Paulien Couckuyt justified her place in the Diamond League final in Brussels, having already set the Belgian record in Lausanne on 21 August in 53.28 after finishing just off the podium at the European Championships in Birmingham.
At the Memorial Van Damme, the Belgian hurdler once again underlined her progress, with the battle for second place going down to the final moments of the race.
American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the world record-holder in 50.37 since the Paris 2024 Olympics and also the US record-holder over 400m flat in 47.78, is taking a break after giving birth to her daughter Savannah Michelle Levrone on 12 July.
The versatile 27-year-old had lit up the 2024 edition of the Memorial by winning a gala 400m and 200m. Her last competition appearance came at the Tokyo World Championships, where she claimed the title in the 400m flat and in the women’s 4x400m.