Super times in the US championship races – Sport – svenska.yle.fi

The U.S. Track and Field Championships usually produce top-level results, and this year, too. Ray Benjamin and Gabriel Thomas’ times in the 400m hurdles and 200m hurdles respectively are the best ever.

The US Track and Field Championships are usually held in TrackTown USA, i.e. Eugene in Oregon. Scores are often top-notch and Monday’s Finals at Hayward Field were no exception.

Ray Benjamin won the 400m hurdles in the remarkable time of 46.62 – a time that only three men, including Benjamin himself, had ever managed. Norwegian superstar Karsten Warholm holds a world record time of 45.94, and Benjamin’s personal best of 46.17 places him second all-time.

Monday’s winning time is the fifth fastest in the 400m hurdles: Brazilian Alison dos Santos (46.29) and Warholm (46.52) are third and fourth.

Remarkably, Kevin Young’s world record of 46.78 from the 1992 Barcelona Olympics has stood for nearly 30 years. But after Carsten Warholm put Young’s record into the history books on July 1, 2021, the American’s “unbeatable record” was broken seven more times.

The world record stands Griffith Joyner

But the record time that still stands is the world record set by Florence Griffith Joyner of the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. 21.34 is still, nearly 35 years later, the time the world’s best runners measure themselves.

Gabrielle “Gabby” Thomas’ winning time in Eugene, 21.60, is the sixth fastest ever in the women’s 200m, and her personal best.

There are also only three women who have ever run faster: in addition to Griffith Joyner, Jamaican duo Sherrica Jackson (21.45) and Ellen Thompson-Hirah (21.53).

And speaking of legendary world records: Most people alive in the 1970s remember Pietro Mengha’s 19.72 set by Italian Pietro Mengha in September 1979. Mengha held his world record for 17 years until Michael Johnson took over at the 1996 U.S. Championships when he won in a time of 19.66.

In the 200m finals on Monday in Eugene, Erion Knighton was crowned champion in exactly the same time: 19.72. Of course, the weather is very good even today, but it is still far from the best at all.

In total, 19.72 has been completed 58 times – although the same name is often repeated: not least Usain Bolt 14 times and Noah Lyles 16 times. In fact, only runners from seven countries made it this magical time.

Oregon son is in great shape

Who is the best shot putter in the world? There are no other correct answers except: Ryan Crozier. The hunk (201cm, 145kg) from Portland, Oregon’s largest city, shot 22.86m and won by a margin.

Which comes as no surprise to anyone given that the 30-year-old holds not only the world record of 23.56, but twelve of the best 22s in history (the winning time of 22.86 is the 22nd best of all time).

Among the top 50 results, Crozier’s name appears 26 times, while other event legends such as Randy Barnes (1996 Olympic gold medalist) and Werner Gunthor (three-time world champion) appear twice and once respectively in the top 50.

Finland then? Arsi Harju won Olympic gold in Sydney 2000? Harjo’s winning score of 21.39 has been “completed” over 1,100 times and Mika Halfvary’s personal best is nearly 900 times. Reijo Ståhlberg’s legendary Finnish record of 21.69 is first in the joint 584th…

Murtaugh was fine

Katie Moon (previously competed under the moniker Nugget) She won the women’s pole vault title with a year’s best of 4.90, placing 35th in the event’s history.

Russia’s Yelena Isinbayeva holds the world record and the highest marks: Of the 46 times women have managed to achieve 4.90, Isinbayeva has been responsible for the feat 19 times.

If our men’s shot putters are found surprisingly low on the all-time list, it’s good to see the blue and white flag high on the women’s pole vault list. Wilma Murto’s Finnish score of 4.85 gives her a nice joint place of 63rd.

Murtaugh is the 13th best female of all time and at the US Championships she would have had every chance of winning silver – Sandy Morris and Hannah Moll took care of the silver and bronze medals with scores of 4.61.

Statistics source: World Athletics.