha. You give him the iron, and then the clock doesn’t show what you think. But it was a course record tonight after all, Alnes smiles.
Warholm has long had track seven as a personal favorite. After the super race on track eight in Stockholm in August, she returned to racing on the outer track in Ostrava.
The 24-year-old came off the starting blocks in familiar style and quickly said goodbye to the competitors. His two biggest rivals, Abderrahman Samba and Rai Benjamin, did not start this time either, and it was Frenchman Ludvy Vaillant with a personal best of 48.30 who was the strongest competitor on paper in the Czech Republic.
Warholm had to stumble a bit towards the penultimate stern, but avoided hitting the last stern with his leg, as in Stockholm. He ran with lonely majesty in the race and crossed the finish line in familiar style, flinging one arm forward.
But even this time he failed to get over Young, who can breathe a sigh of relief so far.
– It doesn’t work this time. It is the weakest race of the year. It seemed like he was losing his rhythm a bit. He strikes resignedly with his arms. Here’s a slightly resigned Karsten Warholm running in the middle of 47, NRK’s Jann Post said during the broadcast.
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The King of Warholm: Don’t think it’s going to be the Tokyo Olympics
In just a few years, Warholm has become one of the biggest and most coveted names in athletics. Many feared the void Usain Bolt would leave behind, but the Norwegian has done his part to maintain interest in the sport.
For the convention in the Czech Republic, Warholm was flown in a private jet, as was Bolt in his time, and the organizer has done everything possible to optimize the conditions for a world record.
The last time a Norwegian set a world record in athletics was in 1999. Then, Trine Hattestad threw 67.61 meters of the javelin.
Athletics NM at Fana Stadium in Bergen from September 18-20 will probably be Warholm’s last competition this season. There you enter 400 meters hurdles and 400 meters flat.
