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Warholm leads favourites into 400m hurdles final / Photo: © AFP
Warholm leads favourites into 400m hurdles final
Defending champion Karsten Warholm safely progressed to the final of the men's Olympic 400m hurdles after winning his semi-final at the Stade de France on Wednesday.
Warholm, who set the world record when winning gold at the Covid-delayed Tokyo Games, clocked 47.67sec in front of a 69,000-capacity crowd.
The three-time world champion will be joined by unknown French hurdler Clement Ducos, currently based at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Ducos outstripped Brazilian Alison Dos Santos for the second automatic qualifying spot in the first of the three semis.
Kyron McMaster of the British Virgin Islands won the second semi in 48.15sec ahead of Estonia's Rasmus Magi.
And American Rai Benjamin, perhaps Warholm's main rival for the Olympic crown, won the third and final semi easily in 47.85sec ahead of Jamaica's Roshawn Clarke.
Benjamin, who won silver behind Warholm in Tokyo, as well as two silvers and a bronze at the last three world champs, eased up a full 30 metres from the line.
Qualifying for the final as the next two fastest finishers were Dos Santos, who claimed bronze in Tokyo behind Warholm and Benjamin, and Qatar's Abderrahman Samba.
The final is slated for 1945 GMT on Friday.
N. Lebedew--BTZ
