In 1987, no one outperformed Schmid alone.
German Athlete Emil Agyekum Achieves Historic Result in 400m Hurdles at Tokyo World Championships
Emil Agyekum, a 26-year-old German athlete, made history at the Tokyo World Championships by achieving the best 400m hurdles result by a German athlete since 1983. Agyekum finished sixth in the final with a time of 47.98 seconds, just shy of the German record held by Harald Schmid.
Schmid, the current German record holder, won silver in Helsinki in 1983 and bronze in Rome in 1987. His German record of 47.48 seconds, set in 1987, has been considered untouchable until Agyekum's recent performance.
In the semifinals, Agyekum ran a personal best time of 47.83 seconds, placing him as the second-fastest German athlete of all time. His performance potentially threatens Schmid's long-standing record.
Meanwhile, the 400m hurdles final was filled with drama. American athlete Rai Benjamin initially impeded a competitor by knocking over a hurdle, but it appears he only touched his own hurdle and was not at fault for the obstruction. Despite this, Benjamin went on to win the gold medal with a time of 46.52 seconds.
Brazil's Alison dos Santos took silver with a time of 46.84 seconds, while Qatar's Abderrahman Samba finished third in 47.06 seconds. Dutch Olympian Femke Bol successfully defended her title in the women's event, winning the gold medal.
There was a surprise in the men's event as Karsten Warholm, the hurdles star and world record holder from Norway, missed out on a medal, finishing fifth. Warholm's absence opened the door for Agyekum to make his mark in the 400m hurdles.
Despite the initial disqualification of Benjamin, the decision was later reversed, allowing him to take the gold medal. Agyekum's sixth-place finish in the final is a significant achievement for the young German athlete and a promising sign for the future of German track and field.
