Botswana star sprinter Isaac Makwala finished seventh in men’s 400m final at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on Thursday.
Starting in lane three, Makwala got off to a fast start, as he was the first sprinter to turn at the half-way point at the 200m mark.
But Bahamas’ powerful Steven Gardiner powered to take gold in a seasonal best of 43.85, adding another medal to his growing list of accolades.
Colombia’s Jose Zambrano finished second in 44.08 for the silver medal, with race favorite James Kirani of Grenada coming home third to take bronze in 44.19.
Makwala, the two-time African Games Champion, hoped to win Botswana’s first medal at this year’s Games.
Meanwhile, Gardiner’s victory extended his dominance of the one-lap event over the past four years. It also marked Bahama’s first medal in Tokyo.
“When the gun went off I stumbled a bit coming out but I recovered, I kept it moving, and with 200 metres to go I started to push a little bit. And 100 metres to go, I gave it all I’ve got,” Gardiner said.
“I came across the line and saw my name on the big screen and I was in first place. I’m just happy.”
Men’s 400m final 5/08/2021
