I think it's possible for women to break 49 seconds in the 400mH: Dalilah
CHENNAI: Before Sydney McLaughlin and Femke Bol, there was Dalilah Muhammad. The 400m hurdler not just set a new record in the discipline but she was also the first woman to breach the 52.2 second barrier. At the Khalifa International in the final of the 400mH at the World Championships in 2019, Muhammad scorched her way to the tape at a time of 52.16 seconds, lowering her own world record in the process.
Over the last five years or so, the women's 400mH has become one of the most important events in any global athletics meet because of the stars and the records they have created.
In an interview with this daily, the US ace, currently in Bengaluru as an ambassador for the TCS World 10K event on Sunday, spoke about the evolution of the 400mH, Michael Johnson's new Grand Slam Track meet and watching Neeraj Chopra at the Olympics. Excerpts:
On the evolution of the women's 400mH
We women are getting faster and we have figured out a new way to attack this event. I'm from a generation when we were kind of running really into that first hurdle. Now, we have elevated that. What's possible in this event is endless and there are numerous as to why that's the case. One, just having so many people capable of running fast, breaking 52 seconds. Also, the technology in our foot wear has improved.
On racing with Femke and Sydney
I still think I'm part of that conversation. I think it's been amazing what the women have done over the last few years, Sydney and Femke... I think it's definitely possible for women to run sub 49 seconds in this event. Both Sydney and Femke are capable, I think myself included, this will be my last year. I want to really go out with a bang.
On the speeds we are seeing today and how much is because of the skills of the athlete and how much is because of the spikes
Obviously the athletes are very talented but I do think that the new shoe tech has pushed the realms of what's possible thanks to the amount of energy return that you get back from the new-age shoe than at any time in history. But it doesn't take away the skill of the athlete.
On Grand Slam Track and whether it's good for athletics (she took part in the inaugural weekend at Jamaica)
I think any time that we can bring new opportunities to the athletes is great. I love what Michael Johnson has done to provide new opportunities with a much bigger prize earning than we have ever seen at a competition. That for me is really exciting. I think that if we can just get the support for it, it would be great for athletes and fans.
On memories of Neeraj at the Olympics
I remember watching the (men's) javelin at the Olympics (in Tokyo). I don't typically watch it to be honest. It was inspiring to watch an athlete from India win gold. I do have fond memories from that day, just watching them compete.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
7 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Simone Biles issues apology to Riley Gaines after explosive feud: 'It didn't help'
Simone Biles has issued an apology after exchanging barbs with former swimmer Riley Gaines. The duo erupted in an explosive feud over the participation of transgender athletes in women's sports. However, on Tuesday, Biles apologized for her remarks against Gaines and emphasized the responsibility of sports organizations to balance inclusivity with fair competition. The American gymnast said that 'competitive equity & inclusivity' were an essential part of sports. 'The current system doesn't adequately balance these important principles, which often leads to frustration and heated exchanges, and it didn't help for me to get personal with Riley, which I apologize for,' she added. Simone Biles continued, 'My objection is to be singling out children for public scrutiny in ways that feel personal and harmful. Individual athletes—especially kids—should never be the focus of criticism of a flawed system they have no control over.' She ended her post by saying, 'We all want a future for sport that is fair, inclusive, and respectful.' The former swimmer said that she accepted the apology. Calling Simone Biles the 'greatest female gymnast of all time', Riley Gaines invited her 'to support fair sports and a future for female athletes. Little girls deserve the same shot to achieve that you had.' A war of words erupted between the two athletes last week after Gaines criticized Minnesota's Champlin Park softball team for reportedly including a 17-year-old trans player in their squad. This caught the attention of Biles, who called Gaines 'sick' and a 'sore loser.' The feud escalated, with the 11-time Olympic medalist calling on Gaines to 'bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male.' There has been a long-running debate over the inclusion of transgender athletes in sports. US President Donald Trump has taken a hard stance on the matter, passing an executive order in February to remove transgender athletes from sports that didn't match their biological sex. She is an American gymnast who has won 11 medals at the Olympics. The gymnast has seven Olympic gold medals to her name. She became the first female American gymnast to win four gold medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Time of India
With Olympic dreams, ambitious Yash heads to Barcelona
Panaji: Yash Fadte has returned home after a successful four-year stint in the US, where he graduated from the University of Rochester, led them to its first Hoehn Cup, and won the Skillman Award, which recognised his sportsmanship and skill throughout his college career. Had the squash star accepted an internship offer and subsequently taken up the job, he could have stayed back and lived a comfortable life. A scholarship at Harvard was also turned down. Instead, he opted for the grind of professional squash with the dream of returning to the US, for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. 'Squash is my life, my big goal, and I cannot keep this on hold,' Yash told TOI recently. 'I can take up a job even later in my life.' The 23-year-old's big aim is to take part in the Olympics when squash makes its debut at the biggest sporting spectacle in sports. That's three years from now, and to help him move swiftly towards the goal, the four-time Asian junior medallist is moving to Barcelona. Yash will be based at Barcelona Global Squash, one of Europe's leading squash academies. 'I think it will help me a great deal since the world's best players all train there. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Alarma con cerradura inteligente gratis en Badajoz, instalación en un día Securitas Direct Alarma Ver oferta Undo It's in central Europe, so it's easier for me to travel everywhere and take part in international tournaments. Playing against top players will improve my game,' said Yash. Barcelona Global Squash is recognised as an attractive training destination for young players wishing to make the transition to the Professional Squash Association (PSA) world tour or young professionals already competing on the international circuit who are looking for a professional framework to move their game forward. 'I understand that making it to the Olympics won't be easy, but I don't want to be left with regrets. If I fail, no problem. I want to give it my best shot,' said Yash. As a junior, Yash has won the US Open, French Open, and won medals four times at the Asian championships. Olympics, though, is a different game altogether, with the world's best players vying for a spot. It won't be easy, particularly for someone who is only beginning to compete against the top-ranked players. 'A lot of the players who I was up against as a junior are doing well (in the seniors category) and that provides me hope,' said Yash. India is among the top eight countries in squash. For a place at the Olympics, Yash will face stiff competition at home itself with stars like Ramit Tandon, Abhay Singh, Velavan Senthilkumar and Veer Chotrani, all in the top five. 'Most of India's top squash players are backed by their state govts, industrial houses, or sports foundations. We have no such support. Even state govt has done little to help our cause. If govt just clears what is due to us, or delivers on the promises made in the state assembly, we will be in a much stronger position,' said Yash's father, Dilip, a former sportsperson who played Ranji Trophy matches for Goa, as well as county cricket in England. The assurance in the state legislative assembly was made by chief minister Pramod Sawant in 2020. 'We will consider 10 sportspersons every year (for financial assistance). The case of Yash Fadte will be considered,' Sawant had said while speaking on the congratulatory motion tabled by Tivim MLA Nilkant Halarnkar. Yash has not received a penny. In fact, he wasn't even considered for SAG's scheme for 'achieving excellence in sports at international level' that has a grant of Rs 30 lakh. 'It's now or never,' said Dilip.
Indian Express
8 hours ago
- Indian Express
The 9.8 scourge returns to haunt Elavenil Valarivan as she settles for bronze at Munich shooting World Cup
Last year at the Paris Olympics, Elavenil Valarivan needed 30.9 points off her last three shots in the women's 10m air rifle qualification to make it to the eight-shooter final at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre. The Ahmedabad shooter would hit a 9.8 off her penultimate shot followed by a 10.3 to finish tenth, and miss qualification. Only 8 qualify. On Tuesday, the 25-year-old would again hit a 9.8 at the ISSF Munich World Cup in a field comprising seven Olympians including Paris champion Ban Hyojin of Korea and world champion Han Jiayu of China. The 9.8 would come crucially on the 21st – or what ended up as her penultimate shot in the final, and drop her down to third spot. But though the gold was lost, this time it was followed by a 10.6. However she needed 10.8 for shoot-off so she had to settle for bronze. But it secured her fifth World Cup medal and first since 2023 at the toughest of World Cups. The Indian mulled over the two 9.8s. 'I have always seen Paris Olympics as a learning. So I saw that 9.8 as a way to ponder upon what went wrong for me and to improve on that. That's been my mindset from the day I started shooting. Yes, this 9.8 too came at a crucial moment as anybody could have won the gold medal and this too, I will take a lot of learnings from. But I am glad to win my first World Cup medal at this range amid the toughest competition I have competed in,' shared Valarivan while speaking with The Indian Express. For a youngster, who first burst on the world shooting scene with a title in the world cup final at Putian, China in 2019, Valarivan had cemented her place in the Indian team for the next few years. Prior to making the Indian team for Tokyo Olympics, Valarivan had won three junior world cup titles apart from the world cup final gold and another world cup gold. The then 20-year-old would finish 16th at Paris and miss on medal matches in the mixed team formats. Between Tokyo and Paris, the Indian would have only one World Cup gold, before she topped the Olympic trials to make the cut for Paris. Compatriot Ramita Jindal made it to the individual final and eventually finished seventh, Valarivan would miss her second straight final. The youngster would have a talk with her parents Dr R Valarivan and Dr K Saroja. 'We have always told Elavenil that whether you win the medal or not, it's the love for shooting which has made you come that far. And that was the same we told her post Paris,' says mother Dr K Saroja. The youngster would book her tickets to Hyderabad, a place where her elder brother V Eraivan, a Major with the Indian Army, is posted. Eraivan, who is getting married later this month, would help her take her mind off the sport. 'Post Tokyo, she had come to Ladakh, where I was posted and spent some weeks with me. And after Paris, she came to Hyderabad. She has always spent time concentrating on shooting but then there are times when one needs to take time off. We went to a lot of cafes to try various food here in Hyderabad and watch long-pending Tamil movies which we had missed in the Olympic cycle,' says Major V Eraivan. The 25-year-old would also return to training with her coach Neha Chavan and sharpen basics including time management in qualification as well as finals. On Tuesday, Chinese Wang Zifei shot a new qualification world record score of 637.9 followed by the Indian with a score of 635.9. While the likes of Paris Olympics champion Ban Hyojin of Korea and world champion Han Jiayu of China would also make it to the final, 30 shooters would shoot a qualification score in excess of 630. 'Elavenil always has the motivation to come to the shooting range. So, we did not have to struggle on that front post Paris. She understood we needed to fine tune some things including the changes in technique as well as the pace of the shots and we were able to do that. And it showed in her qualification as well as final today,' says Chavan. In comparison to Tuesday where the top 8 finished above 633.6, the two world cups this year have seen cut-offs for the final being 631.6 and 630.7. Paris was at 631.3 with only 11 shooters in excess of 630 including Valarivan's 630.7 while missing the final. 'It was a very high-quality qualification. Munich has always seen very high scores and it's important that one does not miss out. We had more than 160 shooters in qualification and Elavenil did make sure that she adjusted well and shot with confidence here,' says Indian rifle team foreign coach Thomas Farnik. In the final, Valarivan would end the first series at the second spot with 52.9 points and 0.3 behind Kwon. The Indian would drop to tied-third place after the second series but would never drop outside the top two spots in the elimination rounds before the bronze medal was to be decided. The 9.8 off her 21st shot meant that the Indian was 0.3 behind Wang and 0.4 behind Kwon. But a 10.6 by her off her 22nd shot while the Chinese shot a ridiculous 10.9 and the Korean held on with 10.3, saw the Indian eliminated. 'Elavenil had tried some things at the Argentina World Cup but then they did not work. So she worked on her old setting and it worked for her here in Munich. The lighting here is perfect and everybody enjoys shooting here. That makes the task even tougher and this bronze will add to her confidence,' says national coach Deepali Deshpande. Farnik too believes that there are some areas the 25-year-old needs to improve. 'I told her that she is a mature shooter now and she has taken that positively. And it showed in her final scores where she never dropped out of top two in elimination. The 21st shot, the shot went off a bit earlier but then anybody could have won the gold here,' adds Farnik. As for Valarivan, she would be spending time on finding some Batman memorabilia to celebrate the medal. 'I like watching Batman movies and collecting Batman memorabilia whenever I visit Munich or other European cities,' said the Indian. Tomar is 6th in air pistol Meanwhile, 21-year-old Varun Tomar finished sixth in the men's 10m air pistol final. Tomar, who had qualified for the eight-shooter final with a second highest score of 585, finished with a score of 160.3. Chinese Hu Kai won the gold with a score of 242.3. Nitin Sharma is an Assistant Editor with the sports team of The Indian Express. Based out of Chandigarh, Nitin works with the print sports desk while also breaking news stories for the online sports team. A Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award recipient for the year 2017 for his story 'Harmans of Moga', Nitin has also been a two-time recipient of the UNFPA-supported Laadli Media Awards for Gender Sensitivity for the years 2022 and 2023 respectively. Nitin mainly covers Olympics sports disciplines with his main interests in shooting, boxing, wrestling, athletics and much more. The last 17 years with The Indian Express has seen him unearthing stories across India from as far as Andaman and Nicobar to the North East. Nitin also covers cricket apart from women's cricket with a keen interest. Nitin has covered events like the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the 2011 ODI World Cup, 2016 T20 World Cup and the 2017 AIBA World Youth Boxing Championships. An alumnus of School of Communication Studies, Panjab University, from where he completed his Masters in Mass Communications degree, Nitin has been an avid quizzer too. A Guru Nanak Dev University Colour holder, Nitin's interest in quizzing began in the town of Talwara Township, a small town near the Punjab-Himachal Pradesh border. When not reporting, Nitin's interests lie in discovering new treks in the mountains or spending time near the river Beas at his hometown. ... Read More
