Abderrahman Samba (foreground) looks to continue his fine run in Stockholm meeting today.
Doha: Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba, unbeaten this Diamond League season, will be looking to stretch his winning streak in the 400m at the Stockholm meeting today.
The 22-year-old is enjoying a phenomenal season as he broke the Qatari record on his first outing with 47.90 in Potchefstroom, South Africa (March), then lowered it again to 47.57 in Doha (May), before his recent hard-fought victories over Warholm in Rome (47.48) and Oslo (47.60) earlier this month.
Samba’s Rome run was a new world lead and a meeting record while his performance in Olso beat the 32-year-old meeting record.
“That was Samba over the hurdles,” said Samba after his victory in Oslo on Thursday.
“I cannot say I was confident coming into the last hurdle, but I have better endurance in the last metres. I’m enjoying life and hoping to continue to run fast next time in Stockholm.”
Samba’s victories were not a walk in the park as he had to overcome stiff contests from other rivals especially from Norway’s Karsten Warholm.
Both will square off today as well, but Samba feels close battles with the Norwegian is helping him improve in every race.
“He did great and made the race more exciting by going that fast, forcing me to go with him,” Samba pointed out.
“It’s helping us both; everyone goes to the line to fight together and it makes it more exciting for me,” he added.
“The people in the world now see the 400m hurdles as the exciting race on the track, people tune in to see what’s going to happen. Me and Karsten make that race exciting, running sub-48, and that’s good for the sport.
In the future we’ll make it faster,” he said confidently.
With Warholm rivalry in his sights, Samba is also targeting records in Stockholm.
“I hope for another great one, maybe running faster and a new track record,” he said. “Maybe we’ll have a surprise.”
Meanwhile, the women’s 100m will also be a re-run of Oslo, with Murielle Ahoure looking to confirm form with Dina Asher-Smith, who set a British record of 10.92 just behind Ahoure’s winning time of 10.91 on Thursday.
World champion Ramil Guliyev also arrives in sparkling form after setting a season’s best of 19.90 to win the 200m in Oslo, and the Turk will take to the line as a formidable favourite for that race today.
But Steven Gardiner, who clocked a Bahamian record of 19.75 earlier this year, will surely have other ideas, as will Canada’s Aaron Brown, who has a best of 19.98 this year.
