Jamaica’s national champion Malik James-King, Roshawn Clarke, and Jaheel Hyde have all secured spots in the semi-final round of the 400m hurdles following the preliminary heats on Monday at the Paris Olympics. They will be joined by the British Virgin Islands’ Olympic hopeful Kyron McMaster, marking a strong showing for Caribbean athletes in this event.

James-King, who posted a personal best of 47.42 to win the Jamaican national championships in June, delivered a smooth performance in the heats. He clocked 48.21 to comfortably win the last of five heats, securing his place as an automatic qualifier.

Clarke, who finished second to James-King at the Jamaican trial won Heat Four in a time of 48.17, ensuring his advancement to the semi-finals.

Hyde, competing in the opening heat against gold medal favorite Rai Benjamin, crossed the finish line in second place with a time of 49.08. Benjamin took the heat in an effortless 48.82. McMaster followed closely, securing third place in 49.24 to move on to the next round.

Among the other medal favorites, Norway’s Karsten Warholm emerged as the fastest qualifier for the semi-finals, winning Heat Two in an impressive 47.57. Frenchman Clement Docus achieved a lifetime best of 47.69 to take second place, while Abderrahman Samba of Qatar finished third in 48.85.

In another heat, Estonia’s Rasmus Magi led the pack with a winning time of 48.62, followed by the USA’s CJ Allen, who clocked 48.64. Brazil’s Alison dos Santos, another strong contender for a medal, secured his semi-final spot with a time of 48.85.