Amalie Iuel drop’s meet record to reign supreme in women’s 400m Hurdles
Running from lane five and backed by a roaring crowd under bright Nairobi skies, Norwegian executed a smooth and powerful race to win Absa Kip Keino Classic title in 54.80
NAIROBI, Kenya, May 31- Norway’s Amalie Iuel delivered a stunning performance in the women’s 400m Hurdles— setting a new meet record of 54.80 at the sixth Absa Kip Keino Classic meeting at Nairobi’s Ulinzi Sports Complex.
Running from lane five and backed by a roaring crowd under bright Nairobi skies, Iuel executed a smooth and powerful race, pulling away in the final 100m to better the previous meet mark.
The 31-year-old hurdler, who came into the race with a personal best of 54.68 and a season-best of 55.06, showed she’s peaking at the right time ahead of a busy summer.
Kristiina Halonen of Finland, running from lane four, clocked a new personal best of 55.32, improving from her previous PB of 55.62 for silver. The 27-year-old also bettered her season best of 56.40, underlining her growth and determination.
German hurdler Eileen Demes, whose personal best stands at 54.80, ran 55.38 to finish third.
She maintained solid form throughout, holding off a strong challenge from Bianca Stubler of the USA, who set a new personal best of 55.48, eclipsing her previous best of 56.04 to land just outside the podium.
In fifth place, Slovakia’s Daniela Ledecká clocked 55.97, her best time this season (previous SB: 56.55), not far off her PB of 55.83.
Norway’s Line Kloster, who has a career best of 53.91, finished sixth in 56.46, a bit off her top form.
Veteran Norwegian Elisabeth Slettum ran 57.47 from lane one.
With a PB of 55.77, the 38-year-old’s presence brought added experience to the field. American Jessica Wright, whose PB stands at 55.78, clocked 58.98, well outside her best despite a decent season start of 56.79.
With Iuel’s record-breaking run and personal bests from multiple athletes, the 400m hurdles race lived up to the billing—fast, fierce, and a fan favourite.
The Ulinzi crowd was left buzzing, not only for the meet record but for a line-up that delivered some of the finest hurdling seen on Kenyan soil.
-By Robert Kibet | Freelance Journalist
-Photos: Organisers
