Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser is aiming for another world title in Tokyo after showcasing extraordinary form this season.

Prior to this year, she had only broken the 49-second barrier twice, both times in global championship finals. However, this year she has surpassed that mark four times, starting wiht early season runs of 48.94 and 48.67, the latter being a world lead. more recently, she achieved a 48.85 runner-up finish in Paris and a 48.70 victory at the Diamond League Final in Zurich.

World and Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino enters Tokyo with a 3-2 winning record over naser this season. Naser’s victory in Zurich, where she beat Paulino by more than half a second, held significant statistical and psychological importance.

Paulino, who achieved a personal best of 48.17 to win the Olympic title last year, placing her fourth on the world all-time list, just 0.03 and one place behind Naser, remains a strong contender.

However, hurdles superstar Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is also focusing on the 400m flat in Tokyo.

The 26-year-old, who holds the world record for the 400m hurdles at 50.37, won the US title in 48.90 earlier this year, just 0.16 shy of her personal best.she may need to improve on the US record of 48.70 to beat Paulino and Naser in Tokyo.

McLaughlin-Levrone is joined on the US team by Aliyah Butler and Isabella Whittaker. Butler, 21, ran a personal best of 49.09 at the Monaco Diamond League meeting, finishing just 0.03 behind Paulino.

Whittaker became the second-fastest woman of all time indoors with her 49.24 clocking earlier this year. She later set an outdoor personal best of 49.58 to win at the Diamond League meeting in Oslo.

henriette Jaeger finished a close second in that race, clocking a Norwegian record of 49.62. The world indoor bronze medallist went on to reduce that to 49.49 with her third-place finish at the Diamond League Final.

Other athletes to watch include world indoor champion Amber Anning, Olympic bronze medallist Natalia Bukowiecka, the much-improved Martina Weil of Chile, and Jamaican duo Nickisha Pryce and Dejanea Oakley.

Key Contenders in Tokyo

“Naser’s victory in Zurich – where she beat Paulino by more than half a second – was significant, both statistically and psychologically.”

Several athletes are poised to challenge for the top spots in the upcoming competition. The field is exceptionally competitive, with numerous runners having achieved impressive times this season.