Paris 2024 Olympics: Heavily strapped Zablon Ekwam pulls up injured midway into 400m heat

Paris 2024 Olympics: Heavily strapped Zablon Ekwam pulls up injured midway into 400m heat

Festus Chuma 20:30 - 04.08.2024

Zablon Ekwam was eliminated from the Paris Olympics after injuring his hamstring during the qualifying heats.

A bitterly disappointed national 400m champion Zablon Ekwam was eliminated in the opening round of the men's 400m at the Paris Olympics, a race that ended prematurely for him due to what appeared to be a painful hamstring injury.

The incident occurred during the final bend of the 200m mark in heat six where Ekwam had been a strong contender.

The Kenyan athlete, who had shown promising form coming into the Olympics, was forced to pull out of the race, casting a shadow over his much-anticipated debut.

Earlier this year, Ekwam clocked an impressive 44.69 seconds at the Kip Keino Classic held in Nairobi, securing his position for the Paris games.

His performance had been particularly remarkable given his background as a Kenya Defence Force officer attached to the 78 Tank Battalion, where he honed his skills and speed endurance.

Despite Ekwam's early exit, the competition remained intensely competitive as US champion Quincy Hall led the field in the same heat, finishing with an impressive time of 44.28 seconds.

Closely following him was Samuel Ogazi from Nigeria, who set a personal best of 44.50 seconds, with Australia's Reece Holder completing the top three by clocking another personal best of 44.53 seconds.

In heat one, Britain's Matthew Hudson-Smith showcased his prowess by leading with a time of 44.78 seconds, closely followed by American runner Christopher Bailey who completed the race in 44.89 seconds.

The heat was rounded out with notable performances from Norway's Havard Bentdal Ingvaldsen and Nigeria's Chidi Okezie.

Heat two witnessed Michael Norman from the USA, the 2022 World Athletics Championships gold medalist, delivering a stellar performance with the best time of the season at 44.10 seconds.

He was followed closely by Jereem Richards of Trinidad and Tobago, and Busang Collen Kebinatshipi from Botswana, both putting up strong finishes to secure their spots in the semi-finals.

The third heat was dominated by Zambia's 2023 Commonwealth champion, Muzala Samukonga, who led with a swift 44.56 seconds.

He was tailed by Bayapo Ndori from Botswana and Italy's Luca Sito, who both showed formidable form to qualify for the next round.

Heat four was a display of top-tier athleticism with US champion Quincy Hall leading the pack with an impressive time of 44.28 seconds.

Following him were Samuel Ogazi from Nigeria and Reece Holder from Australia, both setting personal bests and adding to the high stakes of the competition.

In the fifth heat, Grenada's Kirani James and Canada's Christopher Morales-Williams were the standout performers, along with Aruna Dharsana Singhapurage from Sri Lanka, who all secured their advancement with competitive times.

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