Dos Santos wins Ultimate 400m hurdles in 45.98

Alison dos Santos of Brazil won the men's 400m hurdles at the World Ultimate Championships in Zurich on September 13, clocking 45.98 seconds. He defeated American Rai Benjamin, who ran 46.40, and Norway's Karsten Warholm, who finished in 46.78.

The victory marks another chapter in the epic rivalry between the three athletes, who have dominated the event throughout the 2020s. Warholm won world titles in 2017 and 2019, dos Santos triumphed in 2022, and Benjamin claimed the last two global championships before this meet.

The Build-Up to the Final

Intrigue surrounded the final after Benjamin, the reigning world and Olympic champion, spent most of the season focusing on the flat 400 meters. He attempted a rare double, placing second in the 400m final on September 12 before lining up for his 400m hurdles heat about 100 minutes later. "It took a lot of mental strength between the 400 and 400 hurdles," Benjamin said. "I had less than 2 hours between those races."

Both Benjamin and dos Santos advanced comfortably from the first heat, running 47.49 and 47.25 respectively. Warholm won the second heat in 47.68.

A Three-Way Battle

In the final, Warholm started in lane 8 with dos Santos in 7 and Benjamin in 6. The trio were nearly even over the first two hurdles, with Benjamin taking a slight lead by the third. Dos Santos caught him two barriers later, and the three ran almost together through the eighth hurdle. "100m before the finish line we were three, almost in an equal position," Warholm said afterward.

The parity was brief. Warholm slipped back and cleared the ninth hurdle awkwardly. Meanwhile, dos Santos, who set a world record of 45.80 in Zurich earlier in the season, had saved his strongest effort for the finish. He began pulling away after the penultimate barrier and extended his lead to the line.

The Results and Reactions

Dos Santos's winning time of 45.98 is the second-fastest in history, just 0.04 off Warholm's previous world record. Benjamin's 46.40 is the third-fastest mark of his career. Warholm's 46.78 was the world record before the trio began breaking it in July 2021. Germany's Emil Agyekum set a national record of 47.10 for fourth place.

Dos Santos revealed he found motivation from a post on the World Athletics app. "I saw a post on the main page saying I had something like a 95 percent chance of winning." More seriously, the 26-year-old added that winning was more important than just running fast.

Warholm, 30, acknowledged the challenge posed by his rival's speed. "I was confident, I thought it could be doable but when Alison is dropping to 45.9 [and 45.80 in his WR], what can I say?... This year is a good baseline to work on for next season." Benjamin also looked ahead, stating he would focus on the hurdles next year. "I know I can run fast. Now I just need to back it up and I need to get back to work."