Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage competes in men’s javelin throw event. (AFP)
Doha, Qatar: Brazil’s Alison dos Santos was crowned Ultimate champion in the men’s 400m hurdles after producing a sensational 45.98 as the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26 concluded in emphatic fashion yesterday.
The 26-year-old world record-holder pulled away from USA’s world and Olympic champion Rai Benjamin approaching the final barrier to clock the third-fastest time in history. Benjamin finished second in 46.40, completing his 400m and 400m hurdles double, while Norway’s Karsten Warholm took third in 46.78. Germany’s Emil Agyekum set a national record of 47.10, while Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba finished fifth in 47.78.
The victory capped a remarkable season for Dos Santos, who set a world record of 45.80 in Zurich earlier this year.
USA’s Kenny Bednarek completed the sprint double by winning the 200m, 24 hours after taking the 100m title. He stormed to a lifetime best of 19.52, finishing ahead of Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo (19.76) and Courtney Lindsey (19.79).
Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage continued his breakthrough season by winning the men’s javelin with a stunning 91.09m. After a slow opening throw of 75.89m, Pathirage improved to 85.69m and then 87.11m before producing his winning effort in the final round. The throw was the first-ever 90m-plus mark recorded in Hungary.
Pathirage, who had won 11 of his previous 12 competitions, defeated Grenada’s Anderson Peters (86.18m) and Germany’s Julian Weber (85.89m). Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem finished fifth with a season’s best 81.49m.
Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi claimed the high jump title with a world-leading 2.37m, beating JuVaughn Harrison (2.30m) and Erick Portillo (2.26m).
Britain’s Josh Kerr won the 1500m in 3:29.35, edging Australia’s Cameron Myers (3:29.68) and improving his own Hungarian all-comers’ record.
