Japanese American sprinter Michael Norman grabbed gold on the global stage after winning the men’s 400m title at the World Athletics Championships on Friday.
The two-time U.S. champion finished with a time of 44.29 seconds to beat Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Kirani James of Grenada, who took home silver with 44.48 seconds. Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith earned bronze with 44.66 seconds.
“This moment is going to be remembered forever,” Norman said of his recent win. “I want to make sure that I never doubt myself and I will take some time to reflect what it means to be a champion and what it takes to get there.”
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Norman’s big victory at Hayward Field in Oregon comes after his fifth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics last year, which he dubbed a “heartbreaking, devastating moment.”
The 24-year-old athlete has been in top form this year, having run with a sub-44 second completion time twice on the same Hayward Field track. In May, he won the men’s 400m at the Prefontaine Classic in 43.60 seconds, and in June, he won the men’s 400m at the 2022 USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships in 43.56 seconds.
Norman is one of only three men, along with Wayde Van Niekerk and Fred Kerley, to run sub-10 seconds in 100m, sub-20 seconds in 200m and sub-44 seconds in 400m.
Born in California to an American father and a Japanese mother, Norman won his pro debut race at the 2018 IAAF Diamond League in Paris. His personal best of 43.45 seconds (outdoor), which he set in 2019, is tied for fourth on the all-time world list.
Featured Image via World Athletics
