Olivia Harris anchors USA to a mixed 4x400m championship record in Oregon (© Getty Images)
- Championship mixed 4x400m record for USA in front of home fans
- Frankline Kibet and Charity Cherop enjoy golden return in 5000m
- Alessandro Borges celebrates emotional shot put win
The US team rocked Hayward Field on Wednesday (5), achieving the fastest U20 mixed 4x400m in history with 3:15.31 on the first night of competition at the World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26.
The quartet of Joshua Shelton, Taylor-Nicole Overton, Jaelen Hunter and Olivia Harris took more than two seconds off the previous best of 3:17.69 achieved by another US team at the 2022 edition of the World U20 Championships in Cali.
Linda Botková of Czechia took her team from sixth to second with the fastest anchor leg of the race, crossing the finish line in a national U20 record of 3:18.16. Botková will now switch her attention to the 100m hurdles in Oregon.
Australia and Jamaica battled throughout the race, Australia eventually getting the bronze in an area U20 record of 3:18.45. Although Jamaica did not make the podium, the team did come away with a national U20 record, 3:18.78. Czechia, Australia and Jamaica now respectively sit third, fourth and fifth on the world all-time list.
“I knew I just had to hold the lead they all gave me and finish strong because that is what it was going take to get the record and win overall,” said Harris. “We will all run the (women’s or men’s) 4x400m relays later this week.”
5000m titles for Kibet and Cherop
After winning the world U20 cross-country title in Tallahassee in January, Frankline Kibet clinched his second global gold by winning the 5000m in Eugene. His Kenyan teammate Nehemiah Kipngeno finished second in 13:30.09, while Ethiopia’s Damitew Kebede shocked fans with a bronze finish, improving his PB by almost 20 seconds to 13:35.38.
“I was so grateful to be able to win the World Cross Country Championships and I went back and trained very well,” said Kibet. “That is why I was able to win this championship.”
There was an emotional finish by Uganda’s Charity Cherop in the women’s 5000m as she earned gold in 15:03.88 after celebrating on her way to the finish line.
As well as being a silver medallist from the last World U20 Championships in Lima, the 19-year-old also got world U20 cross-country bronze in January. The 5000m may not be her only opportunity to win hardware this week as she is also entered for the 3000m on Saturday.
Shito Gumi was listed second behind Cherop on the entry list and the race went to the form book as the Ethiopian finished four seconds behind the winner to earn silver in 15:07.91. Taking bronze was Kenya’s Joyline Chepkemoi who improved her PB by almost half a minute to 15:09.08.
Big shot for Borges
Following his final throw, Alessandro Borges was embraced by Brazilian fans in the crowd after the competition of his life saw him earn shot put gold with a PB of 20.35m.
In the early rounds, Korea’s frontrunner Park Si-hoon was the athlete to beat and he improved to 20.31m in the third round. But he couldn’t respond when Borges threw four centimetres farther. South Africa’s 16-year-old Jaco van Dyk launched himself into a medal position during the fifth round, throwing a PB of 19.80m to bring home bronze.
“I cannot believe I am world champion,” said Borges. “I knew Izabela (Da Silva) won (the world U20 discus title) here in 2014 and I wanted to add another gold in the shot put. I want to return to this country for the Olympic Games in 2028.”
Virjonen heads the heptathlon
The leaderboard was shaken up following the morning's heptathlon events. Enni Virjonen ended the first day in the lead, looking to grab another U20 medal to go with her European U20 bronze from last year in her home country, Finland.
Many of the athletes had impressive performances in the shot put, with multiple PBs recorded across the board. Zola Ndouma-Mona of France set a championship heptathlon best of 14.72m, 37 centimetres farther than Virjonen’s PB performance.
Virjonen then went quickest in the 200m in 23.99 and will continue to fight to stay in the top spot. She finished day one on 3676 ahead of Ndouma-Mona on 3669. Great Britain’s Thea Brown started the afternoon in the lead and ended it in third place on 3632 after a PB in the shot put and third place overall behind Virjonen and Mia Mireia Uusorg in the 200m.
Sprint contenders continue
USA’s Tate Taylor, South Africa’s Marko Ferreira and Jamaica’s Gary Card dominated the men’s 100m semifinals, all three winning their heats. Taylor achieved the fastest time of 10.06, while Ferreira ran 10.13. World U20 leader Card, who ran 9.93 in June, narrowly won his semifinal in 10.16.
USA’s Mia and Mariah Maxwell were among the athletes to impress in the women’s 100m semifinals. Mia went quickest overall with 11.13, while her twin sister Mariah ran 11.25. Jamaica’s Theianna-Lee Terrelonge and world leader Shanoya Douglas both recorded 11.21 and they will be joined in the final by Xenia Buri, who set a Swiss U20 record of 11.23. Italy’s 16-year-old Kelly Doualla won the first semifinal in 11.36.
Kenya’s African silver medallist Mercy Chepngeno Kosgei led the first round of the 3000m steeplechase, winning the first heat in 9:36.19 ahead of Wosane Asefa (9:56.36). Ethiopia’s Almaz Yohannis won the second heat in 9:42.45 ahead of Kenya’s Anatasha Cheptoo who secured her spot in the final despite having to turn back after missing the first water jump.
Four athletes achieved the automatic qualification mark of 55.00m in the discus, China’s Su Yixin and Ma Chenyi leading the way with 58.06m and 57.72m, respectively. Germany’s Favour Adesokan threw 56.14 and USA’s Jaslene Massey 55.47m.
A total of 13 athletes qualified for the pole vault final after clearing 4.10m. Czechia’s world U20 leader Nicole Krutilová will be among those going for gold, along with Estonia’s Allika Inkeri Moser, who set a world U18 best of 4.52m last year.
Morgan Hoopes for the World Athletics Media Academy
