No mistakes can be found in the technique of Sydney McLaughlin, the number one star of the famous US track and field team. Aituri’s superiority raises a debate about the adequacy of the height of the women’s 400-meter hurdles.
– The cold shivers went away, it was a perfect run. With that hurdle race, he could have won the gold in the smooth track lap as well. He is a real woman Usain Bolt.
I saw an American Sydney McLaughlin praises the Finnish record for 400-meter fences, which has been managed for over 34 years Tuija Helander.
Early on Saturday, only 22-year-old McLaughlin pulled off the hardest trick of the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, winning the world championship in the 400-meter hurdles with a stunning time of 50.68. Jenkki shaved as much as 0.73 seconds off his ME time in his own name and has now improved the world record Four times in just over a year.
Finland Viivi Lehikoinen put Helander’s Finnish record in the history books just a few days ago. However, Lehikoinen’s SE 54.60 in the semifinals left the Finn far from the final.
Fresh SE woman Lehikoinen was therefore almost four seconds behind McLaughlin.
How did the record run come about?
McLaughlin already loaded his third world record at Oregon’s Hayward Field. According to Helander, McLaughlin’s rhythm is unparalleled.
– Sydney knows how to fake both ways, and doesn’t waste much time on the way. He runs with fourteen paces until the seventh fence, that is, he changes his foot at every fence until then.
For the last three fences, McLaughlin switches to a fifteen pace rhythm. Hurdling coach Jussi Ihamäki it also comes along effortlessly, and doesn’t go to chipping.
– It was confusingly overwhelming, almost perfect. The plan of the run worked perfectly and increasing the pace did not negatively affect the run. It was such a smooth process that I didn’t notice the real ones, says Ihamäki.
– It takes a keen eye to know how to fit the steps into the gaps. In Nelonen fences, the most essential thing is to know how to run the gaps gently without accelerating after the fence and braking before the fence. McLaughlin’s approach to the fence and breaking away from it is top class, Helander adds.
What also makes the quote incomprehensible is that McLaughlin was only 1.57 seconds away from the Bahamian who took gold in the women’s smooth Shaunae Miller from Uibo.
According to Helander, it takes 1.5–2 seconds to complete a 400-meter sprint.
– And it’s already taken to its peak if only 1.5 seconds is wasted between the fences and the smooth. On a smooth surface, McLaughlin would have fought with Miller-Uibo for the gold, Helander says.
Why is McLaughlin so superior?
When McLaughlin’s fenced course lap is compared to the results of the 400-meter smooth at the 2021 Kaleva Games, the American completely washes the Finnish women. 11 months ago threesome Mette Baas (52.74), Viivi Lehikoinen (52.99) and Milja Thureson (53.26) all set their own records in Tampere.
If McLaughlin had run the 400-meter hurdles with the Finnish men in Tampere, he would have finished a narrow second Tuomas Lehtonen after (50,62).
– He is perfect for this sport in every way. When the body, lever arms, technique, skill, relaxation, speed and endurance fall into place, the result is like this, Helander sees.
In the opinion of coach Ihamäki, there is no longer much to tweak technically in running. However, one thing could still affect the time negatively.
– During the ME run, the weather was windy and the blower came from the wrong direction. Ideally, it would be windless weather, I know what time he would have run in such weather, Ihamäki reflects.
McLaughlin wasn’t slowed down much by the fences. The height of women’s fences is 76.2 centimeters. According to experts, the height should be increased.
– When we talk about 180-centimeter women, the 76-centimeter fence is really low. 12-year-olds already run on fences of the same size. The fence could very well be higher, Ihamäki points out.
– The fences should be, for example, 84 centimeters, like in quick fences. However, I don’t think it will affect McLaughlin’s speed. The fence would have to be significantly higher to make an impact. Raising the height would only slow down those women who don’t know how to sew so well, Helander says.
However, the fence height will hardly be changed, because the results would no longer be comparable.
Aituri’s future is still a mystery
22-year-old McLaughlin has already won everything at a young age. After an Olympic victory, a world championship and four world record-breaking superiority, self-motivation can be a test.
– When you are so superior in your own sport, surely increasing your motivation will be exceptionally challenging in the future. Maybe utopian new goals are the way, Ihamäki says.
With utopian goals, Ihamäki hints at breaking the 50-second ghost limit. After seeing this run, Helander also no longer considers it an impossible feat to break that threshold.
– He is only 22 years old. If he stays healthy, why not build on this? Before this race, when there was talk of going below 50, I thought it was not possible. After this, I don’t doubt anything anymore, Helander laughs.