Superlatives are lacking the day after Ditaji Kambundji’s historic world title in the 100m hurdles at the Tokyo World Championships.
“A moment of glory sometimes only lasts 12.24 seconds. This is the time it took Ditaji Kambundji to achieve a perfect hurdle sprint and make athletics history, writes the “NZZ” journalist, who traveled to Japan and was struck by the two faces that the athlete was able to display. Shortly before the start, the world around her seems frozen, but as soon as she crosses the finish line, she looks like a teenager who has just unwrapped a great Christmas present.”
The wait was great
In tears a few seconds after realizing that she was right in front, the Bernese then radiated the Tokyo National Stadium with her smile. And even the other finalists were too happy for her. “They also came to kiss her and congratulate her warmly, a sign which, in this hypercompetitive environment, does not deceive,” explains “Le Temps”. “She also manages to ensure that the immense self-confidence she exudes is in no way perceived as presumptuous or arrogant,” underlines the “Aargauer Zeitung”.
Vice European champion last year outdoors and indoors this winter at the Worlds, Ditaji Kambundji knew she was eagerly awaited, in the wake of a promising summer at Athletissima and the Weltklasse. And she assured. “How can you be so hardened? When the pressure to perform is at its peak, the stomach knots before the start and the challenge seems insurmountable, that’s when Ditaji Kambundji takes on its full meaning. With her world champion title in Tokyo, she takes this unique ability to a new level,” writes the “Aargauer Zeitung”.
World record at 12 hundredths
In a commentary, the “Blick” notes that it is a perilous exercise to compare but that Ditaji Kambundji’s race is undoubtedly one of the greatest moments in the history of Swiss sport. “Unlike many other sports, athletics is less influenced by external factors. No referee or judge can influence a result, as in ski jumping or artistic gymnastics. No chance can decide victory or defeat, like in football or hockey, for example if a shot hits the post. And luck or a twist of fate cannot decide a match, like in cycling or motorsport.
Faced with her golden destiny, the Swiss produced a masterclass, from start to finish line, and shattered the time in 12”24. At 23, she has everything to one day achieve Tobi Amusan’s world record (12”12 in 2022). “In athletics, only your own performances count, the battle between women and raw figures, measured in hundredths of a second or in centimeters,” concludes the German-speaking daily.
