TOKYO2025: Wiseman Were stopped in 400m hurdles semifinals in back-to-back championships

Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Wiseman Were saw his Tokyo World Championships campaign end at the semifinal stage after missing out on a spot in the men’s 400m hurdles final on Wednesday, 17 September.

He clocked 48:65 seconds.

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Were, who also exited at the same stage during the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, once again found himself unable to break through despite showing early promise in his heat.

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He reached the semifinals after clocking a personal best (PB) of 48.27 to finish fifth in Heat 1 of the race on Monday afternoon.

At the 100m mark, Were was well-placed in fourth as Brazil’s Matheus Lima set the early pace, trailed by Nigeria’s Ezekiel Nathaniel in second and America’s Caleb Dean in third.

By 200m, the race began to slip away from him, dropping to seventh as Qatar’s Ismail Abakar surged into the lead.

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Dean moved into second, while Jamaica’s James-King slotted into third.

The final 100m proved punishing for Were, who struggled to hold momentum.

Nathaniel powered to first place, Abakar maintained second, and Dean stayed steady in third to seal qualification. Lima followed just behind in fourth.

The trio advanced to the final, joining heavyweights from the earlier heats.

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Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba dominated the opening heat in 47:63, with Norway’s Karsten Warholm easing into second at 47:72.

Heat three also lived up to billing as American star Rai Benjamin and Brazil’s Alison dos Santos, both major title contenders, stormed into the final.