Rayen Cherni on his way to a championship record to win the race walk at WU20 Lima 24 (© Oscar Munoz Badilla)
Rayen Cherni set a championship record in the men’s 10,000m race walk to win the first ever gold medal for Tunisia at the World Athletics U20 Championships, while China’s Baima Zhuoma dominated the women’s race during the final morning session of action in Lima on Friday (30).
In a hard-fought men’s race, the top 17 all set area or national U20 records, or achieved PBs, with Cherni winning in an African U20 record of 39:24.85, Mexico’s Emiliano Barba securing silver in a North and Central American U20 record of 39:27.10 and Italy’s Giuseppe Disabato gaining bronze in a national U20 record of 39:31.25.
Australia’s Isaac Beacroft, who won the U20 title on the roads at the World Race Walking Team Championships in Antalya in April, finished fourth on the track in Lima, setting an Oceanian U20 record of 39:36.39, while Japan’s Sohtaroh Osaka finished fifth in a PB of 39:39.36.
"I feel like I am in a state of endless joy," said the winner.
It was Germany’s Frederick Weigel who had taken the early lead, but Osaka, Beacroft and Kenya’s Stephen Ndangiri Kihu took control by the halfway point, passed in 20:05.03.
As the pace gradually picked up, the lead pack whittled down, and Barba, Disabato and Cherni made their break. Six athletes remained in contention with four laps to go and eventually 17-year-old Cherni left his rivals behind to win by more than two seconds.
In the women’s race, Baima looked calm and in control throughout. The field quickly spaced out and the 19-year-old, who claimed Asian U20 silver in April, was well clear as she passed the 5000m mark in 21:47.33.
Baima Zhuoma on her way to the world U20 10,000m race walk title (© Oscar Munoz Badilla)
She was followed by India’s Aarti and her Chinese teammate Chen Meiling, last year’s Asian U20 champion, with Romania’s 17-year-old Alessia Cristina Pop, the European U18 silver medallist, looking determined behind them.
While Baima was never under threat, Aarti seemed to be moving away from Chen, but with two red cards Aarti had to be cautious and Chen made her move, passing her rival with three and a half laps to go.
Baima maintained her lead to cruise to victory in a world U20 lead and big PB of 43:26.60, as Chen held on for silver to complete a 1-2 for China in a PB of 44:30.67. Aarti claimed bronze in an Indian U20 record of 44:39.39, while Pop also set a national U20 record of 44:54.32 in fourth. Similar to the men’s race, the top 16 all set national records or PBs.
"I was nervous at first," said Baima, "but my coach told me: 'It's okay. If you fail, you fail, just keep going.'"
Jarvinen in decathlon spotlight
Czechia’s Tomas Jarvinen maintained his winning momentum in the decathlon and put himself on track for a big score.
The overnight leader started day two with 4358 points, 211 ahead of Poland’s Hubert Troscianka. Jarvinen won the 110m hurdles in 13.78 but made a huge statement in the discus, throwing 49.18m – a PB by more than eight metres – to dominate that discipline.
He then cleared 4.60m, 10cm off his PB, in the pole vault and with two events to go – the javelin and 1500m – he has 7004 points. Troscianka remains in second on 6585 after clocking 14.26, throwing 44.98m and clearing 4.40m.
Florian Vriezen of the Netherlands moved up into third on 6355 after clearing a PB of 4.80m in the pole vault, matching the height achieved by Alexandre Montagne of France who sits in fourth place on 6328.
Tomas Jarvinen celebrates his discus throw in the world U20 decathlon in Lima (© Enzo Santos Barreiro)
The penultimate day of competition at the World Athletics U20 Championships Lima 24 got off to a busy start, with heats for the 4x100m and 4x400m also all taking place.
After their mixed 4x400m team claimed gold on the opening day, Australia went quickest in the women’s 4x400m heats and also progressed safely from the first round of the men’s heats.
The women’s team clocked 3:33.55, with the other heats won by Italy (3:34.14) and Colombia (3:38.01).
USA went quickest in the men’s heats, running 3:05.16. Australia won their heat in 3:08.99 and Japan the third heat in 3:07.04.
Jamaica (43.81), anchored by individual 100m champion Alana Reid, plus USA (44.22), Australia (44.76) and Switzerland (44.88) were among the teams to qualify for the women’s 4x100m final, but Great Britain, Nigeria and France were among those to miss out following disqualification.
South Africa, whose men’s 4x100m squad in Lima features two of the athletes who claimed relay silver at the Paris Olympics in Bayanda Walaza and Bradley Nkoana, will not have the chance to attempt to add a world U20 honour to that Olympic medal after they were unable to get the baton around. USA will also miss out as they could not complete their heat.
Jamaica qualified quickest, winning their heat in 39.54. They will be joined in the final by Thailand, who were anchored by individual silver medallist Puripol Boonson and set a national U20 record of 39.56, and Korea, also with a national U20 record of 39.71.
Jarno van Daalen will have the opportunity to go for a second throws medal in Lima after winning the shot put title on day one. The Dutch athlete didn’t manage the automatic qualification mark of 60.00m but his 58.92m was enough for him to advance.
Five athletes did surpass 60 metres: South Africa’s Juan Marais (61.54m) and Michael Wesley Badenhorst (60.09m PB), Ukraine’s 2022 bronze medallist Mykhailo Brudin (61.39m), USA’s Bryce Ruland (61.11m PB), China’s Jiang Zehao (60.63m)
Three athletes achieved the automatic qualification mark of 15.80m in the women’s shot put, USA’s Akaoma Odeluga leading the way with 16.55m. Czechia’s Martina Mazurova threw a PB of 16.13m and Chiang Ching-Yuan of Chinese Taipei, who finished sixth in the discus, managing 15.87m. Australia’s discus bronze medallist Marley Raikiwasa also did enough to progress to the final with a best throw of 14.63m, but USA’s Gracelyn Leiseth just missed out with her best of 14.42m.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics
