Reigning European champion Matthew Hudson-Smith recorded his first sub-45 400m clocking in four years at the Tom Jones Invitational in Gainesville, Florida on Saturday (16).
Contesting his first race at his specialist distance this season, Hudson-Smith demonstrated he is back in form after an injury-marred 2021 season as he became the first European to break the 45 second-barrier this season with a European leading time of 44.82.
Hudson-Smith has as many as three major championships on his schedule this year and the Brit will be looking to emulate his teammate Martyn Rooney in 2016 by securing back-to-back titles in the 400m at the European Athletics Championships in Munich this summer.
His teammate Charlie Dobson also continued his ascent up the ranks of British sprinting by setting a big lifetime best and European leading 200m of 20.19 on the first day in Gainesville, improving his lifetime best from 20.53 from 2018.
Still only 22, Dobson has showed remarkable range over the last twelve months, posting a 45.51 400m last season and a lifetime best of 6.59 in the 60m this indoor season.
Elsewhere, Italy’s Sintayehu Vissa set a lifetime best of 2:01.06 in the women’s 800m.
At the USATF Golden Games in Walnut on Saturday, experience prevailed over youth as reigning world and Olympic champion Daniel Stahl won the discus from reigning world and European U20 champion Mykolas Alekna from Lithuania.
Stahl threw 67.65m to defeat 19-year-old Alekna who produced the second longest throw of his nascent career with 66.61m. Stahl’s compatriot and training partner Simon Pettersson was fifth with 62.36m.
One day earlier at the Mt SAC Relays, Brit Jess Judd clocked 15:11.72 in the 5000m in a race won by Karissa Schweizer in 15:05.80.
Anita Wlodarczyk concluded her training camp in Antalya, Türkiye by posting a season’s opener of 73.08m at a low-key competition in Belek.
After becoming the first female athlete to win three successive Olympic titles in an individual event at the Tokyo Olympics, Wlodarczyk is seeking even more history this summer.
Now 36, Wlodarczyk has her sights set on a fifth non-consecutive world title in Eugene, Oregon before she will aim to secure her fifth successive European title in Munich in August.