Inspired decision by Mucheru to focus on 400mH

Boniface Tumuti Mucheru reached the finals of the 400m hurdles at the 2015 World athletics championships. In the process Mucheru clocked 48.29 and beat Two time world champion and one time Olymmpic champion Kerron Clement of the USA.

Mucheru won a bronze medal in the 400m flat at the 2014 African championships. He would have been expected to continue in that event but he chose to switch to the 400m hurdles. It now appears to be an excellent decision as he had very little chance of excelling at world level in the 400m flat.  He clocked 48.29, missing the Kenya record by only 0.05 of a second.

In the other semi-final, Nicholas Bett finished second to qualify for the final. Bett was a bronze medalist at the 2014 Africa athletics championships

It is not the first time that two Kenyans have reached the finals of the 400m hurdles at the world championships. For example as far back as 1993, Eric Keter and Barnabas Kinyor both made the final. It was then that Keter set the Kenya record of 48.24 that lasts to this day.

Race Video

Semi final Results 1

1	705	Boniface Mucheru Tumuti	KEN	48.29 Q	PB	0.165
2	1005	Kerron Clement	USA	48.50 Q		0.170
3	863	Timofey Chalyy	RUS	48.69	PB	0.178
4	599	Thomas Barr	IRL	48.71		0.196
5	454	Rasmus Mägi	EST	48.76		0.132
6	158	Abdelmalik Lahoulou	ALG	48.87	NR	0.188
7	643	Annsert Whyte	JAM	48.90	SB	0.181
8	222	Michaël Bultheel	BEL	49.66		0.152

Semi final Results 3

1	1063	Michael Tinsley	USA	48.47 Q		0.156
2	679	Nicholas Bett	KEN	48.54 Q		0.170
3	911	Kariem Hussein	SUI	48.59		0.153
4	518	Niall Flannery	GBR	49.17		0.181
5	822	Javier Culson	PUR	49.36		0.186
6	628	Leford Green	JAM	49.59		0.173
7	754	Kurt Couto	MOZ	50.58		0.177
8	664	Yuki Matsushita	JPN	51.10		0.181