Warholm breaks long-standing 400m hurdles world record

Karsten Warholm has broken the longest-standing world record in men’s track

Norway’s Karsten Warholm broke Kevin Young’s 29-year-old 400m hurdles world record on Thursday.

Warholm completed the race in 46.70 seconds in front of his home fans at the Diamond League meeting in Oslo.

He bettered 1992 Olympic champion Young’s mark of 46.78 secs, which was set by the American in Barcelona four years before Warholm was born. It was the longest-standing record in men’s track.

Twice world champion Warholm raced to an early lead and never let up as he was roared on all the way to the finishing line, which he crossed ahead of 2019 Pan American Games champion Alison dos Santos by more than six-tenths of a second.

“It might take another world record to win the Olympics,” said the Norwegian. “There are such a lot of great guys out there at the moment who will all be aiming to do it and win gold.

“I knew that I had a fast time in my body – it feels like it has been there for a long time but you never know when it is right to do it.

“And it is one thing to have it in you and another to go out and do it.”

Warholm, 25, now owns seven of the top 15 times in history.