Abakar finishes third in 400m hurdles
London: Qatar’s high jump Olympic champion Mutaz Barshim made a last-minute withdrawal at yesterday’s London Diamond League, while Ismail Doudai Abakar smashed his lifetime best by almost a second to finish third in 47.72 secs in 400m hurdles.
With one eye on the Paris Games, Barshim, who famously shared Tokyo gold with Italian Gianmarco Tamberi, decided not to jump due to lack of space on the runway at London Stadium. Later, Barshim – who has struggled with injuries this season – admitted that he did not want to take a risk with Olympics round the corner.
“I didn’t jump, unfortunately. I’m disappointed,” Barshim said yesterday. “There was no space; it was a technical mistake I think from the organisers and it was very tight. So, when I tried to set up my run-up to jump, it was impossible. There was no place to do it.
“I’ve been jumping officially for about 15 years. This is only the second time in my career that something like this has happened. Of course, I’m frustrated, not only for myself but also for everyone who came out there to support me. I feel bad because I don’t like letting people down. I’m not injured; I wanted to come here and perform at my best. But, as I said, things happen. It’s frustrating, but we move forward. We have the Olympics soon, so I’m looking forward to that,” the 33-year-old.
In Barshim’s absence, World indoor champion Hamish Kerr won event with 2.30m jump. Last week, Barshim had won in Heilbronn, Germany with a leap of 2.31 metres, equalling his season’s best as eyes another Olympic podium finish in Paris.
Meanwhile, 20-year-old Abakar sprang a surprise with a stunning show. Starting in lane 8, Abakar finished third behind Brazil’s 2022 world champion Alison dos Santos, who was a convincing winner in 47.18. Jamaica’s Roshawn Clarke produced a season’s best of 47.63 to take second.
“That was a huge personal best for me so I am very excited now for Paris,” an elated Abakar said later. “I knew I could do it and now I can go there and I really feel I can get to the final. To take this much off my personal puts me really in the right place for the Olympics.”
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