U.S. dreams of 4th consecutive win in men's 400m-hurdles world title

The final of men's 400m hurdles at the Daegu world athletics championships will take place on Thursday, and the United States surely dreams of retaining the title after winning gold in this event at each of the last three editions. Yet to be sure, their dream is expected to encounter tough challenges from South Africa. The U.S. has got two experienced hurdlers in a startlist of eight athletes in Thursday's final -- former world champion Bershawn Jackson and two-time Olympic champion Angelo Taylor. Jackson, who is also a capable 400-meter runner, claimed the victory in the men's 400m hurdles in 2005 at the Helsinki World Championships. He also collected the bronze at the Berlin World Championships in 2009. This year, the 28-year-old has enjoyed another consistent season on the European circuit with a series of top three finishers. His personal best of 2011 is 47.93 seconds, which he set in June in the homeland city of Eugene. Americans' dream of the fourth world title in a row is bolstered by the presence of Taylor in the final. He is the winner of 400m hurdles at the 2000 and 2008 Summer Olympics. The 33-year-old veteran has never landed a World title. But he appears to be rounding into form at the right time after an impressive victory in Monaco in 47.97sec last month. South Africa has also got two hurdlers in the final -- L.J Van Zyl and Cornel Fredericks, who probably hold South Africa's last realistic chance for a track gold medal in Daegu. Van Zyl, fifth in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, sneaked into the final after finishing second behind Jackson with a time of 49.05sec