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M. KisengeBudapest23: Were fails to advance to 400m hurdles final after finishing sixth in semis
Reading Time: 2min | Mon. 21.08.23. | 21:05
He was the sole Kenyan athlete who qualified for the race
National champion Wiseman Were bowed out of the 2023 World Athletics Championships head high after finishing sixth in the 400m hurdles semifinal at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest, Hungary.
Were, who was placed in Heat 2 clocked 49.40 seconds to finish sixth in race that brought together the finest athletes in the specialty.
The second fastest man in history Rai Benjamin of the United States won the race after timing 47.24 seconds.
He was followed closely by Olympic bronze medalist and world champion Allison Dos Santos who stopped the clock after 47.38 seconds.
Were, was the sole Kenyan who qualified and subsequently lined up for the race in the championships.
His bid to sail to the final didn’t bear fruit after finishing sixth. The two best athletes in each heat and the next two fastest ones booked lanes in the final.
Were booked a lane in the semis after finishing fourth in the preliminary round on Sunday where he clocked 49.10 seconds.
The Kenya Defence Forces man punched a ticket to Budapest during the National Athletics Championships held at the Nyayo National Stadium in June where, he clocked 42.52 seconds.
Record holder and Olympic champion Karsten Warholm won Heat 3 after crossing the line in 47.09 seconds and as a result, he will look to reclaim the title he won in the 2017 and 2019 editions held in London and Doha respectively.
Kyron McMaster of the British Virgin Islands won Heat 1in 47.72 ahead of Estonia’s Rasmus Magi who clocked 48.30.
Roshawn Clarke of Jamaica who finished second in Heat 3 behind Warholm obliterated the U20 record after clocking 47.34 seconds.
