GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Canada's Christopher Morales Williams broke a few more records in what's been a dazzling breakout season to date.
The 19-year-old Vaughan, Ont., native ran a world-leading time of 44.05 seconds to win the men's 400-metre event at the Southeastern Conference outdoor championships on Saturday.
The University of Georgia sophomore broke Tyler Christopher's Canadian record of 44.44 from 2005, reigning Olympic 100 silver medallist Fred Kerley's meet record of 44.09 from 2017, along with his school's and the facility's records.
"I was really happy to execute the way I did last night at the SECs," he said in a text Sunday. "It took a few races for me to find my rhythm outdoors. I obviously had confidence after the indoor season I had but I still had to get the job done outdoors.
"I'm really excited for the rest of the season and seeing how fast I can go at the Olympics."
Morales Williams's time was also faster than Antonio Watson's 44.22 that won the Jamaican gold at last year's world championships.
Alabama's Samuel Ogazi (44.58) and Khaleb McRae (44.68) finished second and third, respectively, on Saturday.
Morales Williams entered the event being the SEC and NCAA national 400 indoor champion.
He set a Canadian record and all-time best mark of 44.49 seconds at the SEC indoor championships in February.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 12, 2024.
The Canadian Press
