KARSTEN WARHOLM IS SO BACK

OH YES!!

Phenomenal performance by Warholm.

He justifies his two month hiatus from competing. After his monstrous 32.67 in the 300m hurdles (He did 33.78 in 2020, 33.26 in 2021, 33.28 in 2024, and opened this season with a 33.05) I knew his was capalbe of something huge in the 400m hurdles. Benjamin and Dos Santos will have to bring their absolute A-game to Tokyo (so does Warholm too of course). IF he wins the WC gold, then he will further cement himself as a legend, and also join a pretty exclusive club (not that many athletes have 4 World Championships gold in the same event). I'm excited for the rest of the season.

3rd fastest perfomance of all time (Only behind his own WR (45.94) and Benjamin's 46.17. Just ahead of Dos Santos PB (46.29)

If we look at the absolute age performances, Warholm crushes the best time ever by a 29-year old. For decades that mark was held by André Phillips, who won the gold in Seoul 1988 with a 47.19. It was recently beaten by Samba, who did 47.09 in Paris in June. Warholm crushes that by 0.81 seconds.

I also think Warholm won't have any problems beating the world best performance by a 30-year old next year. That mark is 47.23 by Amadou Dia Bã, also from Seoul 1988 (silver)

The only thing that pissed my off by this race was that there was no clock on-screen for the entire race. I had no idea how well Warholm was doing until he crossed the finish line. Shame on the producers.

After watching Benjamin jog the us championship final as relaxed as he did, this could be very interesting. Warholm is awesome for sure. He really had to stretch for #9 and stuttered #10 so it could come down to a technical issue on the final hurdle.

Good historical references to Phillips and Dia Ba. Go back to 87 and look at the finish of Moses, Harris and Schmid. 47.46, 47.48, 47.48. Maybe we get another close one like this only in the 45s.

Back on his drug cycle

he's not just back...he's SO back

No one can maych Rai for doping. His thighs are so big now, along with his mid delts, that it’s almost comical.

and he's going back to the bouncy castle of Tokyo where he of course became the first and only man to run a 4 hurds under 46....

I like him but this is a Jamaican type move. He’s been slowing down as he’s gotten older and now somehow he’s “back” and faster than ever lol. let Rai use the same drugs and we know who wins.

Rai hasn’t been clean since HS. Everyone on the circuit know this. lol

That was the performance of the meet. I never thought he would run that time again.

Warholm was confident at the press conference so I expected 46.9, or something like that. During the race it looked clean and full of energy so I thought it was 46.6 range.

I was stunned at the 46.28. He used his old familiar stride pattern of 13 through 9 then 15 on 10.

There was one issue. Warholm came very close to hooking #7. Not blatant wide and low like Ducos but in real time it struck me as more borderline than his norm.

This will provide a better price on Rai Benjamin winning in Tokyo. Could be a major bargain. As a lifelong sports bettor I'm not going to overreact to recency like the public does. Big picture. Somebody already gave the data on how unlikely this was for a 400 hurdler of his age.

Strongest he's looked since the Tokyo Olympics.

Looking like a good h2h with him and Benjamin.

Love Rai and have always cheered for him but rooting for Warholm to make a comeback and really make it interesting in the finals at worlds and leave it all out on the track.

Last year Warholm suffered a hamstring injury that never really disappeared. he never complained about this, but admitted after the season.
In the interview with NRK after the race i Poland he was satisfied but not "over the moon". He knew he had this time in his body, and he did not build up to a big race here. He still thinks he has yet his best to show this season - and hopefully he can bring that in Tokyo.

Warthog doesn't look buff or even ripped, just like a regular dude who keeps his weight down and lifts semi-regularly.

I'd like to see him top of his race with 14-strides between the 9th and 10th hurdles. To be fair, he does very well to maintain speed with 15-strides, but I think, if he has the confidence, the 14 could be monstrously effective at pressing on.

Bro runs a 46 in the 400 hurdles and looks at the Jumbotron like he just got up off the couch. Not even breathing through his mouth. That’s just unreal to me. Lots of guys are like that on the circuit tho.

Warholm will never attempt a 14-stride as he is incapable to decently pass a hurdle on his bad leg, this is why he switches from 13 directly to 15. He believes his cleaner hurdle technique by using only his good leg more than compensate his little efficiency loss when running smaller strides before the last hurdle (and I’m convinced he knows it better than anyone else).

but he won't win in Tokyo!!