Paris Olympics 2024: USA's Quincy Hall secures gold in men's 400m

Quincy Hall and four others ran under 44 seconds in the 400m final at Paris Olympics 2024.

Quincy Hall, in the manner of his US teammate Cole Hocker in the previous evening’s men’s 1500m, arrived late to claim the spoils from the hands of a Briton in a men’s 400m at the Paris Olympics 2024 where five runners beat 44 seconds on Wednesday.

After winning a battle with Grenada’s rejuvenated 31-year-old London 2012 gold medallist Kirani James in the next lane, Matthew Hudson-Smith, who had come into these Games topping this season’s world list on 43.74, looked about to claim his first global gold.

But the rapidly arriving figure of Quincy Hall, in lane eight, confounded him with an irresistible finish over the final 30 metres that saw him hit the line ahead of his British rival, who would not even have been aware of him coming. A jubilant Hall won in a personal best of 43.40, while Hudson-Smith, who ran an admirable and controlled race, lowered his European record to 43.44 in taking silver.

Quincy Hall and Hudson-Smith also established themselves in respective fourth and fifth place on the world all-time list, underlining the deep quality of this race.

Also Read: Paris Olympics 2024: USA’s Cole Hocker wins gold in men’s 1500m

In a parallel contest, as James slipped back bronze looked as if it might be claimed by the 2022 world indoor champion Jereem Richards of Trinidad and Tobago, but he too tightened up in the closing stages.

Zambia’s Muzala Samukonga, who beat Hudson-Smith to the Commonwealth title in Birmingham two years ago, came through to finish third, bettering the national record of 43.81 he had set in the semifinals with a time of 43.74.

In what was a very open final, Richards was rewarded for his efforts with a national record of 43.78 in fourth place, with James taking fifth place in 43.87. Times one might have expected to earn a medal of some colour. It’s the first time that five men have finished inside 44 seconds in one race.

Michael Norman, the 2022 world champion who had run a season’s best of 44.10m in the semifinals, finished a disappointed eighth in 45.62.

“I was just thinking, ‘get home, sir. Get home, sir’,” said Quincy Hall. “I don’t give up. I just grit, I grind. I’ve got determination. Anything I think will get me to that line, I think of it. A lot of hurt, a lot of pain.”

Hudson-Smith said: “I’ve got an Olympic silver medal and how many people can say that? It’s been a hell of a journey. I’ve been the bridesmaid a couple of times now, but my time is coming. I’m just happy and grateful.

“My family are here. I didn’t know they were here, so that was a bit of a shock. I hate them watching me, and my parents don’t really watch me often, because they hate watching me as much as I hate them watching – so it’s crazy that they came.

“I thought I’d cleared the field. I knew someone was going to come. I wasn’t trying to ease up, I was running to the line. He got me on the line, it happens.”

On the fact that five runners went under 44 second, James – the Rio Olympic silver medallist and Tokyo bronze medallist as well as London 2012 champion – added: “There were three in 2016, and I thought I wouldn’t see something like this again. I’m glad I’ve been proven wrong.”

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