ATHLETICS – BAHRAIN’S superstar sprinter Salwa Eid Naser powered to a sensational victory last night while setting a new meeting record in the women’s 400 metres at the 64th Ostrava Golden Spike in the Czech Republic.
The meet was a Gold-level event held as part of this year’s World Athletics Continental Tour.
Naser was in a class of her own in the race and she finished with a comfortable gap ahead of her closest challenger.
The former world champion and Paris 2024 Olympics silver-medallist had a winning time of 49.15 seconds – a new best mark for the competition. She beat the previous record of 49.67s, which had stood for over four decades after being set in 1983 by Tatana Kocembova, who ran for Czechoslovakia.
“We have been working very hard so it is amazing to get those wins,” said Naser after her run. “You have to celebrate every win.
“I did not even know the meeting record so it was not my main goal. I just wanted to relax and enjoy the race.”
The result was Naser’s seventh win of her season and fourth in the 400m. She has also claimed victories in the women’s 200m and in a women’s 500m race.
Her mark in Ostrava was far from her season’s best so far in the 400m of 48.67s, which she set in April, and her personal best of 48.14s from her world-title winning season in 2019.
Finishing behind the 27-year-old Bahraini was Lynna Irby-Jackson of the US in 49.82s, while hurdles superstar Femke Bol of the Netherlands came third in 49.98s.
It was the first time in their careers that Naser and Bol – two of the event’s highest-profile athletes – squad off against one another in a race.
“I think the track is good too – it is amazing that we are able to compete with ourselves and with people like Femke Bol and others,” Naser added.
“We are all doing good in every area of our life so competing together is to make history. To make some memories, it is good. This season, I just want to be happy, and like I said, to celebrate every win.”
Natalia Bukowiecka of Poland came fourth in 50.21s, while Martina Weil of Chile finished fifth in 50.52s. Rounding out the classification from sixth through eighth, respectively, were Nicole Yeargin of the UK in 51.53s, Lada Vondrova of the Czech Republic in 52.00s, and her compatriot Barbora Malikova in 52.08s.
Naser is one of the kingdom’s best elite athletes who has won accolades at the highest levels of the sport. She is expected to be part of the Bahrain contingent that will be competing at this year’s World Athletics Championships, set to take place in Tokyo from September 13 to 21.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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