Record-holder Warholm ready for title defence despite injury setback

Tokyo 2020 Olympics – Athletics – Men’s 400m Hurdles – Remaining – Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan – August 3, 2021. Karsten Warholm of Norway reacts just after crossing the line to earn gold REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

EUGENE, Ore., July 13 (Reuters) – Earth record-holder Karsten Warholm is assured of surging earlier his rivals as he looks to defend his 400 metres hurdles title at the environment championships even with tearing his hamstring very last thirty day period.

The 26-yr-previous Norwegian experienced a stranglehold on the occasion after a blockbuster 2021 in which he two times broke the planet document and took Olympic gold in 1 of the greatest races of all time. read far more

But the damage suffered all through the Rabat Diamond League fulfill in June, his 1st outing of the period, left him not able to put together with his usual intensity for the worlds, which starts on Friday in Eugene, Oregon. read through much more

“It is really been pretty challenging due to the fact you get this matter and you do not know how every day will go,” he informed reporters at Puma Property. “It can be just a own disaster for me when it occurred.”

Though Warholm has not finished a race in 10 months, he has not dropped any of his trademark swagger following working to replicate the pressures of competitors in his instruction.

“Of training course you want to run some races to get some self-confidence but on the other hand, self confidence is not my difficulty,” the Olympic champion mentioned.

“It’s heading to be complicated in the sense of I really don’t know what I can convey to the table.

“But I know for sure that all the schooling right until the injury happened was very, pretty fantastic.”

He faces a significant problem from Brazilian Alison dos Santos, who collected bronze in Tokyo and created the speediest time this 12 months (46.80) at the Stockholm Diamond League satisfy.

American Rai Benjamin is also hungry for the top of the podium, just after settling for silver at the Olympics and in Doha, and will have the advantage of a house group to cheer him on.

“The stage is pretty superior ideal now,” reported Warholm. “Most likely a person of the better eras of the celebration. They are functioning truly fast occasions now but at the similar time I feel that I’ve been operating some fast occasions – in the past, at minimum.”

But if the opposition has him rattled, he scarcely confirmed it on Wednesday. He did not appear to be hampered even though going for walks and was found enjoying video clip video games.

“Very harmless to say that now we are going in there, we’re heading 100%. There is no such thing as going into a championship and feeling just alright,” he mentioned.

The planet championships operate from July 15-24 in Eugene, Oregon.

Reporting by Amy Tennery in Eugene, Oregon, editing by Pritha Sarkar

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