Pavel Maslak wins the 400m at the IAAF World Indoor Championships Portland 2016 (© Getty Images)
Czech Republic’s Pavel Maslak became the third man the history of the World Indoor Championships – and the first one in 10 years – to successfully defend a world indoor 400m title, taking a commanding victory in 45.44.
In his quest to equal his countryman Alleyne Francique, two-time winner in 2004 and 2006, Grenada’s world leader Bralon Taplin set a blistering pace, hitting the bell in 20.89, closely followed by Maslak.
Taplin stayed at the front until 350m, but then started to fade. Maslak finished strong to secure the victory. Qatar’s 19-year-old Abdalelah Haroun – the youngest ever 400m finalist and medallist in the history of the championships – took silver with 45.59 while Trinidad and Tobago’s Deon Lendore overtook the fading Taplin to clinch bronze in 46.17.
Lendore became only the second man from Trinidad and Tobago to win an individual world indoor medal, 27 years after Ian Morris took silver, also in the 400m.
Javier Clavelo Robinson for the IAAF
