ATHLETICS – TEAM Bahrain’s former world champion Salwa Eid Naser breezed into the semi-finals of the women’s 400 metres yesterday at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Naser emphatically won the first of six heats in the event’s opening round at the 81,000 plus-capacity Stade de France. She now heads into the next stage amongst the favourites to claim a place in the medal-deciding race.
The 400m semis are scheduled to take place tomorrow, starting at 9.45pm, Bahrain time.
Naser was running in lane three of her heat. She looked strong from the very start and had a clear advantage as the field headed into the home straight. There, she maintained her blistering pace until the final 50 metres, where she took her pedal off the gas and cruised to the finish line.
The 26-year-old 2019 world champion posted an impressive winning time of 49.91 seconds – coming close to her season’s best of 49.66 seconds.
It was also the fourth occasion of her 2024 season where she dipped below the 50-second mark. Naser clocked all of those times in meets held within the last month, indicating her tremendous form.
Finishing in second and third, respectively, and also advancing to the semi-finals from Naser’s heat were Stacey Ann Williams of Jamaica in 50.16 seconds and Andrea Miklos of Romania in 50.54s.
Taking fourth through eighth and missing out on automatic berths – but set to compete in the repechage round today – were Gabby Scott (50.74s) of Puerto Rico, Kendall Ellis (51.16s) of the US, Sophie Becker (51.84s) of Ireland, Tereza Petrzilkova (51.92s) of Czechia, and Modesta Juste Morauskaite (52.00s) of Lithuania.
Naser’s mark in her heat was the third-best overall from the first round. The fastest was set by Tokyo 2021 silver-medallist and reigning world champion Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic, who won heat five in 49.42s. Amber Anning of Great Britain clocked the second-quickest of 49.68s in winning the third heat.
Eighteen places in all have so far been secured in the 400m semi-finals, with another six available from repechage. That stage takes place today at 12.20pm, Bahrain time. There will be four heats, with only the winners of each plus the next two overall fastest marching through to the semis.
Should Naser advance to the final, it will be held on Friday night at 9pm, Bahrain time.
Naser is hoping to make it to the medal round at the Olympics for the first time.
She is competing in her second Summer Games in Paris and is looking to bag her first Olympic medal. Naser also took part in Rio 2016, where she made it to the semi-finals, but went no further. She then did not compete in Tokyo 2021.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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