Tebogo returns with blistering 200m and heptathlon begins on third morning in Cali

A scintillating 19.99 (0.4m/s) 200m championship record for Letsile Tebogo just hours after his world U20 record-breaking 100m victory highlighted the third morning of action at the World Athletics U20 Championships Cali 22 on Wednesday (3). 

The 19-year-old from Botswana claimed the 200m silver medal at the 2021 World U20 Championships in Nairobi and few would bet against him capturing the half lap gold medal on Thursday evening. 

"It’s all part of the plan, you never know how the weather will be in the afternoon but you just go for it when it permits," Tebogo said of his record-breaking time. "I wasn’t on social media last night, I just went to the hotel and slept. I did not celebrate - we’ll celebrate after we’re done with every competition because we do not want to be distracted by all this.

"Anything is possible at 200m when you look at the times. I don’t know what the others will do but I could go for the gold, I could go for the silver - you’ll see the best of me in the final.”  

Behind him, 17-year-old Blessing Akawasi Afrifah of Israel clocked a 20.37 (-0.3m/s) national U20 record a year on from finishing seventh in Nairobi, while Great Britain’s 19-year-old Jeriel Quainoo – a European U20 4x100m gold medallist – was timed at 20.56 (-0.3m/s).

The youngest of the 70-strong field at 16, Thailand’s Puripol Boonson, ran 20.68, having earlier in the season recorded 20.19 to become the third-fastest U18 200m sprinter in history behind only Erriyon Knighton and Usain Bolt. He was also returning to the track following his fourth-place finish in the 100m in Cali.

Other notable qualifiers included Australia’s Calab Law, a semifinalist from the World Athletics Championships Oregon22, with 20.72, plus South African duo Bradley Oliphant and Benjamin Richardson, the 100m bronze medallist in Cali.

The USA’s Brandon Miller also progressed with 20.79 as a total of 15 men went under 21 seconds. 

Close heptathlon battle building after two events 

The heptathlon got under way with Saga Vanninen igniting her title defence with a bang with a fine 13.52 (-1.3m/s) lifetime best in the 100m hurdles. 

The 19-year-old from Finland is aiming to become the first two-time world U20 heptathlon champion since Carolina Kluft achieved the feat 20 years ago, and the European U20 gold medalist will have her own 6271 national record in her sights in Cali. 

France’s Luna Goureau also recorded a 13.39 (-1.3m/s) personal best for the quickest mark of all, and others to impress included Spain’s Sofia Cosculluela, who ran a 13.74 (-0.3m/s) lifetime best, and Sandrina Sprengel of Germany, with a 13.94 (-1.3m/s) personal best. Seventeen-year-old Liisa-Maria Lusti of Estonia registered 13.95. 

The second event arrived an hour later with the high jump and it was Sprengel who emerged the overall event leader, following a fine 1.81m lifetime best to collect 991 points to move from fourth place into the gold medal spot, with a 1978 score. 

Lusti herself progressed from fifth to second place overall after a 1.78m leap and 1938 score, while Vanninen dropped from second to third with a best of 1.72m for 1926 points.

Great Britain’s 17-year-old Eloise Hind equalled her 1.78m personal best to move up from eighth into fourth with 1920, as the USA’s JaiCieonna Gero-Holt  – only fifteen years of age – collected 1029 points with 1.81m to swiftly rise through the ranks from 20th to fifth with a 1903 score.

The two men’s 3000m heats were both a considerably swift affair, both won in under eight minutes, as Kenya’s 17-year-old Edwin Kimosong Kisalsak led the fastest qualifiers for Friday afternoon’s final with 7:55.60.

The 5000m bronze medallist in Cali on Monday evening, Habtom Samuel of Eritrea, clocked a 7:56.70 season’s best - the 18-year-old looking to improve on his 3000m bronze medal from Nairobi. 

Among those joining them in the final include Ethiopia’s Diriba Girma (7:57.16), 5000m fifth-place finisher in Cali Rogers Kibet of Uganda (7:57.18) and Felix Kiptarus Korir of Kenya (7:58.12).

Eighth in Nairobi, Dan Kibet of Uganda registered 7:59.71 to progress, as did Japan’s Keita Sato with a 8:00.17 season’s best and Nairobi 1500m bronze medallist Melkeneh Azize of Ethiopia (8:00.37).

The fastest qualifiers in the three men’s 3000m steeplechase heats were led by Ethiopia’s 18-year-old Samuel Duguna, who sped to a 8:44.83 clocking ahead of Saturday’s final. 

Kenya’s Haron Kibet, 19, also progressed with 8:47.25, while Tomas Habarta recorded 8:47.36 - a Czech U20 record for the 19-year-old.

Fourth in Nairobi, Samuel Firewu of Ethiopia progressed with 8:49.27, as did 17-year-old Emmanuel Wafula of Kenya (8:49.57) and Uganda’s Nairobi seventh-place finisher, Leonard Chemutai (8:51.09). 

Morocco’s world U20 leader with 8:19.63, Salaheddine Ben Yazide, qualified with a 8:50.70 run - the 19-year-old having finished 13th in his heat at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 last month.

Home hope Linares through to long jump final

Spain’s 18-year-old Evelyn Yankey jumped the farthest in the women’s long jump qualification round for Friday afternoon’s final, with 6.34m (-0.2m/s).

Just 5cm separated the top five and close behind Yankey was Marta Amouhin Amani of Italy, the 17-year-old jumping 6.32m (0.7m/s), while Colombia’s home hope Natalia Linares reached 6.31m (-0.7m/s) to also progress. 

The 19-year-old local set a national U20 record of 6.68m in July and is a much-improved competitor from the one who placed 12th at the World U20 Championships in Nairobi, so she will undoubtedly be one to watch with the home support. 

Others to go through were Great Britain’s Molly Palmer, the 18-year-old registering a 6.31m lifetime best, and Bulgaria’s Plamena Mitkova, 17, with 6.29m.  

"I’m very happy, I didn’t expect it," said Yankey. "It took me a while to get a good approach but I’ve worked hard this year to get here, I still have a little more to go until the final, improve my marks and I want to give it my all during the final."

Linares said: "There was a little bit of pressure to start this competition as the second best in the world. Everyone looks at you and they are all waiting for you to come up with something amazing, but I felt so good with all the other athletes."

Sixth in Nairobi but with a 68.04m national U20 record under her belt this summer, Italy's Rachele Mori will be looking to take the women’s hammer throw title in Cali, and the 19-year-old only needed one throw to qualify for Friday afternoon’s final - unleashing an impressive 64.83m in the opening round. 

Germany’s Jada Julien, 18, threw the second-farthest mark with 63.20m, as Mexico’s 19-year-old Paola Bueno Calvillo registered a 63.14m national U20 record. 

There was another national U20 record for Ecuador's Nereida Santa Cruz, who threw 62.37m, while others to move forward include Hungary’s Jazmin Csatari (61.98m), Ireland’s Nicola Tuthill (61.87m PB) and Audrey Jacobs of the Netherlands (61.81m).  

Puerto Rico’s 18-year-old Yan Manuel Vazquez clocked a 50.66 lifetime best to top the list of qualifiers for Thursday afternoon’s 400m hurdles semifinals, while Nairobi fifth-place finisher, Matic Ian Gucek of Slovenia, was timed at 50.68.

Thanks to his 49.39 personal best to take the Jamaican title last month, Roshawn Clarke is the pre-race favourite and the 18-year-old clocked 50.71 to progress, in addition to Belgium’s Mimoun Abdoul Wahab, who ran a 50.92 lifetime best.

Japan’s Sojiro Moritaka (51.04), USA’s Grant Wiiliams (51.12) and Great Britain’s 17-year-old Onyekachukwu Okoh also continued their Cali campaign - the latter with a 51.13 personal best. 

Turkey’s Ismail Nezir, who lowered his best to 49.59 last month at the Mediterranean Games, ran 51.25 to also advance.

"I’m feeling quite good about my performance," said Clarke. "It really helped to build my confidence more. Lane seven is one of the lanes I feel most comfortable in. The plan for the semis is to make the final as comfortable as possible.”

Nicola Sutton for World Athletics