ATHLETICS – BAHRAIN’S former world champion and Paris 2024 Olympics silver-medallist Salwa Eid Naser punched her ticket to the final of the women’s 400 metres last night on day one of the World Athletics Ultimate Championship 2026, which got underway at Gyula Zsivotzky National Athletics Centre in Budapest, Hungary.
The all-new, three-day meeting has brought together Olympic and world champions, along with Diamond League winners and many of the year’s best-performing track and field stars, who are battling for a share of the record prize pot of US$10million, with $150,000 apiece going to each individual champion.
Naser qualified for her title-deciding race after taking second place yesterday in the first of two semi-final heats.
The event’s 2019 world champion was up against some of the world’s best over the distance, and their star-studded clash lived up to its billing.
Naser had a good start and was battling for the front with Nickisha Pryce from Jamaica and Marileidy Paulino from the Dominican Republic, who is the reigning Olympic champion, an ex-world champion, and this year’s Diamond Trophy winner.
Naser put in a brave effort down the home straight and managed to pip Pryce at the end for the runner-up spot with a time of 49.67 seconds. Paulino proved too strong and won the heat in 49.58s, while Pryce claimed third in 49.72s.
Finishing fourth and securing the last qualifying berth for the women’s 400m final was Roxana Gomez from Cuba, who came home in 50.34s last night.
Completing the race’s classification from fifth through eighth, respectively, were Yemi Mary John (50.38s) of Britain, Ella Onojuvwevwo (50.50s) of Nigeria, Sharlene Mawdsley (51.28s) of Ireland, and Alexis Holmes (51.60s) of the US.
Norway’s Henriette Jaeger won the second heat in 49.64s to spearhead another four athletes who marched through to the title-deciding round. Lieke Klaver from the Netherlands followed in 49.76s, while Aaliyah Butler from the US was third in 49.82s and Martina Weil from Chile fourth in 50.32s.
Missing out on qualification from their run were Poland’s Natalia Bukowiecka (50.40s), Jamaica’s Stacey Ann Williams (50.43s), the Czech Republic’s Lurdes Gloria Manuel (50.52s), and Kenya’s Mercy Adongo Oketch (52.94s).
Amongst all the athletes in yesterday’s round, Naser clocked the third-quickest time in the field of 16, behind only Paulino and Jaeger.
Today’s women’s 400m final is scheduled for a 7.08pm start, Bahrain time, with Naser set to run in lane six.
Bahrain’s Kemi Adekoya was also scheduled to compete today on the second day of the World Athletics Ultimate Championship 2026.
Adekoya, the 2016 world indoor champion in the 400m short track, was originally set to race in the women’s 400m hurdles, kicking off with the semis heats starting at 7.46pm, Bahrain time. But she was not on the event’s start list published yesterday despite being amongst the invited entries confirmed by World Athletics.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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