By Gene Cherry
DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) – Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad on Sunday set the world record in the 400 meters hurdles when she ran a blistering 52.20 seconds in the rain at the United States national championships.
Muhammad’s time smashed the previous mark of 52.34 seconds set by Russian Yuliya Pechonkina in 2003.
“My coach kept telling me it was there,” Muhammad told NBC.
“I just had to trust that and go for it. I wanted it so bad, I knew I had to go out there and prove myself.”
Muhammad went out hard and quickly made up the stagger on the athletes outside her, including 2015 world silver medalist Shamier Little and American under-20 record holder Sydney McLaughlin.
She had a clear lead as she entered the final straight with Little, McLaughlin and Ashley Spencer locked in a battle for the podium spots.
McLaughlin finished second in 52.88, just 0.13 shy of her personal best, with Spencer third in 53.11, equaling her best.
(Editing by Ian Ransom)
