A Look Back at Rio 2016, Hurdle Style
Although I fussed a bit in another article for this issue about the spectacle that the Olympics have become in the social media age, I nevertheless love the competition, and the hurdling events in August 2016 did not disappointment when it came to providing excitement and outstanding performances. Let’s go ahead and take a look at all four events.
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Men’s 110 Meter Hurdles
Let me go and ahead and get the obvious out of the way: from an American perspective, this race was a grave disappointment, as no American finished in the medals, with the highest-place finisher being Devon Allen at fifth in 13.31, well off his performance at the US Trials. It seems that one era in American hurdling is coming to an end, and a new one has yet to arise. With David Oliver, Aries Merritt, and Jason Richardson not making the team, the glory years of 2011-2014 seems to have officially come to a close. A lot of my hurdling friends felt confident that the others, especially Allen, could hold it down, but I had my suspicions from the beginning. Not because he isn’t talented and not because he isn’t a warrior, but because his times weren’t eye-opening, and he’d have to rise to an extremely high level competition with multiple rounds, just after having done so less than two months prior. For more experienced hurdlers such a challenge isn’t anything new, but for someone who splits focus between track and football, and who is used to his track season being over in June, the long haul to the end of August was something I felt he might struggle with. And that seems to have been the case, as he didn’t look sharp in any of the rounds.
As for how the event unfolded, I would say it pretty much went according to plan. McLeod was the favorite going on, and for me, despite the fact he had a couple bad crashes in the races leading up to the Olympics, his consistency throughout the season previously led me to believe he would get himself together in time for the Games. Indeed, he looked smooth, fluid, and confident through the rounds. He had gotten his mojo back, so to speak. Ortega and Bascou also looked strong through the rounds, and it was looking like Martino-Lagarde also was going to be in the thick of things for the medal hunt. I’m a “safe bet” kind of guy; I tend to look at how things have been unfolding and expect them to continue moving in that direction. That’s why I felt confident McLeod was the man to beat in the final.
McLeod ran a great race, although his time of 13.05 wasn’t earth-shattering by Olympic standards. He controlled the race from start to finish, with Ortega being the only one who put any serious heat on him. Congrats to Ortega for his silver medal, as he wasn’t even cleared to compete until a couple weeks before the Games.
McLeod on his way to a gold medal.
Women’s 100 Meter Hurdles
This is an event the Americans were expected to dominate, and that’s exactly what they did, completing the oh-so-rare team sweep of the medals. Brianna Rollins led the way, dominating the final from start to finish. Nia Ali and Kristi Castlin took silver and bronze, respectively. Except for Rolllins, I would have to say the times were disappointing, especially for an Olympic final. The 12.59 and 12.61 of Ali and Castlin are relatively slow medal-winning times. Kind of makes you wonder what the rest of the world is doing.
With Sally Pearson out with injury, 2015 World Champion Danielle Williams not making Jamaica’s Olympic team, last year’s silver medalist Cindy Roleder of Germany not looking as sharp, and Britain’s sisters Cindy Ofili and Tiffany Porter not providing the type of challenge they were expected to present, the Americans swept the event with relative ease.
For me, Rollins’ performance was impressive. She picked up right where she left off the US Trials, and continued to show that she is a top-notch competitor who runs her best in the biggest races. She really looked like she was in a class by herself out there, like everybody else was running for second.
Of course, the specter of Keni Harrison haunted this event. At least for me it did. With her season’s best being a world-record-breaking 12.21, it was hard not to think of how fast she may have run in Rio had she not had a meltdown at the Trials. The fact that the US was still able to complete the sweep without her presence makes that feat all the more remarkable. In addition, include Sherika Nelvis and Jasmine Stowers among the Americans who most likely would have medaled had they made the team. The US, as this meet showed, has never been in a more favorable position in this event than it is in now.
Rollins on her way to leading a US sweep.
Men’s 400 Meter Hurdles
This event has proven over the last few years to be one of the most unpredictable in the entire sport. You just never know who is going to step up, who is going to fall apart, who is going to come out of nowhere, who is going to suddenly disappear.
Call this one a victory for the old school. Honestly, I didn’t see it coming, even though it was happening right in front of my face. While Clement has had his ups and downs throughout his career, and has dealt with injury woes and has sometimes fallen short of expectations, this race he ran in the finals cements his status as one of the greatest ever in the history of this event.
In a year in which no one ran sub-48 the entire year leading up to the Games, a total of four athletes dipped under that barrier in the finals. That’s in spite of the fact that Americans Johnny Dutch and Bershawn Jackson weren’t there, last year’s World Champion Nicholas Bett didn’t make it to the final, Michael Tinsley didn’t make it to the final, and Puerto Rico’s Javier Culson false-started in the final. Stepping up were Boniface Tumuti of Kenya, who kind of picked up where Bett left off, Yasmani Copello of Turkey, and Thomas Barr of Ireland. All of these guys set personal bests and national records in the final.
This was a race that Clement obviously wanted very badly, as his stride-for-stride struggle with Tumuti came down to a battle of wills off the last hurdle and through the finish line. For me, this was one of the most heroic performances of the Games.
Clement shows the determination that earned him a gold medal.
Women’s 400 Meter Hurdles
As with the US Trials, this race marked the height of the meet for me, and for the same reason in both cases: Dalilah Muhammad. She is one of the most graceful, fluid, rhythmic 400 meter hurdlers I have seen in a long time. This is an event in which there is a whole lot of talent – both in the US and in the world at large. Still, Muhammad has set herself apart. What I like about her is that she goes after it from the opening gun. While distribution of energy is obviously important in this event, and many hurdlers intentionally hold back a little early on in order to make a strong charge late, I belong to the schcool of thought that says go out hard and keep going hard through the finish line. Have a strategy, have a plan, but don’t hold back. And that’s how Muhammad runs.
Heading into the final, the rival I was most worried about defeating Muhammad was Zuzana Hejnova, who has had moments of dominant brilliance over the past several years, and who looked very good in her semi-final round. But in the final, Hejnova struggled on the second curve, which seem to tire her out a bit and took away her usual furious finish. Turns out that Sarah Slott Petersen of Denmark was the one making a strong push down the homestretch, which really wasn’t a big surprise because she had been having a great season and a great meet up to that point. Her silver-medal performance of 53.55 earned her a national record.
Kudos also to Ashley Spencer, who was a bit of a surprise bronze medal winner, considering the presence of Hejnova and Jamaica’s Janieve Russell in the race. With Muhammad and Spencer, it’s definitely looking like the US should be at or near the top in this event for years to come, not to mention the teen sensation Sydney McLaughlin, NCAA champion Shamier Little, and the possible return to the event next year of 100h specialist Keni Harrison.
Muhammad leads the way in the 400 hurdles.
Hope all of you enjoyed the races as much as I did. Regardless of what country you were rooting for, it was a fantastic Olympic Games in the hurdling events.
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