2012 AREVA Paris: Culson & Greene Spar over 400m hurdles, Culson 47.78, by Larry Eder

Our sport is about competition. Mano a Mano, womeno a womeno. Give kids a stick and they can run a relay. At the AREVA Paris 2012, Javier Culson and Dai Greene took each other on, and it was a superb race!

Here is how I saw it:

Javier Culson, 2012 Roma DL, photo by PhotoRun.net

Culson vs Greene, 2011Brussels, DL, , photo by PhotoRun.net

Javier Culson and Dai Greene know how to race. Culson, the WC silver medalist, Greene the 2011 WC gold medalist and 2010 European Gold medalist, are seasoned competitors. Culson likes to go out lightning fast, and Greene knows it comes down to hurdles nine and ten.

” I had a better start and first part than in Oslo.” noted Culson about this race in Paris. Javier Culson went out quite hard, making up the distance on the entire field. Dai Greene came out well, and started to take one athlete at a time.

By the time Greene and Culson hit the seventh hurdle, they were very close and the race finish was in question. Culson hurdles well, with his tall, thin frame. Greene hurdles well, but races even better, knowng from experience what a 400 meter hurdler feels like over the last three hurdles.

” I had slight difficulty before the last hurdle, otherwise I am satisfied with the way I was clearing the hurdles. I am not considering myself as the Olympic favorite. ” noted Culson.

Culson and Greene were very close going over the ninth hurdle. Clearing the final hurdle, Culson and Greene sprinted together, with Culson getting the nod in 47.78, the world leader. Dai Greene took second, with 47.84 PB, .02 off the UK record of Kris Akubussi!

Felix Sanchez, the 2004 Olympic champ, took third in 48.56.

” And my hero? It is Felix Sanchez, he is the Olympic champion and maybe I can be the same.” noted Javier Culson after his hard won victory. Stay tuned for Greene and Culson to race in the AVIVA London meeting next weekend!

AREVA Paris, 400m hurdles: 1. Javier Culson, PUR, 47.78, WL, 2. Dai Greene, GBR, 47.84, PB, 3.Felix Sanchez, DOM, 48.56, SB, 4. Bershawn Jackson, US, 48.57, 5. Jenue Gordan, TRI, 49.03, 6. Omas Cisneros, CUB, 49.81, 7. Adrien Clemenceau, FRA, 50.15

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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