Jana Koscak in heptathlon action at the World Athletics U20 Championships Lima 24 (© Enzo Santos Barreiro)
The second morning of action at the World Athletics U20 Championships Lima 24 on Wednesday (28) saw a riveting duel take shape in the heptathlon, with Croatia’s Jana Koscak and Switzerland’s Lucia Acklin set to battle it out for gold in tonight’s 800m.
After six events, Koscak has the lead on 5044 points, 40 points clear of Acklin, with Australia’s Mia Scerri third on 4771. Koscak has the better 800m form but not by much, with a best of 2:19.14, while Acklin has run 2:20.84, which equates to a difference of 23 points. Acklin will likely need the run of her life to take gold and will have to come home close to three seconds in front of Koscak to take victory.
The battle for bronze should also be hard-fought. Scerri has run a hand-timed 2:16.4 for 800m while Adela Tkacova of Czechia, who is 38 points behind her on 4733, has run 2:18.00.
Day two began in fine fashion for Koscak, who had a best of 5.97m in the long jump to extend her advantage over Acklin to 85 points, the Swiss athlete jumping 5.90m. But Acklin struck back in the javelin, launching a PB of 42.36m compared to Koscak’s 40.06m. If she runs to form in the concluding 800m, then Koscak, the 2022 European U18 champion, looks poised to add the world U20 title.
Meanwhile, in the heats of the women’s 400m hurdles, Michelle Smith of the Virgin Islands was highly impressive, the teenager who finished fifth at the last edition in Cali looking very much a medallist in waiting here. She clocked 57.85 appearing to have lots left in the tank, with Candice von Plauen of France following her home in a PB of 58.00.
France’s Meta Tumba was also a dominant winner of her heat, clocking a controlled 58.05, with South Africa’s Tumi Ramokgopa winning her heat in 58.04. The other winners were Finland’s Mila Heikkonen (58.68) Australia’s Alesha Bennetts (59.04) and Poland’s Wiktoria Gadajska (58.62).
Finland’s Antti Sainio led the qualifiers from the men’s 400m hurdles heats, clocking 51.19 to coast to victory ahead of USA’s Premier Wynn (51.89). Japanese duo Kairi Gonda and Kyo Kikuta were also highly impressive winning their respective heats in 51.21 and 51.24. South Africa’s Njabulo Mbatha, who tops the entry lists via his 49.57 from April, also coasted to victory, clocking 51.42, with Vance Nilsson of USA (51.98), Daniel Wright of Jamaica (51.42) and Michal Rada of Czechia (52.26) also taking wins.
Nigeria’s Ella Onojuvwevwo was quickest in the women’s 400m heats, the Olympic semifinalist looking comfortable when coasting to the line in 52.19 ahead of Colombia’s Paolo Loboa, who set a PB of 52.81. Lurdes Gloria Manuel of Czechia, who like Onojuvwevwo was also an Olympic semifinalist in Paris, was edged to victory in her heat, clocking 52.76 behind Canada’s Dianna Proctor (52.73).
USA’s Michaela Mouton, one of just three women in the field to have broken 51 seconds, clocked 52.69 to win her heat, while there were also wins for Britain’s Charlotte Henrich (53.07), Italy’s Elisa Valensin (53.82) and USA’s Zaya Akins (52.69).
In the men’s 400m heats, Jayden Davis of USA led the qualifiers, taking victory in 46.32, while South Africa’s Udeme Okon looked the most relaxed heat winner of all, clocking 47.03. There were also wins for Japan’s Kentaro Shirahata (46.45), Poland’s Jakub Szarapo (46.95), Australia’s Terrell Thorne (46.44), USA’s Sidi Njie (46.83) and Botswana’s Ernest Kumevu (46.69).
Just two athletes hit the automatic mark of 53.00m in the women’s javelin qualification, with Germany’s Mirja Lukas launching 56.76m on her second attempt and China’s Yan Ziyi, the world U20 record-holder, throwing 55.67m on her first try. Croatia’s Vita Barbic threw 52.54m and Switzerland’s Sabrina Boss 52.30m, while Britain’s Ayesha Jones managed a PB of 51.78m to move on to the final. Asian U20 champion Chu Pin-Hsun of Chinese Taipei also advanced with her third-round effort of 50.75m.
In the men’s high jump qualification, USA’s Scottie Vines and Japan’s Kaisei Nakatani – who top the entries with their bests of 2.24m – both had no issues advancing, clearing 2.12m to ensure their place in the final, the automatic mark of 2.17m not needed for the 12 qualifiers. China’s Dong Ziang, USA’s Tito Alofe and Italy’s Matteo Sioli – who are all potential medallists – had no issues advancing.
Reigning world U20 champion Sharifa Davronova of Uzbekistan advanced to the women’s triple jump final but fell just shy of the automatic qualifying mark of 13.30m, the 17-year-old knowing she had done enough after a 13.24m effort in the second round.
China’s Li Yi, who topped the entry lists with her 13.99m in May, was the only jumper to achieve the big Q when opening with a 13.38m jump. Italy’s Erika Giorgia Anoeta Saraceni also impressed with a 13.29m jump, while Canada’s Asia Phillips (13.20m) and France’s Clemence Rougier (13.10m) also coasted into the final. The biggest casualty was Khushnoza Shavkatova, the two-time Asian U20 champion, who fell just 3cm shy of qualifying with her best of 12.79m.
The men’s 3000m steeplechase heats saw two victories for Kenya, with Matthew Kosgei coasting to victory in the first heat in 8:24.64 and Edmund Serem taking the second heat in 8:46.56.
Cathal Dennehy for World Athletics