*** Welcome to piglix ***

2013 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 400 metres hurdles

Women's 400 metres hurdles
at the 2013 World Championships
2013 World Championships in Athletics (August, 15) – Zuzana Hejnová.JPG
Gold medalist Zuzana Hejnová
Venue Luzhniki Stadium
Dates 12 August (heats)
13 August (semifinals)
15 August (final)
Competitors 32 from 19 nations
Winning time 52.83
Medalists
gold medal 
silver medal 
bronze medal 
← 2011
2015 →
Events at the
2013 World Championships
Athletics pictogram.svg
Track events
100 m   men   women
200 m men women
400 m men women
800 m men women
1500 m men women
5000 m men women
10,000 m men women
100 m hurdles women
110 m hurdles men
400 m hurdles men women
3000 m
steeplechase
men women
4 × 100 m relay men women
4 × 400 m relay men women
Road events
Marathon men women
20 km walk men women
50 km walk men
Field events
High jump men women
Pole vault men women
Long jump men women
Triple jump men women
Shot put men women
Discus throw men women
Hammer throw men women
Javelin throw men women
Combined events
Heptathlon women
Decathlon men

The women's 400 metres hurdles at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Luzhniki Stadium on 12–15 August.

Running on home soil, reigning Olympic Champion Natalya Antyukh might have been expected to be the favorite. Instead she made a quick exit, finishing sixth in her semifinal. The Olympic silver medalist from that close Olympic final is the returning champion Lashinda Demus, but having a bye, she has raced sparingly. She ran her season best to qualify in that same semi. The distant bronze medalist Zuzana Hejnová in 2012 was the 2013 world leader. She won the first semi, almost half a second faster than the other qualifiers. Perri Shakes-Drayton won the second semi passing a fading Demus.

In the final, Hejnová in lane 3 was first to the first hurdle but backed off. It was Demus took off in lane 4 and was the leader down the back stretch, with training partner Dalilah Muhammad almost on the same pace. Both are trained by Demus' mom. Shakes-Drayton between them tried to keep up with the two Americans. Hejnová was gaining steadily on Demus and Muhammad through the turn. Demus, who still holds the American high school record in the 300 hurdles did that distance well, but Hejnová, who set the world best in that race just two weeks earlier, passed her over the 8th hurdle at 290 meters. Demus' arm carry noticeably dropped, she had played her best card and Hejnová had trumped it. Hejnová continued ahead to victory with Demus fighting to stay with her. Muhammad caught Demus with 10 meters to go for silver. Demus a step back for bronze. Shakes-Drayton disappeared back through the field, nobody else was in contention with the three clear winners. Hejnová's 52.83 is the Czech national record and makes her the number 12 performer of all time (Demus already number 3).

Prior to the competition, the records were as follows:

All times are local times (UTC+4)

Qualification: First 3 in each heat (Q) and the next 4 fastest (q) advanced to the semifinals.


...
Wikipedia

...