Bengtström against the fastest of all time

The men's 400-meter hurdles has the potential to be something special. Alison Dos Santos and Kyron McMaster are set to compete, both of whom rank among the top ten fastest of all time, and this time they face the challenge of Carl Bengtström.

Up until 2021, the world record for the 400m hurdles stood at 46.78. In the past four years, three men have run under that time. Allison Dos Santos is one of them, and on June 2nd, he will be in Stockholm to compete against two more from the top ten list of the fastest hurdlers of all time.

When Karsten Warholm got injured in 2022, Dos Santos took over the crown on the distance. That same year, he won gold at the World Championships, clocking 46.29 in the final - the third fastest time in history.

Dos Santos may have had a tougher year in 2023, missing out on a medal at the World Championships. But another athlete from that podium will be in the starting field, Kyron McMaster. The 27-year-old from the British Virgin Islands secured a silver at the championship. He ranks eighth on the list of the fastest 400m hurdles of all time.

Three spots above him on that list is another competitor, Abdelrahamn Samba. Seven years ago, he ran a 46.98, the then fastest time in 26 years.

At the gala, they will face Swedish opposition in the form of Carl Bengtström. The Gothenburg native already has an indoor World Championship bronze in the 400m flat, and he has already qualified for the Olympics in the 400m hurdles in the first race of the year.

The stadium record stands at an impressive 46.80, set by Allison Dos Santos himself in 2022.