Naser Sets Record with Stunning Performance on Track

Bahrain’s superstar sprinter Salwa Eid Naser added another sparkling achievement to her already illustrious career with a dominant victory in the women’s 400 metres at the Weltklasse Zurich meeting in Switzerland  the final showdown of this season’s Wanda Diamond League.

In a stunning display of speed and control, Naser clocked 48.70 seconds, setting a new meeting record and comfortably defeating a world-class field, including reigning world and Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic. The win earned Naser her third Diamond Trophy, following her previous triumphs in 2018 and 2019, and delivered a clear signal that she is back to top form ahead of the World Athletics Championships 2025 in Tokyo.

“Coming here, I was a bit scared because I thought it was going to be really cold, but in fact, it is nice and warm,” Naser shared after the race. “This definitely gives me a lot of self-confidence because after the last competitions, I needed this. I just tried my best to finish strong. This is what I needed before Tokyo.”

Her time was just three-hundredths of a second off her season best of 48.67s, and not far from her personal best of 48.14s  the third-fastest time ever run over the distance.

Paulino settled for second place in 49.23s, with Henriette Jaeger of Norway placing third in 49.49s. The top eight were rounded out by Martina Weil of Chile (49.72s), Amber Anning of the UK (49.75s), Isabella Whittaker of the US (49.99s), Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands (50.23s), and Natalia Bukowiecka of Poland (51.06s).

With Tokyo on the horizon, Naser said her focus is now on fine-tuning: “I think we are going back to training now to work on the last details we have been training for a long time. I train in Spain, and it is on my coach now.”

Naser’s win marks the sixth Diamond Trophy won by a Bahraini athlete in Diamond League history. In addition to her three titles, Bahrain has also celebrated victories from Winfred Yavi in the 3,000m steeplechase in 2023, and Ruth Jebet, who claimed the same title in 2016 and 2017.

As Bahrain’s #SpeedQueen heads into her final preparations for Tokyo, the athletics world will be watching closely. Few doubt that Naser is ready to chase down another global title.