In the dream final against home hope Rai Benjamin and the year’s fastest hurdler, Alison dos Santos, Warholm fell short.
The 26-year-old had the lead on the last long stretch, but in the last 100 meters it became clear that dos Santos had even more power in his legs.
Warholm appeared to stumble a bit in a hedge and fell through the field. Brazilian dos Santos flew away and secured his first WC gold.
– Warholm lasted approx. 300 metres, then there is a boom stop, commented Jann Post.
After the finish it was a disappointed but composed Warholm who met NRK.
– Of course, it is not the outcome I was hoping for. I got it at the end there. I noticed that there has been little specific training. It was a somewhat difficult starting point. Such is life, he says.
– When did you realize that this was not going to work?
– It was when I got the acid on the eighth hurdle. That’s how it is. I came here and did everything I could. I am proud of that.
GOLD: Warholm congratulated Alison dos Santos on the WC gold.
Photo: Stian Lysberg Solum / NTB
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Dos Santos eventually won in 46.29. Warholm eventually finished in seventh place. Benjamin took the silver ahead of the surprise Trevor Bassitt at home.
– The third fastest time the world has ever seen. He wins superiorly, commented Post, who crossed his fingers for Warholm after the collapse on the run.
– Hope the strength ran out
– I hope he didn’t open up the injury. I just hope the powers ran out.
Thus, Ulsteinvik no longer has the reigning world champion after Warholm won the last two WC golds, as well as EC and Olympic gold in the long hurdles. He is also the world record holder with a time of 45.94 from the Olympic final in Tokyo.
In the stands, coach Leif Olav Alnes took seventh place with great composure.
– It looked great for a long time, then it was a bit long, says Alnes to NRK.
– I hope he didn’t get anything, but he ran out a bit. Guess it. He might have sensed something, I hope not, he followed up, crossing his fingers.
Fortunately, Warholm himself was able to deny it.
– Everything is fine with the injury, but it was worse with the acid, he explains.
Race against the clock
When Warholm ran the WC final on Wednesday night, it was exactly six weeks and three days since he suffered the injury in Rabat. For Team Warholm, it has since been a battle against the clock to start.
– What Karsten has done in the last few weeks has been absolutely brutal. He has not had an optimal charge. The fight he showed today was incredibly impressive. He will really have a few for that fight, training buddy Amalie Iuel boasts to NRK.
Physiotherapist Håvard Moksnes said on Tuesday that the stress surrounding a third day of competition and the final race would create a greater element of risk than in the previous races. No one knew what the thigh would be like six and a half weeks after the injury in Morocco.
– How have the last few weeks been?
– They have been heavy, of course. It has been hard work coming back from the injury. I haven’t trained as I wanted, I’ll get the bill for that today, is the verdict from Warholm.
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