Talk about the biggest improvement in world athletics.Nicholas Bett powered to victory in the men’s 400m hurdles in 47.79sec at the world championships in Beijing last night to increase Kenya’s lead atop the medals table (aided by 800m winner David Rudisha).
But Bett couldn’t even win this race at the South African Open meet in Potchefstroom in early May, where he managed just 49.91. At the time his personal best was 49.03.
Jean Verster noticed Bett labouring over every hurdle three months ago, his technique suggesting he was a steeplechaser rather than a hurdler.
“He could be good if he learned to hurdle,” he commented at the time.
But Bett, who broke 49sec for the first time in his career at the beginning of this month, wasn’t just good last night – he was awesome.
The 23-year-old, who had previously trained, temporarily at least, alongside South Africans like LJ van Zyl and Cornel Fredericks, is blessed with superhuman stamina.
He outsprinted Russian Denis Kudryavtsev (48.05) and Jeffery Gibson (48.17) of Bahamas on the final straight. Fellow Kenyan Boniface Tumuti was fifth in 48.33.
SA has been Africa’s leading nation in the 400m hurdles for years, but not last night.
The only SA athletes in action at the Bird’s Nest stadium on the day were Anaso Jobodwana and Akani Simbine, who both qualified for tonight’s 200m semifinals.
But SA’s attention tonight will be on Wenda Nel and Wayde van Niekerk who seek to land the country’’s first medals of this championship.
Nel could be a dangerous dark-horse in the women’s 400m hurdles, while Van Niekerk competes in what has the potential to be the most competitive men’s 400m race in history.
Jobodwana, who made the 200m final at the last championships in 2013 and at the London Olympics the year before that, won his heat comfortably in 20.22, looking first to his right and then left as he patrolled for late challengers.
Simbine advanced as a fastest loser after finishing fourth in his heat in a 20.23 personal best, which caught him by surprise. “That was a shock.”
Simbine watched his teammate’s race on a monitor in the mixed zone, the gauntlet of journalists through which athletes must pass after every event.
“This guy just ran my PB looking around,” the University of Pretoria student pointed out, predicting that Jobodwana could break 20 seconds for the first time in his career here.
Simbine, also a 100m semifinalist here, is not famous – not yet, anyhow – but he is known by the top sprinters in the world; American superstar Justin Gatlin diverted his march through the mixed zone just to fist-bump Simbine and throw him a smile.
“We’ve been on the circuit for a while now,” explained Simbine. “Most of the 100 guys know each other.
“The first time I was scared of him, but he’s a really nice guy off the track. Friendly and humble.”
US-based Jobodwana, who was disqualified from the 100m on Saturday night for a false start, had his 200m race disrupted by a false start, but said he wasn’t put off.
“It actually helped me a little bit,” he laughed.
“The push-out of the first one wasn’t that good, so I was able to tell myself, ‘okay, I’ve another chance to push out’, and that one felt better.”
And after that the race went to plan. “The strategy was to come in the top two and there were three other fast guys in the heat.
“My coach told me to run it hard, try my best to control the race and then once I’ve controlled the race, find out where I am and then let momentum carry me.”
Big day for SA brigade
But Bett couldn’t even win this race at the South African Open meet in Potchefstroom in early May, where he managed just 49.91. At the time his personal best was 49.03.
Jean Verster noticed Bett labouring over every hurdle three months ago, his technique suggesting he was a steeplechaser rather than a hurdler.
“He could be good if he learned to hurdle,” he commented at the time.
But Bett, who broke 49sec for the first time in his career at the beginning of this month, wasn’t just good last night – he was awesome.
The 23-year-old, who had previously trained, temporarily at least, alongside South Africans like LJ van Zyl and Cornel Fredericks, is blessed with superhuman stamina.
He outsprinted Russian Denis Kudryavtsev (48.05) and Jeffery Gibson (48.17) of Bahamas on the final straight. Fellow Kenyan Boniface Tumuti was fifth in 48.33.
SA has been Africa’s leading nation in the 400m hurdles for years, but not last night.
The only SA athletes in action at the Bird’s Nest stadium on the day were Anaso Jobodwana and Akani Simbine, who both qualified for tonight’s 200m semifinals.
But SA’s attention tonight will be on Wenda Nel and Wayde van Niekerk who seek to land the country’’s first medals of this championship.
Nel could be a dangerous dark-horse in the women’s 400m hurdles, while Van Niekerk competes in what has the potential to be the most competitive men’s 400m race in history.
Jobodwana, who made the 200m final at the last championships in 2013 and at the London Olympics the year before that, won his heat comfortably in 20.22, looking first to his right and then left as he patrolled for late challengers.
Simbine advanced as a fastest loser after finishing fourth in his heat in a 20.23 personal best, which caught him by surprise. “That was a shock.”
Simbine watched his teammate’s race on a monitor in the mixed zone, the gauntlet of journalists through which athletes must pass after every event.
“This guy just ran my PB looking around,” the University of Pretoria student pointed out, predicting that Jobodwana could break 20 seconds for the first time in his career here.
Simbine, also a 100m semifinalist here, is not famous – not yet, anyhow – but he is known by the top sprinters in the world; American superstar Justin Gatlin diverted his march through the mixed zone just to fist-bump Simbine and throw him a smile.
“We’ve been on the circuit for a while now,” explained Simbine. “Most of the 100 guys know each other.
“The first time I was scared of him, but he’s a really nice guy off the track. Friendly and humble.”
US-based Jobodwana, who was disqualified from the 100m on Saturday night for a false start, had his 200m race disrupted by a false start, but said he wasn’t put off.
“It actually helped me a little bit,” he laughed.
“The push-out of the first one wasn’t that good, so I was able to tell myself, ‘okay, I’ve another chance to push out’, and that one felt better.”
And after that the race went to plan. “The strategy was to come in the top two and there were three other fast guys in the heat.
“My coach told me to run it hard, try my best to control the race and then once I’ve controlled the race, find out where I am and then let momentum carry me.”
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