RIO DE JANEIRO – In an Olympic 400m final that featured a world record, Texas A&M's Bralon Taplin finished in seventh place with a time of 44.45 seconds on Sunday evening.
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Competing in his first Olympic Games and representing Grenada, Tapin was in a prime position for the final. Stationed in lane four following his semifinal win on Saturday, Taplin had both LaShawn Merritt and Kirani James to his right in lanes five and six.
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However, it was Wayde Van Niekerk of South Africa in lane eight who won the race in a world record time of 45.03, breaking the 43.18 standard set by Michael Johnson in 1999 as well as the Olympic record of 43.49 established by Johnson in 1996.
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Running season best times placed the two previous Olympic champions in second and third with James posting a 43.76 for silver and Merritt clocking 43.85 for bronze. Trinidad & Tobago's Machel Cedenio finished fourth with a national record of 44.01.
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Earlier this season Taplin ran in the World Indoor Championships held in Portland during mid-March, placing fourth in the final. Then he opened the outdoor season in April with a then career best of 44.41 and lowered it to 44.38 for third place in Monaco in mid-July.
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Monday's action in the Olympic Stadium will include Latario Collie in triple jump qualifying along with the women's 200m first round for Simone Facey and Brenessa Thompson. In the evening session Shelbi Vaughan contests the discus qualifying round while Janeil Bellille runs in the first round of the women's 400m hurdles.
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Competing in his first Olympic Games and representing Grenada, Tapin was in a prime position for the final. Stationed in lane four following his semifinal win on Saturday, Taplin had both LaShawn Merritt and Kirani James to his right in lanes five and six.
Â
However, it was Wayde Van Niekerk of South Africa in lane eight who won the race in a world record time of 45.03, breaking the 43.18 standard set by Michael Johnson in 1999 as well as the Olympic record of 43.49 established by Johnson in 1996.
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Running season best times placed the two previous Olympic champions in second and third with James posting a 43.76 for silver and Merritt clocking 43.85 for bronze. Trinidad & Tobago's Machel Cedenio finished fourth with a national record of 44.01.
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Earlier this season Taplin ran in the World Indoor Championships held in Portland during mid-March, placing fourth in the final. Then he opened the outdoor season in April with a then career best of 44.41 and lowered it to 44.38 for third place in Monaco in mid-July.
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Monday's action in the Olympic Stadium will include Latario Collie in triple jump qualifying along with the women's 200m first round for Simone Facey and Brenessa Thompson. In the evening session Shelbi Vaughan contests the discus qualifying round while Janeil Bellille runs in the first round of the women's 400m hurdles.
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