Newly-crowned 400-metre world champion, Jamaica’s Antonio Watson, reveals he feels excited and great to win his first-ever World Athletics Championships gold medal after causing an upset in the final in Budapest, Hungary, on Thursday.
The 21-year-old raced past the finish line first in a time of 44.22 seconds, while Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith took silver and Quincy Hall of the United States secured bronze, with former two-time world champion Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa in last place.
“I am feeling great and feeling very excited. All my family, my friends and my coaches are very proud right now,” he said.
“Well, I had a mini-flashback to 2017 when I won the world under-18 400-metre title in Nairobi, [Kenya].
“It is just a great feeling to know that I am here right now and I am the men’s 400-metre world champion.”
What a home straight ????
????????'s Antonio Watson is your 400m world champion!#WorldAthleticsChamps pic.twitter.com/n8Eroypaz2
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) August 24, 2023
Watson added that he was excited to make the people of Jamaica proud along with his compatriot Danielle Williams, who had also shocked the world to win the 100-meter women’s hurdles title some minutes earlier.
“Yes, it is making them back home [in Jamaica] proud and those here are very proud.”
“Many people came out to watch us tonight [Thursday] and we delivered two golds. It was very exciting,” Watson concluded.
Jamaica finished Day 6 of the World Athletics Championships with five medals—two gold, one silver, and two bronze—and they currently sit third on the overall medal table.
