ATHLETICS Panorama: More world leaders, including sensational 47.51 for Abderrahmane Samba in Doha!

Qatar's 400 m hurdles star Abderrahmane Samba

While the track & field work absorbs what happened in the U.S. over the weekend, the 23rd Asian Athletics Championships are taking place in Doha (QAT) in an event which is also doubling as a test in advance of the 2019 World Championships.

Of this there is no doubt: the track is fast! Consider:

Men/800 m: 1:44.33, Abubaker Haydar Abdalla (QAT)
Men/400 m Hurdles: 47.51 Abderrahmane Samba (QAT)
Men/Javelin: 86.72 m (284-6), Chau-Tsun Cheng (TPE)

There were no women’s world leaders in the Asian Champs so far, but the events will continue through Wednesday.

For Samba, it’s his 11th straight win in a 400 m Hurdles final and his 10th career time in the 47s, all in a row. (In case you were wondering, Edwin Moses had 44 career races in the 47s.)

Samba has big plans for 2019, but he was happy with the race. “It’s fast, but I’m thinking about something much faster than this,” he said afterwards. “But yes, it’s a great start. Last year I started with 47.9 and finished with 46.9. This season I started with 47.5 so I want to end with 46.5. Sure, why not?”

That would put him well under the 1992 world record by Kevin Young (USA) of 46.92!

Other world-leading outdoor marks from last weekend that we did not note on Saturday:

Men/1,500 m: 3:37.20, Oliver Hoare (AUS) at the Bryan Clay Invitational
Men/Decathlon: 8,130, Ayden Owens (Puerto Rico), at the Bryan Clay Invitational

Women/1,500 m: 4:06.98, Ajee Wilson (USA) at the Larry Ellis Invitational

Other marks of note at the Asian Championships included Salwa Eid Naser (BRN) in 51.34 to win the women’s 400 m, second on the 2019 world list, and the shot put victory for China’s Lijiao Gong at 19.18 m (62-11 1/4), no. 3 on the world list for 2019.

Tweeted 2018 Diamond League champ and world 100 m leader Christian Coleman of the U.S.: “Man after seeing these times this weekend I can’t wait to open up!!”