Samba has been focusing on 400m after recording six straight victories in 400m hurdles in Diamond League season.
DOHA: After stamping his authority in the 400m hurdles battle this season, Qatar’s star Abderrahman Samba roared to victory in 400m, clocking his personal best time to win the title at International Track and Field competition in Schifflange, Luxembourg on Sunday night.
Samba, who is enjoying an unbeaten run in the 400m hurdles at Diamond League, finished the race in 45.33 to prove his mettle in the discipline.
The 400m race was dominated by Qatari sprinters as compatriot Mohammed Nasir ended as runner-up after posting a time of 45.53.
It was also the personal best for 22-year-old Nasir, who overcame his previous best time of 45.59 he recorded in Monachil, Spain in 2016.
Samba has been focusing on 400m after recording six straight victories in 400m hurdles in Diamond League season. He also became only the second man to go under 47 seconds in Paris, where he clocked 46.98 seconds last month. It was just 0.20 off the world record set by Kevin Young of the United States in winning the 1992 Olympic title.
Samba switched to 400m at Diamond League meeting in London earlier this month, finishing 5th in the race which was won by compatriot Abdalleleh Haroun.
The form of the three Qatari sprinters – Haroun, Samba and Nasir is a good omen for the country ahead of the 2018 Asian Games to be held next month in Indonesia.
Meanwhile, double world under-20 bronze medallist Kristal Awuah built on her recent success in Tampere by storming to a 100m PB of 11.20 (0.7) for victory in Schifflange.
The 18-year-old, who claimed 100m and 4x100m medals in Finland, finished top in a field including European indoor 60m champion Asha Philip, who continues her comeback after injury and ran 11.31. Awuah’s time puts her fourth on the British under-20 all-time list behind only Dina Asher-Smith, Imani-Lara Lansiquot and Jodie Williams and into the top 20 overall on the GB rankings. Her previous best was 11.35 run in the heats in Tampere.
