Jackson, winner of the US Trials was co-favourite with the gifted
Clement, who with 47.79 was the only man quicker than 48 seconds in
2008. With only 26 athletes across four heats, the first round was not
too competitive, with Taylor (48.67) and Buckley (48.65) the fastest.
Taylor won the first semi-final in 47.94, his quickest since his 2000
Olympic win, just edging Jackson (48.02), while Clement won the
other semi in 48.27 from McFarlane (48.50).
Taylor was off quickest in the final, and led by a metre at the first
hurdle, and was almost 2m clear of Clement crossing the fifth hurdle,
reached in 20.7. McFarlane was a clear third with Iakovakis and
Jackson next. Clement closed to within half a metre at the eighth, but
Taylor’s stride pattern was more certain than Clement’s and he came
off the final barrier 2m clear. This was extended to more than 5m by
the finish. Jackson went past McFarlane at the final hurdle and almost
caught the easing Clement. Taylor’s time broke his lifetime best, set in
Sydney in 2000, while McFarlane (36) lowered his world master’s best
