ATHLETICS – BAHRAIN’S Paris Olympics-bound sprinters Kemi Adekoya and Salwa Eid Naser posted impressive results in top-level meetings in Europe.
Adekoya raced to a sensational victory in the women’s 400 metres hurdles at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland, while Naser was a close runner-up in the women’s 400m race at the sixth Irena Szewinska Memorial in Bydgoszcz, Poland.
Both meetings were Gold-level events, featuring elite athletes from across the globe, on the 2024 World Athletics Continental Tour.
Adekoya and Naser took part as part of their preparations leading up to this summer’s Olympic Games, for which they have already qualified in their respective disciplines, the Bahrain Athletics Association has confirmed.
Adekoya won her race in Turku with a time of 54.37 seconds. It was her first competitive appearance in the event in 2024, although she has run in other races previously. Lina Nielsen of Great Britain was the runner-up in 55.25s, while Zeney Geldenhuys of South Africa came third in 55.42s.
Italy’s Linda Olivieri finished fourth in 55.78s, Slovakia’s Daniela Ledecka was fifth in 56.30s, and Finland’s Viivi Lehikoinen sixth in 56.37s. Rounding out the classification were Kristiina Halonen (56.43s), also of Finland, and Noura Ennadi (56.52s) of Morocco.
Adekoya, a former world indoor champion and multiple Asian Championships and Asian Games gold medallist, is expected to go for 400m hurdles gold at the French capital. She has beaten the Olympics entry standard for the event of 54.85s a few times during the qualification period, and has also qualified for the 400m at the Olympics.
The 31-year-old boasts a personal best of 53.09s, which is also an Asian and Bahrain record that she posted last year.
Meanwhile, in Bydgoszcz, Naser was running her second international race in less than a week after winning the 400m at the NACAC New Life Invitational in the Bahamas.
The 26-year-old was once again in contention for first place and around the home bend was battling Poland’s Natalia Kaczmarek at the front. But the hometown favourite managed to outduel her Bahraini rival and narrowly take the win in 49.86s. Naser followed in 50.32s, while Andrea Miklos of Romania took third in 50.99s.
Justyna Swiety-Ersetic, also from Poland, came fourth in 51.62s, followed by Ama Pipi of Great Britain in 51.67s. Poles Kinga Gacka (52.03s) and Iga Baumgart-Witan (52.03s) were sixth and eighth, respectively, with Tereza Petrzilkova (52.30s) of the Czech Republic finishing between them in seventh.
Despite coming up short in her quest for a second straight victory, Naser ran an even quicker time than the 50.96s she posted at the Bahamian capital of Nassau. The former world champion, world under-18 champion, and multi-time Asian and Asian Games champion has already met the women’s 400m Olympic standard of 50.95s.
She has a personal best of 48.14s, which are both Asian and Bahrain records.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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