Why the 400m hurdles is one of the hardest Olympic races

Running the 400-meter hurdles requires strategic rhythm, but it’s over so fast you just might miss it.

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There are few single events that demand as much skill as the 400-meter hurdle race. Olympians need to have the speed of a 200-meter dash runner, the endurance of an 800-meter runner, an understanding of rhythm, and, of course, the ability to efficiently clear a hurdle.

Various techniques can make or break a race. If you jump too high, you’re wasting time and energy; too low and you collide with a hurdle. Even if your technique over the hurdles is perfect, you can’t win if you don’t have the speed. Former Olympic hurdler and (until very recently) world record-holder Kevin Young helps us break down the rhythm of the 400-meter hurdles.

Correction: Karsten Warholm broke Kevin Young's record at a Diamond League meet in Oslo, Norway on July 1 — not at the Olympic Trials.

For more:
https://hurdlesfirstbeta.com/
https://trackstarusa.com/
https://www.runnersworld.com/
https://www.britannica.com/sports/hurdling
https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/track-field-101-rules


McLaughlin + Warholm’s record-breaking races:
https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2021/07/01/karsten-warholm-world-record-400-hurdles/
https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2021/06/28/sydney-mclaughlin-world-record-400-hurdles-olympic-trials/

Studies:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3005844/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20703164/


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