The fastest qualifier from yesterday’s heats Ibrahim Al-Hamaidi improved his personal best by almost three tenths of a second to win the first of two semi-finals in 49.55.
The Saudi Arabian was fastest out of the blocks increasing his lead hurdle after hurdle in what was a very smooth outing for the Asian junior champion. In lane five, Richard Davenport of Great Britain was second in a new National record of 50.20 with fast finishing Diego Venancio of Brazil taking third on the line.
The last qualifying spot for tomorrow’s final went to Cuba’s Yasser Lismet in 50.96, a disappointing result for the 19-year-old.
The two Americans and the two South Africans, the four fastest juniors at 400m Hurdles in the world this year, were curiously all drawn in the second semi-final, which left practically no chance to the other runners to advance to the final.
Following a suicidal first 200 metres from US champion Brandon Johnson who had an incredible 2-metre lead over defending World Junior champion Louis van Zyl running just outside him as early as the first obstacle, the lead changed.
Kerron Clement ran a much more intelligent race and sped past his compatriot halfway through the final bend.
Clement’s winning time of 49.01 was his second best this year as a fading Johnson managed to hold on to second in 49.78. Van Zyl took an important third place in view of the lane drawing for the final while Wouter le Roux (RSA) came in fourth in 50.32.
Senegal’s Sethe El Hadji Mbow ran a fantastic national record of 50.68 in fifth but would not qualify despite running faster than the third and fourth finishers in heat one.
