Day 3: LaShinda Demus Screams over 400mIH: 53.78! by Larry EDer

Sheena Tosta and LaShinda Demus race around the Hayward Field track….
Photo by Photorun.net

LaShinda Demus has been one of our most talented intermediate hurdlers for years. As a junior, she dazzled the world. Now, as a mother of two, LaShinda blasted a 53.78 world leader (and new Hayward field best mark, breaking a sixteen year old record), taking first, after having a heartbreaking race in 2008. LaShinda was pretty straight forward on this years run: â€œIt feels a lot better than not making the team. It feels good and I am ready to represent the US in Berlin.â€ Sheena Tosta took second in 54.45, noting: â€œI feel good about it. Iâ€™ve been struggling with the wind all week, so today I got my stride together and the time was good. Iâ€™m happy with it…Our team has the top two times in the world right now, so I like our chances.â€ Tiffany Williams, the 2008 Trials winner, took third today in 55.64.
Our chances for a medal in Berlin? Demus could run sub 52 seconds on her best day, and Sheena Tosta is a global veteran. Tiffany Williams, if she runs her race, could be in the medal contention as well. This event could be sleeper for us, yes, I am thinking of 1995, where the US went 1-2 and broke the world record. Our athletes are that good. The trouble is, they have got to believe it.
Women 400 Meter Hurdles
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World: W 52.34 8/8/2004 Yuliya Pechenkina, RUS
American: A 52.61 8/11/1995 Kim Batten, Reebok
Hayward: S 53.96 1993 Sandra Farmer-Patrick, USA
Name Year Team Finals
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Finals
1 Lashinda Demus Nike 53.78S
2 Sheena Tosta Nike 54.45
3 Tiffany Williams Reebok 55.18
4 Ebony Collins unattached 55.64
5 Nicole Leach U C L A 55.72
6 Deserea Brown Illinois 57.33
7 Latosha Wallace Asics 57.47
8 Jennifer Grossarth unattached 57.61
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Author

Larry Eder

Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys.

Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."

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