Jamaican creates history with his first senior title, while there is a silver lining for brave Briton
Coming off the final bend in the lead during the men’s 400m final, there was a moment when it looked as if Matthew Hudson-Smith could be about to bring home Great Britain’s second gold of the World Championships in Budapest.
He had thrown every ounce of himself at trying to do just that but ultimately just failed to hold off Antonio Watson, who became Jamaica’s first winner of the event since Bert Cameron at the inaugural edition of these championships 40 years ago.
It was a bittersweet moment for Hudson-Smith, who upgraded his world bronze from Eugene last year to silver this time around, but the fact he was there to play such a major role at all represented something of a minor miracle.
Throughout this season the European champion has been plagued by Achilles tendonitis, an issue which has forced him to pull out of races and even put him in a wheelchair at the end of the Diamond League meeting in London. “Sometimes I can’t walk,” he said.
Some intense rehab in the build-up to Budapest worked its magic to a degree and even helped him to break the European record with a time of 44.26 in the semi-final here. The extra gear which he insists comes from regular racing was not quite there to call on just when he needed it, however.
After pre-event favourite Steven Gardiner had crumpled to the track with injury during those semi-finals, it threw this contest wide open.
Running from lane five, Hudson-Smith sped out of the blocks and was only fractionally behind world record-holder Wayde van Niekerk, who covered the opening 100m fastest in 11.05.
The Briton then surged ahead, running the next 100m in 9.98 to lead the field through halfway in 21.06. There was no going back now. He was still ahead at 300m, reached in 31.97 after a third 100m split of 10.91 but the vital statistic came in the fact that the closing 100m took him 12.34 as he crossed the line in 44.31.
Watson, running in lane seven, had sat in last place through halfway but his finishing speed was clear for all to see as the former world U18 champion won the first global senior honour of his career in 44.22.
Quincy Hall, who ran 44.37, just edged the American battle for bronze ahead of compatriot Vernon Norwood (44.39), while the 2012 Olympic champion Kirani James initially finished fifth but was disqualified for stepping out of his lane. Van Niekerk, champion in 2017, was last in…
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