Kenya’s 400 meters hurdler, Wiseman Mukhobe Were, has made it to the semifinals at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. He ran a time of 48.58 seconds, finishing 5th in his heat at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Paris, on Monday morning.

Were’s time wasn’t enough for automatic qualification, but it was fast enough to move him to the next round. In his heat, all but one of the eight athletes ran under 49 seconds, allowing Were and two others to qualify for the semifinals based on their times.

In the men’s 400 meters hurdles, there were five heats. The top three finishers in each heat moved on to the semifinals automatically, and the next three fastest times also advanced. Athletes who didn’t qualify this way will compete in the repechage round for the remaining six semifinal spots.

Roshawn Clarke won Were’s heat with a time of 48.17 seconds, followed by Nigerian Ezekiel Nathaniel (48.38 seconds) and France’s Wilfried Hippio (48.42 seconds). Alessandro Sibilio of Italy finished fourth with 48.43 seconds, and Nick Smidt of the Netherlands, who finished sixth, ran a season-best 48.64 seconds, ensuring all top six finishers in that heat made it to the semifinals.

Gerald Drummond of Costa Rica (7th, 48.80 seconds) and Germany’s Constantin Preis (8th, 49.99 seconds) will get another chance to qualify in the repechage round on Tuesday, August 6. The semifinals will take place on Wednesday, August 7.