World champion at 22, Alison dos Santos says he can be faster

Frenchman Wilfried Happio completed the final of the 400 m hurdles of the World Athletics Championships in 47.41. The time would be enough for the gold medal in 14 of the last 17 editions of the competition. In 2022, in Eugene, United States, the best mark of his career earned him fourth place.

The numbers help to show the quality of the competition, held on Tuesday night (19), which gave Brazilian Alison dos Santos the world title. Four of the eight finalists had the best performances of their lives. American Rai Benjamin, silver medalist, set his record for the season.

“I didn’t worry about the time, because it’s the first time I’m a world champion. I think I can be faster,” said the 22-year-old from São Paulo, who didn’t need to force the pace in the last part of the course. Winner after 46s29, he had a very comfortable lead over Benjamin, who recorded 46s89. The American Trevor Bassit closed the podium with 47.39.

“You never do the perfect test. I’ll always look for ways to improve,” said Piu, as the Brazilian is called because of his similarity to another Piu from his hometown, São Joaquim da Barra.

In fact, its evolution has been constant. In 2019, he became a more well-known figure when he won gold at the Pan American Games in Lima at age 19. A champion with a time of 48.45 seconds, he began to realize that it was possible to take bigger leaps: “Always running with the best result gives you consistency to reach the Worlds and not lower your head to anyone”.

Three years later, his time is already more than two seconds better. He didn’t lower his head to anyone, became world champion and still sees a lot of room for growth. The world record set by Norwegian Karsten Warholm (45.94 at the Tokyo Olympics), says Alison, is achievable.

“The question isn’t even if it’s possible. It’s when we will arrive,” he said, asking if he and others can surpass the impressive number. “We are aware that this mark is possible. There was a time when running below 47 seconds was distant. Below 46 seconds was also possible, it is not anymore. It is possible to dream.”

In addition to the record, there is another dream on the horizon, Olympic gold. Bronze in Tokyo, Piu is certainly among the favorites for the Paris Games in 2024, but he has two big competitors, Warholm and Benjamin.

The record holder Warholm, 26, arrived at the Worlds from Eugene with physical problems after a muscle injury in June. He held up reasonably well until halfway through the decision, but he hit a wall, couldn’t keep the pace and was only seventh, with an uncharacteristic time of 48.42. Even Paris, he has time to react and promises to do so.

Rai Benjamin, 24, silver in Tokyo and silver this week at the Worlds, had the season hampered by Covid-19 and tendinitis. He will be another tough rival for the Brazilian, who, however, is already the world champion and is no longer considered an underdog.

Piu is ambitious and says, in the third person, that “30 or 40 years from now, they will remember what Alison dos Santos did in athletics”. Always smiling, he manages to say this without sounding arrogant and has in fact worked hard with coach Felipe de Siqueira to achieve his goals.

The respect of opponents he already has. That of athletic legends, too. The American Edwin Moses, 66, sovereign in the 400 m hurdles between the 1970s and 1980s (two-time Olympic champion, would most likely be tri if the United States had not boycotted the Moscow Games in 1980), sees a lot of quality in the Brazilian .

“Dos Santos’ technique is much more efficient over barriers,” he told the World Athletics (the international athletics federation) website, comparing the Paulista to his rivals. “And obviously he has speed.”

Also a two-time world champion, Moses went on to win 122 consecutive races, including 107 finals, between 1977 and 1987. He set an enduring world record (47.13) in 1980, and he never had a worthy opponent.

The current record holder has.