On a chilly evening in Stockholm, former Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad delivered her fastest 400m hurdles performance since 2021, clocking 52.91 seconds to finish second behind Femke Bol’s 52.11 meeting record.
But beyond the placing, this was a deeply personal win for Muhammad. The time not only marked a season’s best but also broke a 39-year-old World Masters record for athletes over 35.
Her path back hasn’t been smooth. A difficult indoor season left questions about whether the 34-year-old could still contend on the global stage.
But the signs started to shift at the Kingston Grand Slam Track Meet, where Muhammad pushed reigning Olympic champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone harder than expected. Then came Oslo, a breakthrough.
Muhammad stormed to 53.34 seconds for her first Diamond League win in three years, a race that suggested her name still belonged among the elite.
“Back to the Drawing Board”
Speaking after the race, Muhammad admitted her journey is far from over.
“It feels nice to race again today, right after Oslo. I actually feel a lot better today. I had a bit of a hamstring issue in Oslo. I think the weather there just got to me, but I feel a lot better today. Looking forward to Tokyo, I’ll be going back to training, back to the drawing board and want to get under 52 seconds again.”
Muhammad’s personal best of 51.58 seconds makes her the third-fastest woman in history, behind Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Femke Bol. Achieving another sub-52 at this stage of her career would be monumental, not just statistically, but symbolically.
Dalilah Muhammad’s resume already reads like a track and field hall-of-fame entry. Olympic gold in 2016, silver in Tokyo 2021, two world titles in Doha 2019, and multiple Diamond League crowns.
In 2019, Muhammad famously shattered a 16-year-old world record with 52.20 at the U.S. Championships, only to lower it again to 52.16 months later at the World Championships.
Now, with the World Championship fast approaching, Muhammad heads back to training with one clear, personal mission.