McMaster places third in second fastest 400m hurdles race in history

British Virgin Islands athlete Kyron McMaster secured a podium finish in the second-fastest 400-metre hurdles race of all time.

He was competing at the recently-concluded IAAF Diamond League event held in Zurich, Switzerland on August 29.

Running out of lane number six, McMaster — who is ranked fifth fastest in the world this year — finished third with a time of 48.58 seconds.

Ahead of him in second place was the number two-ranked Rai Benjamin of the United States who ran 46.98 seconds — the joint third-fastest time in the history of the event.

The number one ranked Karsten Warholm of Norway took the gold medal in a record time of 46.92 seconds. The fastest time ever run in a 400-metre hurdle’s race is 46.78 seconds by Kevin Young of the United States back in 1992. Warholm has now come the closest to breaking that record.

Meanwhile, McMaster is the two-time defending Diamond League champion in the event after winning in 2017 and 2018 with times of 48.07 and 48.08, respectively.

This is McMaster’s second consecutive podium finish in a short five days after also finishing third at another Diamond League event in Paris on August 24. He ran a season’s best time of 48.33 seconds.

All focus will now be placed on the 2019 IAAF World Championships which is scheduled for September 27 in Doha Qatar.

It will see McMaster, local long jumper Chantel Malone and national shot-put record holder Eldred Henry all competing for a podium position in their respective disciplines.

With their recent dominating performances in the international arena, President of the BVI Athletics Association Steve August believes McMaster and Malone are top contenders to for a World Championships medal.