Muhammad sets another world record
The former USC star breaks her own 400-meter hurdle mark in 52.16 seconds.
DOHA, Qatar — The message American hurdler Dalilah Muhammad kept telling herself when her career was running into roadblocks: Why not me?
On a thrill-filled night at the track and field championships Friday, Muhammad answered her own question — again — by setting her second world record in 10 weeks.
The late-blooming, 29year-old former USC star smoothed her way through the 400-meter hurdles in 52.16 seconds to break, by .04 seconds, the world record she had set at U.S. national championships in July.
She will head into the Tokyo Games next year as the defending Olympic and reigning world champion.
“I didn’t even know who won the race,” Muhammad said. “I was looking to see who won, and then I noticed, when they said ‘world record,’ that I had broken it.”
Simply winning the race has become more difficult because of the rapid rise of Sydney McLaughlin, the 20year-old phenom who juggles, rides a unicycle and seems destined to win gold one day.
McLaughlin also finished second to Muhammad at nationals — but that one was by .68 seconds. This one was by .07, and her time of 52.23 would have been the world record had she run it 10 weeks ago.
How close did Muhammad come to missing out on this? Shortly after graduating from USC in 2012, she went to the Olympic trials and flopped. Out in the first round, she had neither a spot at the London Games nor a sponsor.
Things changed: She won nationals in 2013, then a silver medal at worlds. Then they changed again: She faltered in 2015 and watched those world championships from home.
“I had an epiphany one day, ‘Why not me?’ ” Muhammad said.
While the other seven hurdlers were writhing on the ground after crossing the finish line, Muhammad took a few deep breaths, then straightened up and headed over to the time clock near the finish line to have her picture taken. It’s what world record holders do.
“I don’t think you ever get used to it,” Muhammad said. “But if I want to stay competitive in this event, I have no choice.”
Qatari high jumper Mutaz Essa Barshim retained his world title on his home turf when he jumped 7 feet, 95⁄16 inches, , the best in the world this year.
“I’ve won a lot of gold medals, but this one is home,” Barshim said. “It feels different. I just felt love.”
In the men’s 400 meters, Steven Gardiner of the Bahamas won gold over Anthony Zambrano of Colombia and American Fred Kerley. The Bahamian clocked 43.48 seconds.
Finishing 1-2 in the discus were Cubans Yaime Perez and Denia Caballero. Conseslus Kipruto of Kenya won the 3,000-meter steeplechase when he overhauled Ethiopian 18-year-old Lamecha Girma on the final stretch to win by just onehundredth of a second.
The U.S. came close to botching changeovers in the men’s and women’s heats for the 4x100 relays but still qualified for both finals, to be held Saturday.
Toshikazu Yamanishi of Japan won the men’s 20-kilometer walk.