Watch: Janet Richard breaks 54-second barrier to set new 400m record at Euros
Janet Richard has set a new national mark in the 400m. Photo: Domenic Aquilina
Maltese sprinter Janet Richard managed to break the 54-second barrier on her way to setting a new national record in the 400 metres at the European Championships currently being held in Munich, Germany.
Competing in the third heat, Richard stormed round the track to cross the finish line in a time of 53.49 seconds.
Richard’s time was an impressive 0.5 seconds faster than her own previous best of 54.06 seconds she had set in the 2020 National Championships.
Janet Richard in action during the 400 metres heats.
The Maltese sprinter said that her performance left her speechless.
“A new national record!” Richard wrote on her facebook page.
“Still need time to process what just happened. Thank you so much for everyone’s support. This one means a lot.”
Richard ended the race in seventh place, just ahead of Finland runner Milja Thureson who clocked 53.63.
Poland’s Iga Baumgart-Witan won the race in a time of 51.09 seconds. She was joined in the next round by Amadine Brossier, of France, who clocked 51.26, and Austria’s Susanne Walli who had a time of 51.73 seconds.
