Dalilah Muhammad (Cardozo HS, NYC) won the girls' 400 meter hurdles at the 5th IAAF World Youth Championships in Ostrava. Muhammad, who has the the fastest youth time in the world this year, had to overcome a personal best by Romania's Andreea Ionescu, edging past the Romanian in the final 10 meters to stop the clock at 57.25, which broke the NYS record she set at the Nike Outdoor Nationals.
"It was a hard race," Muhammad said. "Every race, I try to push hard, and I did what I came to do. I knew the Romanian girl was very strong after the prelims, and coming off the final hurdle behind her I knew I just had to go as hard as I could to the line."
photo Victah Sailer - photorun.net
Report from Jim Spier - NSSF
A really terrific race. In the early going it was Andreea Ionescu of Romania leading with Ryann Krais not far behind. Dalilah Muhammad was third or fourth through all of this. Ionescu was leading after the ninth hurdle with Krais now charging and gaining on her, and Muhammad moving into third. As they approached the last hurdle, both Ionescu and Krais hurdled it tentatively and Muhammad, who hurdled it beautifully, took advantage and glided past both. And that's the way it stayed through the finish with Muhammad winning in 57.25, Ionescu getting a PB in second at 57.33, and Krais third at 57.50.
