UGA sophomore sets 400m indoor world record

Canada’s Christopher Morales Williams raced to a world indoor record in the 400 meters at the SEC championships Saturday in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

The 19-year-old Georgia sophomore flew to a time of 44.49 seconds to break the previous mark of 44.57 set by American Kerron Clement in 2005 on the same track.

Morales Williams shaved nearly a second off his previous best time set earlier in the month.

The Canadian from Vaughan, just north of Toronto, missed two years of high school track when schools were shut during the pandemic. He did daily solo long distance runs during that time for training, working up to 7.5 miles.

Morales Williams chose Georgia largely because of coach Caryl Smith Gilbert, who trained fellow Canadian sprinter and Olympic champion Andre De Grasse at USC.

His record is subject to World Athletics’ ratification process.

The Arkansas men’s and women’s teams swept the SEC titles for the fifth straight year.

Reuters contributed to this report.