- Matthew Hudson-Smith has made it to the 400m semi-finals at the Olympics
- The Wolverhampton athlete dominated his heat with the quickest time
- Great Britain’s Charlie Dobson also advanced to the 400m semi-final
Matthew Hudson-Smith secured his place in the men’s 400m semi-finals at the Olympic Games by winning the first heat at the Stade de France.
The Wolverhampton runner clocked in at 44.78 seconds, the fastest time, ahead of the USA’s Christopher Bailey, who finished in 44.89, and Norway’s Havard Bentdal Ingvaldsen.
Hudson-Smith had to sit out the Tokyo 2020 Olympics due to a series of injuries and has made a remarkable comeback from mental health challenges.
Once a youth athlete in the Wolves academy and a former housemate of American world sprint champion Noah Lyles, he rebounded from tough times, sharing his journey after winning world bronze in 2022.
He further excelled to claim world silver the following year, and at the recent London Diamond League just two weeks ago, he achieved a world-leading time of 43.74, breaking his own European record and sending a clear message to his competitors.
Matthew Hudson-Smith secured his place in the Olympic men’s 400m semi-final after winning the first heat at Stade de France.
The Wolverhampton track star was the fastest finisher in the heat with a time of 44.78 seconds
Hudson-Smith was previously forced to miss the Tokyo 2020 Olympics after a series of injuries and setbacks
In a significant development before the fourth heat, it was revealed that defending Olympic champion from the Bahamas, Steven Gardiner, had withdrawn from the heats.
The 28-year-old was scheduled to compete in heat four alongside medal contender Quincy Hall, but no reason was provided for his exit from the Stade de France.
Great Britain’s Charlie Dobson also made it through as top man in the sixth and final heat
Charlie Dobson from Great Britain also advanced as the winner of the sixth and final heat, finishing strong in 44.96 seconds.
Dobson, who raced against France’s Gilles Biron in lane four, expressed his excitement: ‘I’m very happy to finally compete; it feels like we’ve been here for two weeks, and the wait has been quite long.’
‘It felt comfortable out there and the atmosphere was incredible, especially with a French competitor in the race!’
Hudson-Smith and Dobson will aim to secure their spots in the final during the semi-finals on Tuesday evening.
