A Race in the Rain
For today’s great race from the past, I’ve decided to take a look back at the men’s 400m hurdle final at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki. Other than the 1987 final that I wrote about in an earlier issue, this one stands out as my favorite men’s 400 hurdle race ever. The race was run in the pouring rain, in conditions that were downright dangerous for a race that involved sprinting over 36-inch barriers while dealing with limited vision. But the show must go on, as the saying goes, and the show most definitely went on.
[am4show not_have=’g5;’]
[/am4show][am4guest]
[/am4guest][am4show have=’g5;’]
The winner of the race was Bershawn Jackson of the United States. Jackson finished the race in 47.30 seconds – a personal best at the time that remains his personal best twelve years later. It was a performance for the ages – to run that fast in those conditions. In this age of 400m hurdling, in which sub-48 performances are becoming increasingly rare, Jackson’s stunning achievement seems even more magical, even more awe-inspiring than it seemed when it happened.
In the early part of the race, Dai Tamesue of Japan got out to a great start and took control of the race. The defending world champion, Felix Sanchez of Trinidad, collapsed on his way to the first hurdle, the victim of a hamstring pull. James Carter of the US was looking strong, while Jackson and US teammate Kerron Clement were lurking in the middle of the pack.
If you’re familiar with Jackson’s race strategy, you know he likes to bide his time in the first half of the race before coming on like gangbusters over the final 200. So even though he was behind, counting him would have been premature.
Coming off hurdle eight and into the final straightaway, Tamesue was still leading, with Carter right there beside him, but Jackson was making a big move to overtake them both. By hurdle nine, Jackson had gained a slight lead on Tamesue, and was closing the gap on Carter. Jackson and Carter cleared hurdle ten simultaneously while Tamesue faded a bit, then Jackson out-sprinted Carter on the run-in to the finish line, winning by .13 – 47.30 to 47.43. Both of them ran personal bests. Tamesue finished third in 48.10.
While it’s difficult to determine the stride pattern of the athletes for the entire race due to the changing camera angles, it is evident that the smaller Jackson took 15 strides over the last three hurdles (and probably for the entire race, since that what he usually does), while Carter alternated lead legs and took 14 strides between the last three hurdles. In that sense, this race can be considered prime evidence for those who claim that smaller hurdlers can compete at the highest level in this event, and that taking more strides than one’s opponent doesn’t necessarily lead to defeat. It also serves as evidence for the argument that a consistent rhythm, no matter how many strides it consists of, is beneficial in the hurdles, and that an ideal take-off distance that allows the athlete to maintain his or her speed through each hurdle is actually more important than the number of strides.
For me, what makes this race so memorable was the fact that it was a race that required courage. All races require courage, I know, but this one required another level of courage. The rain provided a built-in excuse for running poorly. But Jackson’s warrior spirit shone through the rain, enabling him to run a race that can literally be considered the best race of his life.
[/am4show]
