2011 World Champs/Daegu, Day Six, Session 2: UPSET! Dai Greene Wins 400m hurdles! Javier Culson takes silver, LJ Van Zyl takes bronze, US shut out of 400m hurdles, by Larry Eder

In a night where the U.S. won three gold medals in thirty minutes, the 400 meter hurdles showed that this is a world championships and reputations be damned. In the end, European Champion, Dai Greene of Great Britain just earned a huge amount of respect.

Dai Greene, 2011 WC 400m hurdles, gold medalist, photo by PhotoRun.net

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Dai Greene, 2011 WC 400m hurdles, gold medalist, photo by PhotoRun.net

The 400 meter intermediate hurdles is a race for madmen and madwomen. It was developed by a sadist. Imagine running 400 meters all out and having to master barriers as well! The 400 meter hurdler possesses the agility of high hurdler and the speed endurance of an 800 meter runner.

Dai Greene won the 2010 European championships last year over 400 meter hurdles. Anyone who watched the guy this year knew he was going to be very tough. He was racing against LJ Van Zyl all season. His victory at AVIVA Birmingham on July 10, in 48.20 showed he was ready to race.

Javier Culson, 2011 WC 400m hurdles, silver medalist, photo by PhotoRun.net

Javier Culson, the 2009 WC bronze medalist, was, in my mind, the one to beat through the early round and semi-final. Kerron Clement, the 2007 and 2009 World Champion, citing an injury, was just not in shape to handle the rounds. That has been a problem in many of the events here-athletes did not consider the effort it would take to make the final. The heat and humidity in the mornings was stiffling and draining as well!

L.J. Van Zyl, 2011 WC 400m hurdles, bronze medalist (picture from 2011 Doha DL), photo by PhotoRun.net

LJ Van Zyl was the fastest runner of the season, with a fine 47.66, but that was run in February in South Africa. Surely, LJ had to be worn out with such a long season. Felix Sanchez, the 2004 Olympic champion, 2001 and 2003 World Champion, was looking very good in the heat and semi. A second South African, young Cornel Frederick looked like a contender as well.

Bershawn Jackson, 2011 WC 400m hurdles, sixth place, photo by PhotoRun.net

Bershawn Jackson, 2005 World Champion, just does not screw up. He was running okay in the heat and semis, but did not completely impress. Angelo Taylor, 2000 and 2008 Olympic champion, was suffering from plantar fascia, and he could barely walk between rounds. I am not even sure how the guy was completing the race, except that he has a high pain threshold.

Angelo Taylor, 2011 WC 400m hurdles, seventh place, photo by PhotoRun.net

The final went off with a call back. No one was dqed, thank God. The race got off and all were running well. Angelo Taylor was running behind from the beginning, he would finish in seventh in 49.31.

Bershawn Jackson was running okay, but as he came off the final straight, he ran out of gas, and finished in sixth in 49.24.

The young South African, Cornel Frederick finished fifth, running 49.12, he should be a contender in future years.

As the hurdlers hit the 300 meter mark, Javier Culson was leading, LJ Van Zyl was in second and Felix Sanchez was in third.

Then comes Dai Greene, coming off the turn, he was fourth, then he was third, then he moved into second and he caught Culson just before the last hurdle. Once he got passed the last hurdle, he just sprinted to the finish, taking the title in 48.26. Javier Culson of Puerto Rico, took the silver in 48.44. LJ Van Zyl of South Africa held on to take the bronze in 48.87. Charging into fourth, Felix Sanchez of the Domincan Republic, showed that hurdlers could be around for a few more years, as the 34 year old former world champion ran 49.12.

This was Dai Greene’s race, and he gave Great Britain it’s first gold medal of the games, and a bit of an upset at that.

Bershawn Jackson and Angelo Taylor will shake their heads and figure out to count Dai Greene in the mix for London 2012. He will not a be a surprise anymore.

Larry Eder

Larry Eder has had a 50-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." Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."

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