Just when you thought the insane and unfathomable triple by the legendary Natalie Dumas at the New Balance National Championships couldn't get even more impressive, it just did!!!
Wait until you read this!!!!
According to a fantastic in depth story by South Jersey track and field historian and reporter Reuben Frank, Dumas is the first woman in the history of the world (that's everyone who has ever run on any level), to run as fast as 51.14 in the 400, 55.99 in the 400 hurdles, and 2:00.11 in the 800 in their whole career!!!
The indefatigable Dumas, who recently completed her junior year at Eastern High in Voorhees, N.J. did it all in the span of 48 hours this past weekend at historic Franklin Field in Philadelphia.
And she's only 16!!! Dumas will turn 17 on Aug. 7, which happens to be the same birthday as legendary 4-time Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.
Oh, Dumas also managed to find time to slip in a 2:03.90 anchor on the runner-up SMR squad!!
Here's a quick look back at one of the most stunning and mind-blowing trifectas in the history of this sport at any level!!! It truly is a performance for the ages!!!
Starting on Friday afternoon, Dumas won the 400 hurdles in a meet record 55.99, No. 6 all-time. About two hours later, she split 2:03.90 on the runner-up SMR.
On Saturday, she won the 400 by diving across the line, stopping the clock at a 51.14, a NJ record, another meet record, and No. 6 all-time!
Then on Sunday, she sent the track and field world into an absolute frenzy by completing the most ridiculous triple we've ever seen with yet another head-spinning victory as she won the ,800 in a US No. 5 all-time 2:00.11, another NJ record and another meet record!!!
Let's get back for a moment to the tireless research by Frank, one of the best T&F reporters in NJ history.
In case you're wondering how Frank was able to determine that no one in the history of the world has ever run as fast as Dumas in the 400, 400 hurdles, and 800, here is how he researched it -
"Armed with the fantastic World Athletics database, I got to work,'' Frank wrote in his brilliant story. "In world history, 468 women have run 55.99 or faster in the 400-meter hurdles. So I went through every one, clicked on their World Athletics profile, then clicked on the "statistics" tab, then clicked on the "personal bests" tab and looked for their 800 PR. Most didn't have one. The ones who had one at 2:00.11 or faster I looked next for their flat 400 PR.
Then I repeated that for the 467 women other than Dumas who have run 55.99 or faster. Actually, I only had to check 358 women because we had already established that no American had done it. So I only had to look up the 358 non-Americans.''
We may never see another performance that matches what Dumas did.
Until she does it again next year?!!!!!
Stay tuned!!
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