#WorldChamps2023: Jamaicans impress in women’s 400m hurdles semis
Jamaica’s Rushell Clayton, Andrenette Knight and Janieve Russell’s impressive performances in the 400m hurdles semi-final have earned them places in Thursday’s final of the event at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
Rushell Clayton, who won bronze at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Qatar, ran a perfectly measured race to win semi-final one in a personal best (PB) of 53.30 seconds. America’s Anna Cockrell finished second in 53.63, also a PB.
Andrenette Knight had a tough challenge ahead, lining up against the likes of gold medal favourite Femke Bol of the Netherlands and former world record holder Daliliah Muhammad of America. Knight finished second in 53.72 seconds, while Bol won in an easy 52.95. Muhammad had to settle for third in 54.19, failing to move on to the next round.
Double Commonwealth champion Janieve Russell advanced as a non-automatic qualifier after finishing third in semi-final three in 53.69.
America’s Shamier Little clocked a season’s best 52.81 for the win while Bahrain’s Kemi Adekoya set a new area record of 53.39 for second. Ayomide Folorunso of Italy’s national record of 53.89 was enough to punch her ticket.
The final of the event is scheduled for 2:50 pm Jamaica time.