The men's 400 metres hurdles at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Olympic Stadium on 15, 16 and 18 August.
The United States hurdling team was by far the strongest entered by any country, comprising defending champion Kerron Clement, two-time Olympic champion Angelo Taylor, 2005 World Champion Bershawn Jackson, and the emerging Johnny Dutch. The world-leading 400 m hurdler L.J. van Zyl, veterans Danny McFarlane and Félix Sánchez, and the improving Isa Phillips and Javier Culson were also identified as possible medal contenders.Mulkeen, Jon (2009-08-09). Men's 400m Hurdles - PREVIEW. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-08-15. Archived 2009-09-08.
In the heats, Briton Dai Greene completed an unexpected and comfortable win, while seventeen-year-old Jehue Gordon of Trinidad and Tobago surprised with a senior national record to qualify for the semis.Mulkeen, Jon (2009-08-15). Event Report - Men's 400m Hurdles - Heats . IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-08-15. In the semi-finals, van Zyl failed to qualify, following his pattern of poor performances at the biggest races of the season. Dutch and Phillips also failed to make the cut. Clement and Sánchez lead the way in the first semi, while Jackson and Greene (who set a personal best) took the top two spots in the other final.Mulkeen, Jon (2009-08-16). Event Report - Men's 400m Hurdles - Semi-Final . IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-08-18.
In the final, Clement, Jackson and Culson all started the race well. However, it was the favourite, Clement, who took the gold medal: he was ahead at the final straight and did not relinquish his position, recording a world-leading time to win. Culson set a Puerto Rican record to take the silver, while Jackson fended off a challenge from national-record-breaking Gordon to keep third and win the bronze.Mulkeen, Jon (2009-08-18). Event Report - Men's 400m Hurdles - Final. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-08-22. Archived 2009-09-08.
Although Clement's winning time was the second slowest in the history of the Championships, it remained a close race for the silver and bronze medals, with just 0.6 seconds between the silver medallist and seventh-placed Greene. The race had a breadth of ages, with Trinidadian Gordon becoming the youngest ever finalist of any men's sprint event at the Championships, and 37-year-old McFarlane being the oldest ever to do the same feat. Clement became the third man to win two consecutive world titles in the event, after Ed Moses and Félix Sánchez.
Medalists
GoldSilverBronzeKerron ClementJavier CulsonBershawn Jackson
Records Prior to the competition, the following records were as follows. World record46.78Barcelona, Spain6 August 1992Championship record47.18Stuttgart, Germany19 August 1993World leading47.94Monaco28 July 2009African record47.10Zürich, Switzerland7 August 1991Asian record47.53Sydney, Australia27 September 2000North American record46.78Barcelona, Spain6 August 1992South American record47.84Helsinki, Finland7 August 2005European record47.37Lausanne, Switzerland5 July 1995Oceanian record48.28Atlanta, United States31 July 1996
Qualification standards A timeB time 49.25 49.80
Schedule Date Time RoundAugust 15, 2009 20:20 HeatsAugust 16, 2009 20:15 SemifinalsAugust 18, 2009 20:50 Final
Results
Heats Qualification: First 3 in each heat(Q) and the next 4 fastest(q) advance to the semifinals.
Rank Heat Name Nationality Time Notes3 Kerron Clement 48.39Q 3 Danny McFarlane 48.65Q 3 Jehue Gordon 48.66Q, NR 4 Dai Greene 48.76Q3 Félix Sánchez 48.76q, SB 1 Isa Phillips 48.99 Q1 Periklis Iakovakis 49.12Q, SB2 Javier Culson 49.27Q 3 Omar Cisneros 49.27q10 2 Bershawn Jackson 49.34Q 111 Johnny Dutch 49.38Q 12 2 Kazuaki Yoshida 49.45Q, PB13 4 L. J. van Zyl 49.48 Q14 1 Andrés Silva 49.51 q, NR15 2 Tristan Thomas 49.53q16 1 Kenji Narisako 49.60 17 4 Brendan Cole 49.63Q18 4 Angelo Taylor 49.64 193 Michaël Bultheel 49.67PB20 4 Fadil Bellaabouss 49.73 21 4 Aleksandr Derevyagin 49.83 22 2 Rhys Williams 49.88 231Stanislav Melnykov 50.41 24 1 Mahau Suguimati 51.05 25 1 Jussi Heikkilä 51.42 26 2 Ibrahima Maïga 51.70 273 Jonathan Williams 52.41 2 Josef Robertson 2 Héni Kechi 3 Joseph G. Abraham 4 Kurt Couto 4 Ali Obaid Shirook Key: NR = National record, PB = Personal best, Q = qualification by place in heat, q = qualification by overall place, SB = Seasonal best
Semifinals Qualification: First 3 in each semifinal(Q) and the next 2 fastest(q) advance to the final.
Rank Heat Name Nationality Time Notes 11 Kerron Clement 48.00 Q, SB 2 2 Bershawn Jackson 48.23 Q 3 2 Dai Greene 48.27 Q, PB 41 Félix Sánchez 48.34 Q, SB 51 Javier Culson 48.43 Q 61 Danny McFarlane 48.49 q 72 Periklis Iakovakis 48.73 Q, SB 81 Jehue Gordon 48.77 q 9 1 L. J. van Zyl 48.80 10 2 Isa Phillips 48.93 112 Omar Cisneros 49.21 122 Johnny Dutch 49.28 13 1 Andrés Silva 49.34 NR 14 2 Tristan Thomas 49.76 151 Brendan Cole 49.92 16 2 Kazuaki Yoshida 50.34 Key: NR = National record, PB = Personal best, Q = qualification by place in heat, q = qualification by overall place, SB = Seasonal best
Final
Rank Name Nationality Time Notes Kerron Clement 47.91 WL Javier Culson 48.09 NR Bershawn Jackson 48.23 4 Jehue Gordon 48.26 NR 5 Periklis Iakovakis 48.42 SB 6 Danny McFarlane 48.65 7 Dai Greene 48.68 8 Félix Sánchez 50.11
Key: NR = National record, SB = Seasonal best, WL = World leading (in a given season)
References General 400 metres hurdles results. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-08-15. Specific