400 hurdles
The 400-meter hurdles discipline has deep roots in the world of athletics and has developed over time, passing through stages of technical refinement and performance improvement.
The earliest references, in fact, go back to ancient Greece, where races were held with obstacles made from tree trunks or boulders.
In modern times, the 400-meter hurdles were included in the men’s Olympic program at the Paris Olympic Games in 1900. While the women’s competitions were first held in Los Angeles in 1984.
In the world of athletics, the 400-meter hurdles have a gift for capturing attention because of their combination of speed, endurance and agility.
This specialty combines fast running with the ability to overcome obstacles placed along the track, requiring athletes to have extraordinary technical skill and a remarkable spirit of endurance.
Over the years, numerous outstanding athletes have plowed the 400-meter hurdles track, setting records that remain anchored in the history of athletics. Legendary names such as Edwin Moses, Kevin Young and Kerron Clement for men and Sally Gunnell, Melaine Walker and Dalilah Muhammad for women have marked different eras, each leaving an indelible imprint on the discipline and writing its history.
The men’s 400-meter hurdles world record is 45.94, set at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games by Norway’s Karsten Warholm.
For women, the holder is Sydney McLaughlin of the United States, winner of the 2022 World Track and Field Championships in Eugene with a record of 50.68. Instead, at the European level the record was set by Femke Bol at the 2023 Diamond League in London with 51.45.
The first woman: in 1984, during the first women’s competition, Moroccan Nawal El Moutawakel triumphed, becoming the first Olympic champion as well as the first woman from an Islamic nation to win an Olympic gold medal.
The record: U.S. Edwin Moses set the longest unbeaten streak in the history of athletics. For 9 years, 9 months and 9 days (1977 to 1987) he was invincible collecting 122 victories, a World title, an Olympic title and two world records.
The hurdles: while the number of hurdles is the same for both men’s and women’s competition, and is 10, what changes is the height of the hurdles, 91 cm for men and 76 for women.
The 400-meter hurdles discipline has deep roots in the world of athletics and has developed over time, passing through stages of technical refinement and performance improvement.
The earliest references, in fact, go back to ancient Greece, where races were held with obstacles made from tree trunks or boulders.
In modern times, the 400-meter hurdles were included in the men’s Olympic program at the Paris Olympic Games in 1900. While the women’s competitions were first held in Los Angeles in 1984.
In the world of athletics, the 400-meter hurdles have a gift for capturing attention because of their combination of speed, endurance and agility.
This specialty combines fast running with the ability to overcome obstacles placed along the track, requiring athletes to have extraordinary technical skill and a remarkable spirit of endurance.
Over the years, numerous outstanding athletes have plowed the 400-meter hurdles track, setting records that remain anchored in the history of athletics. Legendary names such as Edwin Moses, Kevin Young and Kerron Clement for men and Sally Gunnell, Melaine Walker and Dalilah Muhammad for women have marked different eras, each leaving an indelible imprint on the discipline and writing its history.
The men’s 400-meter hurdles world record is 45.94, set at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games by Norway’s Karsten Warholm.
For women, the holder is Sydney McLaughlin of the United States, winner of the 2022 World Track and Field Championships in Eugene with a record of 50.68. Instead, at the European level the record was set by Femke Bol at the 2023 Diamond League in London with 51.45.
The first woman: in 1984, during the first women’s competition, Moroccan Nawal El Moutawakel triumphed, becoming the first Olympic champion as well as the first woman from an Islamic nation to win an Olympic gold medal.
The record: U.S. Edwin Moses set the longest unbeaten streak in the history of athletics. For 9 years, 9 months and 9 days (1977 to 1987) he was invincible collecting 122 victories, a World title, an Olympic title and two world records.
The hurdles: while the number of hurdles is the same for both men’s and women’s competition, and is 10, what changes is the height of the hurdles, 91 cm for men and 76 for women.