Edwards and Heymans get gold with world U20 leads in Oregon

• Michael-Andre Matthew Edwards wins back-and-forth triple jump battle
• Jan-Hendrik Heymans gets javelin gold with PB performance
• Chen Jiawei dominates hammer with 79.16m

Michael-Andre Matthew Edwards and Jan-Hendrik Heymans clinched victory with world U20-leading PB performances during the third evening of action at the World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26 on Friday (7). 

The fight for the triple jump top spot was a back and forth between Jamaica and USA. The fight really began when Jamaica’s Edwards jumped a PB of 16.71m in the fifth round. USA’s Miles Nesmith answered with 16.79m – a second consecutive PB jump after his 16.54m from the fourth round, while China’s Wang Zhuoyue sat in third place on 16.36m.

But Edwards had a response of his own – 17.08m from his final attempt to become the first U20 athlete this year to surpass 17 metres.

Nesmith jumped 15.89m in the final round and so got silver ahead of Wang, who was just 10cm shy of his PB. He was unable to improve in the second half of the competition, suffering some discomfort during his fifth jump before retiring from the contest.

PBs were also set by the next three athletes: Italy’s Francesco Efeosa Crotti (16.24m), China’s Cai Ziqi (16.12m) and Bulgaria’s Zinga Rafael Barbosa Firmino (15.96m). 

 “I didn't even know I made it. After the fifth round, I got my groove,” said Edwards. “I look up to all the triple jumpers, so it's good. It's great to follow in their footsteps and win a world title. I'm doing everything there is to do.”

Heymans dominates javelin

South Africa’s Heymans started as the javelin favourite and he proved the form book right as he won with a throw of 80.50m – adding more than three metres to the PB he held going into the championships. 

The 19-year-old set a PB of 79.42m in the fifth round but he improved by another metre with his last attempt, achieving the fourth-farthest winning mark in World U20 Championships history. 

Heymans gained an early lead with 76.92m from his first throw. That would have been enough for him to win but he surpassed 76 metres with each of his next five attempts.

India’s Ashish Yadav got silver with a throw of 74.09m from his third attempt of the night. Addison James got bronze, throwing a national record of 73.89m to become Dominica’s first ever world U20 medallist.

World leader becomes world champion

After setting a world U20 lead in qualification, China’s Chen Jiawei finished top in the hammer again, throwing 79.16m. Chen consistently threw beyond 76 metres throughout the event, putting himself ahead of his rivals from the start.

He opened with 78.47m and then improved to 79.16m in the final round. Chen had earned himself the position of world U20 leader with 80.39m during qualification on the first day of the competition on Wednesday (5). 

He continued China’s strength in the throws, getting a second gold to go with his teammate Su Yixin’s discus title from Thursday.

USA’s 17-year-old Kayden Hulet and Great Britain’s Wyatt Larkins earned themselves PBs to secure medals. Hulet earned silver with a throw of 77.55m, while Larkins placed third with 75.38m.

Both Hulet and Larkins raised their game. Hulet added more than four metres to his PB throughout the competition, improving to 73.71m, 74.68m and then 77.55m in the final round.

Larkins added more than two metres to his PB, throwing his 75.38m in the first round.

Lannurien leads decathlon overnight

France’s Mael-Bephassou Lannurien leads the decathlon by 99 points ahead of Sweden’s world leader Liam Belo da Silva – 4258 to 4159 – at the end of the first five events.

Lannurien started the session in seventh place and soared into second after clearing a PB of 2.12m in the high jump. But in a battle between the top two U20 decathletes in the world this year, Belo da Silva equalled the championship decathlon best by clearing 2.15m, launching himself into the lead. South Africa’s Daniel von der Heyden, who held the lead after the morning session, moved down into third.

They returned for the 400m – Lannurien winning his race in 48.00, the second-fastest of the day behind Kacper Góralczyk’s 47.94 – to move into top spot. Belo da Silva ran 50.95 to see him end the day in second place ahead of Von der Heyden (4133).

Ash Wehrly for the World Athletics Media Academy