Published 14:41 IST, August 8th 2024
Quincy Hall gets a gold in the Olympic 400 meters with yet another US comeback on the Paris track
Quincy Hall became the latest American to electrify Olympic track and field with an out-of-nowhere comeback Wednesday night at the Paris Olympics.
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As flash of red, white and blue streaked past one sprinter — n next, n next — American man delivering latest out-of-nowhere comeback on track said he h one thing going through his mind: “Get home, son! Get home, son!”
Quincy Hall got home in first, n fell to ground and did snow angels.
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Just anor routine day in a come-from-behind kind of Olympics for U.S.A.
Hall reeled in three runners down stretch of 400-meter final Wednesday to deliver anor heart-stopping win for his country at Ste de France. He finished in 43.40 seconds, beating Britain’s Matw Hudson-Smith by .04 seconds; y are now fourth- and fifth-fastest men in history at distance.
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Hall’s late push came evening after American Cole Hocker rocked his sport by coming from way back to beat favorites in a memorable men’s 1500.
d in Noah Lyles, whose only le in his 100-meter thriller Sunday came at exact point he crossed finish line, and it’s easy to see a pattern.
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“I’ve got determination,” Hall said. “That’s what got me to that line. A lot of hurt, a lot of pain.”
win came about an hour after Lyles vanced to final of 200 meters despite finishing second to Letsile Tebogo in his semifinal. Lyles will race for gold medal Thursday.
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Things did not look good for Hall with 100 meters to go
Things looked b for Hall, a 26-year-old who starred at South Carolina and who breeds dogs, as eight sprinters approached final curve.
He was 5 or so meters behind Hudson-Smith and 2012 champion Kirani James, both to his left, and as y rounded bend, Hall was making up ground on Jareem Richards to his outside. It looked to be shaping up as a good battle for bronze.
With his arms pumping low and wide and his he bobbing, Hall passed m all, n thrust his chest out to beat Brit. Hall fell to ground and scissored his arms and legs back and forth — snow angels in 80-degree wear on bright purple track.
“I just wanted to keep doing what my coach told me to do, just keep driving and keep driving and get home,” Hall said.
Lost in that chaos was Samukonga, Zambian, who also came from nowhere to take third.
Hall is first American since LaShawn Merritt in 2008 to capture gold in one-lap race that country dominated for deces before that. He joins likes of Michael Johnson, Jeremy Wariner and Lee Evans among champions United States has produced in most tactical sprint on track program.
“I knew se guys would get out try to see who y could throw off ir race,” he said.
Turns out, not him.
new champ’s reaction when he crossed line: “I just won. It’s over. Next four years, I can say I’m Olympic champion.”
US takes silver and almost pulls upset in steeplechase
Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali defended his title in men’s steeplechase, finishing in 8 minutes, 6.05 seconds for a .36-second win over America’s Kenneth Rooks.
Rooks h le heing into homestretch and was looking to pull off a massive upset, but El Bakkali overtook him.
Rooks still beat his personal best by almost 9 seconds to capture second silver over three Olympics in event for America.
Evan Jager finished second in 2016.
Australia reaches new heights with pole vault win
Nina Kennedy’s title in pole vault gave Australia its 18th gold medal of Paris Games, an Olympic record for country.
Kennedy cleared 4.95 meters to beat defending champion Katie Moon of U.S.
France in mix in 400 hurdles but must face Warholm
One of France’s up-and-coming track stars, Clement Ducos, outraced Tokyo bronze medalist Alison dos Santos to line to finish second in semifinals of men’s 400 hurdles.
prize for Ducos: A rematch with world-record holder Karsten Warholm of Norway, who won that heat easily in 47.67.
Warholm and American Rai Benjamin are expected to vie for title in Saturday’s final. Dos Santos, Brazilian bronze medalist in a super-fast final three years ago in Tokyo, will also be in lineup.
“Completely crazy what I’ve done here,” Ducos said. “I’m not scared of anything. re are people around me racing really well and posting really good times, but I have to believe I can get a medal.”
Jamaica wins anor medal ... in field
Roje Stona won gold for Jamaica in men’s discus, setting an Olympic record with a personal-best of 70 meters (229 feet, 8 inches) on his fourth attempt. That gives tritional sprint powerhouse Jamaica four medals in field events so far at Paris Games — compared to just one on track.
14:41 IST, August 8th 2024