World Championship silver medallist Kyron McMaster has secured his place in the finals of the men’s 400-meter hurdles at the Paris Olympic Games.
McMaster advanced to his second Olympic final on Wednesday, August 7, after a commanding performance in Semi-final 2.
Running out of lane 4, McMaster delivered a strategic and controlled race, winning comfortably with a time of 48.15 seconds. This victory ensured his automatic qualification for the highly anticipated final.
Reflecting on his semi-final performance, McMaster shared insights into his race strategy, which mirrored his approach in Round 1.
“Again it was to get in position for the big Q; hold the position; control the position to make it through, as easy as possible once we gained those efforts in getting a position for the big Q,” McMaster explained.
Despite leading the race comfortably, McMaster acknowledged the challenges he faced.
“It wasn’t as easy as I thought it would’ve been, but we got the job done. All these boys came here for one thing and one thing only: that’s to get to the Olympic finals and to get an Olympic medal. I expected some kickback in my plan – the competitiveness, the nerves, me executing the race how it needed to be executed – but I executed it and we got through with the big Q.”
Looking ahead to the finals on Friday, August 9, McMaster emphasized the need for commitment and focus.
“I think for me I just have to commit more to certain phases of the race and I’ll be good,” he stated.
McMaster will compete against a formidable field in the finals, including reigning Olympic champion Karsten Warholm of Norway, American Rai Benjamin, and Alison dos Santos of Brazil.
The race is set to commence at 3:45 p.m. BVI time.