Sub-49 Scorcher! Kaczmarek Claims European Title, Eyes Paris Podium

ROME: With fewer than 50 days until the Paris Olympics, American phenom Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is leading the way in the 400 meters as predicted.

However, Nickisha Pryce of Jamaica and Natalia Kaczmarek of Poland are not far behind.

At the European Athletics Championships on Monday, Kaczmarek recorded a time of 48.98 seconds, becoming the third woman to break the 49-second mark in a row.

On Monday, Kaczmarek broke the 49-second mark for the third day in a row with a time of 48.98 seconds at the European Athletics Championships.

At the NCAA championships on Saturday, Pryce gave Arkansas the early lead with a 48.89. In response, McLaughlin-Levrone scored 48.75 on Sunday in New York.

In Rome, Irena Szewinska's 48-year-old Polish national record of 49.28 was smashed by Kaczmarek, who in the last meters blew by Rhasidat Adeleke of Ireland to post the quickest time by a European this century.

Silver in 49.07 went to Adeleke, who assisted Ireland in winning the 4×400 mixed relay. In 50.08, the Netherlands' Lieke Klaver took bronze.

Alexander Doom of Belgium also overcame a late disadvantage to win the men's 400 meters in a championship record 44.15, ahead of Liemarvin Bonevacia of the Netherlands and Charles Dobson of Britain in 44.38 and 44.88, respectively.

"I was dreaming about the Polish record coming in, but this 48.98 was something beyond my imagination," said Kaczmarek, who took home the silver medal at the world championships the previous year.

Subsequently, Timothe Mumenthaler from Switzerland hushed the domestic audience by defeating Filippo Tortu, the anchorman from Italy's 4x100 gold medal winning team at the Tokyo Olympics, to win the 200 in 20.28.

Tortu remarked, "It was a wasted opportunity." "It was easy to get to the gold. It's simply that I ran poorly. I can't enjoy this silver because it's so sad."