ATHLETICS – BAHRAIN’S superstar sprinter Salwa Eid Naser eased into the women’s 400 metres semi-finals yesterday while clocking the fastest time of the opening round at the World Athletics Championships 2025, currently being held in Tokyo, Japan.
Naser lived up to her tag as one of her event’s favourites as she kicked off her bid for her second world title with a sensational performance at Japan’s nearly 70,000-capacity National Stadium.
Running in the fifth of six heats, Naser was in a class of her own from the start. The 27-year-old tore out of the blocks and powered down the back straight with an impressive stride, before running solo down the home stretch with her closest challenger a few metres behind.
Naser finished with an ultra-quick time of 49.13 seconds – the fastest mark from all 51 athletes in the heats.
“Winning the 2025 Diamond League gave me motivation and confidence for Tokyo,” said Naser yesterday, referencing her stunning triumph in this season’s Diamond League final last month in Zurich, Switzerland, which was her final event prior to the worlds and which earned her the third Diamond Trophy of her already glittering career.
“The women’s 400 metres is really competitive at the moment but that is healthy and sweet because we push ourselves all the time.
“You cannot compete and be relaxed. You need to step up your game.”
Naser is joined in the next round by 23 other athletes, including reigning world and Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic, who won yesterday’s sixth and final heat with the round’s fourth-best time of 49.85s.
Finishing behind Naser in her race was Stacey Ann Williams from Jamaica, who clocked a personal best of 49.59s, while Andrea Miklos from Romania came third in 50.96s. Both Williams and Miklos also advanced to the semis.
Narrowly missing out on an automatic qualifying berth but marching through as a lucky loser was Victoria Ohuruogu from Britain, who finished fourth in 51.37s. Anna Polinari (51.55s) from Italy was fifth and Shirley Nekhubui (51.82s) from South Africa came sixth, while completing the classification from seventh through ninth, respectively, were Nanako Matsumoto (52.41s) from Japan, Nadeesha Ramanayake (53.63s) from Sri Lanka, and Evelis Aguilar (53.82s) from Colombia.
The semi-finals are scheduled for tomorrow, starting from 3.07pm, Bahrain time. The 24 participants will be competing in three heats, with the top two finishers from each – plus two fastest losers from all three races – punching their tickets to the medal round, to be held on Thursday.
Naser is hoping to repeat her world title success from the 2019 world championships. She had also won a bronze medal that same year as part of Bahrain’s mixed 4x400m relay team. In the 2017 worlds, Naser captured silver in the 400m.
Naser is one of six Bahraini elite athletes who have been crowned world champions in the sport’s history. The others are fellow-superstar athlete Winfred Yavi, who is also competing in Tokyo, Rashid Ramzi, Maryam Yusuf Jamal, Yusuf Saad Kamel, and Rose Chelimo.
Ramzi and Jamal are both double world champions, and both Naser and Yavi are aiming to join them.
Bahrain have so far bagged 14 medals in the worlds, including eight gold, three silver, and three bronze medals.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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