Botswana’s world champion Busang Collen Kebinatshipi lived up to his status as the favourite, storming to the men’s 400m title at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26 in Budapest, Hungary on Saturday.
Capping a successful season, the 22-year-old improved his national record yet again as he clocked 43.39 seconds to secure sole ownership of fifth place on the world all-time list.
USA’s Rai Benjamin chased him over the finish line in 44.15 and will turn his attention to the 400m hurdles in Budapest, while Jereem Richards was third in 44.23.
Collen Kebinatshipi lined up in Budapest as the Diamond League champion, fresh off his 43.40 performance in Brussels that moved him to joint fifth on the world all-time list. That was his third Diamond League record of the season after those he set in Paris (43.54) and Monaco (43.44).
He improved again in Budapest – judging his race to perfection to dominate ahead of world and Olympic 400m hurdles champion Benjamin and Richards, who was runner-up to Kebinatshipi in the Diamond League Final.
After his Diamond League win, Kebinatshipi stated his aim to improve on the world lead of 43.38 set by Samuel Ogazi at the NCAA Championships in June. In order to do that, he said, he could not allow himself to relax during the first part of the race.
All eyes were on the clock when he stopped it at 43.39 – the race of his life, just 0.01 off the world lead he sought.
“I’m proud of myself for hanging on from the start of the season to the end of it and with everything I was able to do this year,” said Kebinatshipi after the race.
“I am usually always sitting back and kicking in the last metres but today I wanted to feel what other athletes were feeling over their races, to tie up a bit in the last metres.
“I was really tired over the last metres but that was what I wanted to do and to feel; I wanted to leave everything here before I head back home.”
World Athletics (formerly the International Association of Athletics Federations - IAAF) is the international governing body for the sport of athletics, such as running, jumping and throwing.
