The World Athletics U20 Championships Lima 24 will take place between 27-31 August, with more than 1700 athletes from 134 teams set to take part.
Here we take a look at the women&rsquo;s and men&rsquo;s combined events and race walks at the Estadio Atletico de la Videna.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s heptathlon</h2>
Based on PBs, Croatia&rsquo;s Jana Koscak is head and shoulders above the rest of the field. But going by this season&rsquo;s form, the Croatian appears to have a strong rival in the form of Hungary&rsquo;s Sarolta Kriszt.
Koscak won the European U18 title in 2022, then one year later she set a heptathlon PB of 6293 &ndash; the best ever score by an U18 athlete with the senior implements. This year, the 18-year-old &ndash; who still has one more year left in the U20 ranks &ndash; has a best of 5977, set at the European Championships.
That puts her just 19 points ahead of Kriszt on this year&rsquo;s world U20 list. The Hungarian finished second to Koscak at the 2022 European U18 Championships and will be keen to gain revenge.
Adela Tkacova of Czechia finished one place shy of the podium at the 2022 European U18 and 2023 European U20 Championships, so the 5695 performer will be keen to make the podium in Lima.
Other athletes to have scored in excess of 5500 this year &ndash; which could put them in the medal hunt &ndash; include Britain&rsquo;s Eden Robinson, Switzerland&rsquo;s Lucia Acklin, Germany&rsquo;s Hilke Thamke, Poland&rsquo;s Carmen Nowicka and Estonia&rsquo;s Emma Kathrina Hein.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s decathlon</h2>
The men&rsquo;s decathlon looks set to be a battle between three men who are already no stranger to major championship podiums, and a fourth contender who has something of a point to prove.
Germany&rsquo;s Amadeus Graber won the European U18 title in 2022 then followed it with the European U20 title last year, scoring 8209 &ndash; the highest PB of the field in Lima.
But going by season&rsquo;s bests, he is just third on the entry list behind Poland&rsquo;s Hubert Troscianka, winner of the 2023 European Youth Olympic Festival who has this year set a PB of 8145, and Sweden&rsquo;s Leo Goransson, who has a PB of 8057 and took European U18 silver behind Graber two years ago.
But all three of those should keep an eye on Tomas Jarvinen of Czechia. The 18-year-old was on for a big score in Stara Boleslav in July, but failed to register a height in the pole vault. He still finished with a respectable 7461, but had he equalled his 4.70m PB in the pole vault, he would have ended with a score of 8280 - good enough for second on the world U20 all-time list.
Should any of those four podium contenders slip up, there&rsquo;ll be plenty of athletes ready and willing to step up and compete for a medal, including Norway&rsquo;s Jonathan Hertwig-Odegaard &ndash; who may have been inspired by the Olympic heroics of his compatriot Markus Rooth &ndash; and Germany&rsquo;s Friedrich Schulze.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s 10,000m race walk</h2>
Spain&rsquo;s Aldara Meilan finished second at the World Race Walking Team Championships earlier this year, and in Lima she&rsquo;ll be tipped to make it on to the podium again &ndash; perhaps even on to the top step this time.
Prior to taking silver at the World Race Walking Team Championships, she earned the same medal at the 2022 European Youth Olympic Festival and the 2023 European Race Walking Team Championships. Her PB of 45:06.75 makes her the fastest entrant by 50 seconds.
China&rsquo;s Chen Meiling has a superior PB on the roads, having clocked 43:57 earlier this year, but she finished three places behind Meilan in Antalya earlier this year. Chen is joined on China&rsquo;s team by Asian U20 silver medallist Baima Zhouma.
Italy&rsquo;s Giulia Gabriele finished one place ahead of Chen in Antalya and should be in the medal hunt in Lima, as should Australia&rsquo;s Alexandra Griffin, Hungary&rsquo;s Alexandra Kovacs and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Hiwot Ambaw.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s 10,000m race walk</h2>
Australia&rsquo;s Isaac Beacroft won the U20 men&rsquo;s race at the World Race Walking Team Championships in Antalya in sensational style. In Lima he will want to prove that his triumph in the Turkish city was no fluke.
His track PB, 40:44.47, is perhaps not truly indicative of his ability, given that he clocked 39:56 on the roads in Antalya. But it also suggests that Japan&rsquo;s Sohtaroh Osaka &ndash; who was fourth in Antalya but has a track PB of 39:54.42 &ndash; will provide stiff opposition to Beacroft. Osaka is joined on the Japanese team by Taisei Yoshizako, a 40:39.33 performer.
Wang Jiaqi, a sub-40-minute race walker on the roads, is joined on the Chinese team by Song Zhaohe, both of whom have realistic medal ambitions, along with Mexico&rsquo;s Emiliano Barba, Italy&rsquo;s Giuseppe Disabato and Guatemala&rsquo;s Bryan Alexander Matias Ortiz.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

World Athletics U20 Championships

A look at the women's and men's combined events and race walks

WU20 Lima 24 preview: combined events and race walks

The World Athletics U20 Championships Lima 24 will take place between 27-31 August, with more than 1700 athletes from 134 teams set to take part.
Here we take a look at the women&rsquo;s and men&rsquo;s jumps events at the Estadio Atletico de la Videna.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s shot put</h2>
Akaoma Odeluga and Gracelyn Leiseth look tough to beat in the women&rsquo;s shot put and will surely have their sights on a US one-two in Lima.
Leiseth won the national U20 title ahead of Odeluga to complete a throws double in Eugene, one day on from her discus win. But it&rsquo;s Odeluga who tops the shot put entry list with the PB of 18.13m she set to finish eighth at the US Olympic Team Trials and prior to that she threw 18.11m at the Southeastern Conference. Only one other U20 woman has surpassed 18 metres since 2015 and that&rsquo;s world U20 leader Ashley Erasmus, who isn&rsquo;t entered for Lima.
Leiseth is next on the entry list thanks to the 17.70m she threw in May. Joining them in the hunt for medals will be Australia&rsquo;s Marley Raikiwasa, who threw 16.84m in May, and China&rsquo;s Tian Xinyi, who set a PB of 16.35m in March.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s shot put</h2>
Yannick Rolvink leads the entry list by more than a metre thanks to the Dutch U20 record of 21.81m he set with the 6kg implement on home soil last month. He also threw 20.46m to win the U20 event at the FBK Games and has surpassed 19 metres during seven other competitions this year.
Should he be near his top form then Rolvink looks on track for gold, but the battle for the other medals could be fierce. Ben Smith won the US U20 title with a PB of 20.57m and will hope to follow in the footsteps of his compatriot Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan, who won the world U20 title in Cali in 2022.
German U20 champion Georg Harpf threw 20.61m indoors and followed that with 20.02m outdoors in May, while Rolvink&rsquo;s teammate Jarno van Daalen and Finland&rsquo;s Aatu Kangasniemi have respective bests of 20.40m and 20.50m.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s discus</h2>
The top four women on the entry list have all surpassed 57 metres this season and lead the medal hunt in Lima. Canada&rsquo;s Julia Tunks threw 62.07m in Ramona in May, improving on the PB of 59.84m she set there two months prior, and she has also thrown beyond 59 metres in four other competitions so far this year.&nbsp;
Germany&rsquo;s Curly Brown, China&rsquo;s Huang Jingru and Australia&rsquo;s Marley Raikiwasa &ndash; also a medal contender in the shot put &ndash; are also in PB form this year. European U20 champion Brown threw 57.66m in May, while Huang managed 57.52m in June and Raikiwasa &ndash; who is now based in the US at Auburn University and finished ninth in Cali in 2022 &ndash; threw 57.42m in May.
Gracelyn Leiseth, who set a PB of 54.72m to win the first part of a US U20 throws title double, will be hoping to do enough to again claim two medals.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s discus</h2>
Ukraine&rsquo;s Mykhailo Brudin returns to the world U20 stage, looking to build on the bronze he claimed in Cali two years ago.
Since that medal win, secured with a 63.30m throw, Brudin has become a European U20 champion and improved his PB with the 1.750kg implement to 66.58m when winning that continental title. His focus so far this year has been on throwing the senior implement, but he still managed 63.00m during the first of his two outings with the 1.750kg discus so far this year.
If the 19-year-old can get near his PB form then he will be the man to beat, but looking to challenge will be Jamaica&rsquo;s Shaiquan Selbourne Dunn, who has thrown more than two metres farther than his rivals this season. His best is the 65.48m he threw to win at the ISSA/Grace Kennedy Boys and Girls Championships in Kingston in March.
Among those looking to fight for podium places will be China&rsquo;s Jiang Zehao and South Africa&rsquo;s Juan Marais, who have both thrown beyond 63 metres this year, plus Australia&rsquo;s Ethan Ayodele, who threw a PB of 62.92m in April.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s hammer</h2>
China&rsquo;s Zhang Jiale might only be 17 but she already sits third on the world U20 all-time list. And if in Lima she achieves a performance anywhere near the PB of 72.25m that put her there, she will challenge the championship record set by the world U20 record-holder, Silja Kosonen.
Kosonen set the world U20 record of 73.43m in 2021, the same year she won the world U20 title with that championship record of 71.64m. While Zhang has only surpassed that mark once in her career so far, she threw 67.33m at the Chinese Championships in June and won the Asian U20 title with 66.79m.
Only one of her opponents in Lima has a PB beyond that &ndash; European U20 champion Valentina Savva of Cyprus, who finished fifth at the 2021 World U20 Championships and fourth at the 2022 edition, and will be hoping to go at least one better to make it on to the podium this time. She set her PB of 67.87m in February.
Germany&rsquo;s Johanna Marrwitz has a PB of 66.44m, while Hungary&rsquo;s Villo Viszkeleti will also be on the hunt for a medal after her PB of 65.13m in June.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s hammer</h2>
Two years on from his bronze medal win in Cali, Iosif Kesidis of Cyprus starts as favourite. The now 19-year-old threw 76.32m to get his medal in 2022 and already this year he has improved the national U20 record to 81.07m, also throwing 79.80m and 78.03m in his two other competitions with the 6kg implement.
His closest challengers look to be Hungary&rsquo;s Armin Szabados and Georgios Papanastasiou of Greece, who have respectively thrown 77.90m and 77.77m this year. It was Papanastasiou&rsquo;s compatriot Ioannis Korakidis who won with 79.11m in Cali, when Kesidis claimed bronze.
Aatu Kangasniemi &ndash; also a contender in the shot put &ndash; is the fourth athlete in the field to have surpassed 75 metres this season, his 75.78m PB having been set last month.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s javelin</h2>
As the world U20 record-holder, China&rsquo;s Yan Ziyi is the favourite for this title.
At the age of just 15, Yan threw 64.28m in Hangzhou in April to improve both the ratified world U20 record of 63.86m set by Cuba&rsquo;s Yulenmis Aguilar in 2015 and the unratified 63.96m achieved by Elina Tzengko of Greece in 2020.
Now 16, Yan followed that mark with performances including 62.96m to win the Chinese U20 title and 63.51m to win at the Chinese Championships. The World U20 Championships record is the 63.52m Adriana Vilagos achieved at the last edition of the event in 2022.
Looking to join Yan on the podium will be Germany&rsquo;s Mirja Lukas, who threw 58.70m last month, plus Finland&rsquo;s Rebecca Nelimarkka (56.70m PB) and Asian U20 champion Chu Pin-Hsun of Chinese Taipei (56.66m PB).
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s javelin</h2>
The men&rsquo;s javelin contest could come down to a battle between the 80-metre-plus throwers.
Slovenia&rsquo;s Tom Tersek threw a national U20 record of 80.87m to win the Slovenian title at the end of June and the 17-year-old backed it up with 79.44m to win the national U20 title a couple of weeks later.
China&rsquo;s Wang Xiaobo, on the other hand, set his own national U20 record of 80.61m last year and this year his best is the 76.84m he threw to finish third at the Chinese Championships &ndash; his last contest before Lima.
Chinese Taipei&rsquo;s 17-year-old Huang Chao-Hong threw his PB of 76.31m last year and has a best of 74.90m in 2024, while Ukraine&rsquo;s Illia Saievskyi will look to build on the 75.80m PB he set in May.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics

A look at the women's and men's throwing events

WU20 Lima 24 preview: throws

The World Athletics U20 Championships Lima 24 will take place between 27-31 August, with more than 1700 athletes from 134 teams set to take part.
Here we take a look at the women&rsquo;s and men&rsquo;s jumps events at the Estadio Atletico de la Videna.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s high jump</h2>
Two years on from her win at the World U20 Championships in Cali, Estonia&rsquo;s Karmen Bruus is entered to defend her title and she does so having jumped a season&rsquo;s best of 1.87m on home soil in Tartu earlier this month. After focusing on the high jump during the past couple of outdoor seasons, Bruus returned to combined events action this year and set a PB of 5013 points to win the Estonian U20 heptathlon title. Her high jump PB remains 1.96m, a mark that matched the world U18 best when she achieved it in Eugene in 2022.
Serbia&rsquo;s Angelina Topic claimed bronze in Cali and she tops the entry list with a season&rsquo;s best of 1.98m, but the two-time senior European medallist is not set to compete in Lima following an injury sustained at the Paris Olympic Games.
Italy&rsquo;s Aurora Vicini cleared 1.92m indoors, while Belgium&rsquo;s two-time world U20 fifth-place finisher Merel Maes,&nbsp;USA&rsquo;s Cheyla Scott and Latvia&rsquo;s Patricija Jansone have all cleared 1.88m so far this season. Hungary&rsquo;s 17-year-old Lilianna Batori takes a step up after winning the European U18 title in July.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s high jump</h2>
USA&rsquo;s Scottie Vines and Japan&rsquo;s Kaisei Nakatani have both cleared 2.24m this year and will hope to take that PB form with them to Peru.&nbsp;
Vines managed that mark for the first time in Texas in March and he backed it up with another 2.24m in Colorado in April before clearing 2.22m to win the US U20 title. The 18-year-old qualified for the final at the US Olympic Trials and will be looking to rebound after being unable to clear his opening height on that occasion.
For 17-year-old Nakatani, his 2.24m clearance came in Fukuoka at the start of this month and followed the then PB of 2.19m he set to secure silver at the Asian U20 Championships in Dubai in April.
The winner in Dubai was China&rsquo;s Dong Ziang with a 2.21m PB and he&rsquo;ll hope to be in the medal hunt again. Other contenders include US U20 silver medallist Tito Alofe, who finished eighth at the US Olympic Trials, and Italian U20 champion Matteo Sioli.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s pole vault</h2>
Hannah Grace and Molly Haywood claimed the top two spots at the USA U20 Championships and they will be hoping for similar success in Lima as they seek to retain the title for their nation after Hana Moll&rsquo;s victory in Cali in 2022.
Both Grace and Haywood cleared 4.40m to win their US U20 medals, which was a PB for Grace while Haywood tops the entry list with the 4.46m she cleared in Texas in April. Haywood has also managed 4.40m or higher in another six competitions so far this season. Next on the entry list is their compatriot Jathiyah Muhammad, who has a PB of 4.37m, but each team can only field a maximum of two athletes in each event.
French U20 champion Louise Boulent cleared 4.35m in June, while Czechia&rsquo;s 2022 European U18 silver medallist Viktorie Ondrova has improved to 4.32m this season. Lithuania&rsquo;s Rugile Miklyciute is another who will be looking to add a global medal to her continental honours, having claimed European U20 silver last year.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s pole vault</h2>
Three 5.55m-plus vaulters clash as joint world U20 leaders Seifeldin Heneida Abdesalam and Hendrik Muller &ndash; who both cleared 5.55m indoors &ndash; go up against Switzerland&rsquo;s Valentin Imsand.
Qatar&rsquo;s two-time Asian U20 champion Heneida Abdesalam claimed senior Asian indoor silver last year and finished fourth at this year&rsquo;s championships, clearing 5.55m to improve his own national record. He retained his Asian U20 title in April with a championship record of 5.51m.
Muller won the German U20 title with 5.55m and then jumped 5.50m to win the national age group title outdoors, while Imsand has a PB of 5.61m set last year and will be looking to build on the European U18 and U20 silver medals he has claimed the past two years. His best so far this year is the 5.50m he cleared in Lausanne in May.
Sweden&rsquo;s Mondo Duplantis &ndash; now the world record-holder and a multiple senior global gold medallist &ndash; set the championship record of 5.82m when winning the 2018 world U20 title and his compatriot Linus Jonsson could be in the medal fight this time following the PB of 5.43m he set to win the national title in June.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s long jump</h2>
USA&rsquo;s Sophia Beckmon leads the entries thanks to the 6.86m PB she set in Illinois in May. The 19-year-old, who won the NACAC U23 title last year, followed that with a slightly wind-assisted 6.50m (2.1m/s) to win the US U20 title.&nbsp;
Looking to challenge her will be Prestina Oluchi Ochonogor, who has surpassed 6.70m in two competitions so far this season and is fresh from competing at the Paris Olympics, where she made the final. The 18-year-old jumped a PB of 6.79m in April and then 6.75m in June to secure the Nigerian title, while she finished third and fourth respectively at the All-African Games and African Championships.
In what looks set to be a top-class clash, they will be joined by Beckmon&rsquo;s fellow University of Illinois athlete Elizabeth Ndudi, the European U20 champion who set an Irish record of 6.68m in Champaign in April.
Trinidad and Tobago&rsquo;s 17-year-old Janae De Gannes, the NACAC U18 champion, jumped 6.50m to win the CARIFTA Games U20 contest in April and will be looking to take another leap forward.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s long jump</h2>
Like Prestina Oluchi Ochonogor in the women&rsquo;s event, Petr Meindlschmid has made the journey from Paris to Lima, and he will start as the sole athlete in the field to have surpassed eight metres with a wind-legal jump so far this season.
The Czech 18-year-old jumped a PB of 8.03m to finish seventh at the European Championships and then soared eight metres in Piraeus a couple of weeks later before competing at the Olympics. Italy&rsquo;s Mattia Furlani, the Olympic bronze medallist in Paris, actually heads the entry list for Lima but the 19-year-old has decided not to compete.
South Africa&rsquo;s Temoso Masikane has also jumped beyond eight metres this year but his 8.15m in Pretoria in June was slightly wind aided (2.1m/s). He has previously beaten the eight-metre mark in legal conditions, having set his PB of 8.06m &ndash; an African U18 best &ndash; in Ndola last year, and he jumped 7.99m in Lucca in May.
Although missing Furlani, the Italian team does feature Daniele Leonardo Inzoli, the 16-year-old who claimed European U18 bronze last month and has jumped 7.90m. Serbian champion Luka Boskovic jumped 7.94m to win his national title in June.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s triple jump</h2>
Uzbekistan&rsquo;s Sharifa Davronova was just 15 when she won the triple jump title in Cali and she defends her crown in Lima. Since jumping 14.04m to get that global U20 gold, Davronova has become an Asian indoor champion and Asian Games gold medallist, improving her PB to 14.09m to win the latter last October, and she most recently competed at the Paris Olympics.
Davronova has a best of 13.89m so far this season and that places the 17-year old second on the 2024 U20 top list behind China&rsquo;s Li Yi, who jumped 13.99 in Bengbu in May.&nbsp;
Davronova&rsquo;s teammate Khushnoza Shavkatova, the two-time Asian U20 champion, will also have medal ambitions, as will Clemence Rougier of France, who won the European U18 title in 2022 and has set a PB of 13.83m this year. Latvia&rsquo;s 15-year-old Brenda Dziliana Apsite competes a month on from winning the European U18 title.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s triple jump</h2>
With Jaydon Hibbert unable to defend his title due to injury, his fellow Paris Olympian Ethan Olivier starts as favourite.
New Zealand&rsquo;s Olivier finished fourth with 16.03m in that world U20 final won by Hibbert two years ago and has improved by almost a metre since then. He surpassed 17 metres for the first time in May, leaping 17.01m in Potchefstroom, and jumped 16.83m in June. In Paris he achieved 16.16m in qualification.
His PB is more than half a metre farther than his rivals have managed so far, Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s Sami Bakheet having got closest with 16.49m to win at the Arab U20 Championships. Bakheet also finished second at the Asian U20 Championships in April and the winner on that occasion was China&rsquo;s Xu Hetong, who is among their competition in Lima and set a PB of 16.31m indoors in March.
Cuba&rsquo;s 17-year-old Gian C. Baxter will also have the chance to fight for a podium place, to continue his nation&rsquo;s strong tradition in the event.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics

A look at the women's and men's jumping events

WU20 Lima 24 preview: jumps

The World Athletics U20 Championships Lima 24 will take place between 27-31 August, with more than 1700 athletes from 134 teams set to take part.
Here we take a look at the hurdles and steeplechase events at the Estadio Atletico de la Videna.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s 100m hurdles</h2>
After winning the world U20 title in Cali two years ago, Kerrica Hill went on to reduce her PB to 12.75 last year, moving to equal third on the world all-time list. The Jamaican, who also won world U20 golds in the 4x100m in 2021 and 2022, has raced sparingly this year, but in her most recent outing she clocked 12.85, the fastest time in the world this year by an U20 athlete.
Only one other sprint hurdler this year has broken 13 seconds: Hill&rsquo;s teammate Habiba Harris. She clocked a PB of 12.95 back in March, then ran a wind-assisted 12.93 to win the Carifta title in April.
Several other athletes are close to the 13-second barrier and will be hopeful of contesting for medals in Lima. They include Cuba&rsquo;s Jocelyn Loreta Echazabal, France&rsquo;s Laura Montauban, Croatia&rsquo;s Mia Wild and USA&rsquo;s Ana-Liese Torian.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s 110m hurdles</h2>
Ja&rsquo;Kobe Tharp has already made history this year by breaking the North American U20 record in the senior height 110m hurdles. He will now set his sights on becoming the first US athlete in eight years to win the world U20 110m hurdles title.
The 18-year-old has competed mainly over the senior height hurdles this season, completing a full collegiate season at Auburn University, finishing second at the NCAA Championships after clocking a 13.18 PB in the semifinals, making him the second-fastest U20 athlete in history behind Liu Xiang. In his one competition over the U20 barriers, he set a PB of 13.12 to win the US U20 title.
That puts him just 0.01 ahead of Finland&rsquo;s Rasmus Vehmaa on this year&rsquo;s world list. Vehmaa took European U20 silver last year and has improved since then.
Daniel Goriola is among the other medal contenders. He won the senior UK title this year in 13.55 and has a PB of 13.22 over the U20 hurdles. Qatar&rsquo;s Ourmar Doudai Abakar and China&rsquo;s Chen Yuanjiang finished first and second at the Asian U20 Championships this year and will be keen to make another major championships podium.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s 400m hurdles</h2>
Michelle Smith placed fifth in the 400m hurdles at the last World U20 Championships, then just missed out on the podium by one place at the 2023 Pan American Games. This season the teenager from the US Virgin Islands has improved her own national record to 55.96, making her the fastest entrant in this discipline in Lima, and she&rsquo;ll have her sights set on becoming the first world U20 champion from her country.
France&rsquo;s Meta Tumba has reduced her PB to 56.23 this year and could pose a strong threat to Smith. Four other athletes are knocking on the door of 57 seconds this year: Jamaica&rsquo;s Carifta silver medallist Kelly Ann Carr, Poland&rsquo;s Wiktoria Gadajska, South Africa&rsquo;s Tumi Ramokgopa and Finland&rsquo;s Mila Heikkonen.
The USA, which has a strong tradition in this event, will be represented by Braelyn Baker and Jasmine Robinson.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s 400m hurdles</h2>
The entries in this event are headed by South African 17-year-old Njabulo Mbatha, who clocked 49.57 back in April, one of the fastest times ever by an U18 athlete. He has raced sparingly in recent months, though, and his last outing over the distance was a 51.63 clocking.
If he is to follow in the footsteps of compatriots LJ van Zyl and Sokwakhana Zazini &ndash; both past winners of the world U20 400m hurdles title &ndash; Mbataha will likely need to produce sub-50 form to hold off the likes of Japan&rsquo;s Kyo Kikuta (49.77 this year) and US duo Vance Nilsson and Jonathan Frazier, who have clocked 49.77 and 49.87 respectively.
Multi-talented Czech teenager Michal Rada reduced his PB to 49.89 to win the European U18 title earlier this year, while Jamaica&rsquo;s Daniel Wright and Finland&rsquo;s Antti Sainio are also ones to watch.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s 3000m steeplechase</h2>
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Sembo Almayew looks to hold all the aces in this, coming in as by far the fastest athlete based on her season&rsquo;s best of 9:00.83. That puts her well clear of Uganda&rsquo;s Loice Chekwemoi and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Firehiwot Gesese, who have run 9:24.47 and 9:25.53 respectively, though we&rsquo;ve often seen the form book shredded at this level once the athletes take to the track. &nbsp;
Almayew&nbsp;earned silver in this event two years ago, but went on to set a PB of 9:00.71 last year and then came within 0.12 of that when finishing fifth in the Olympic final in Paris. Chekwemoi ran her PB to win the African title in June and she was sixth in this event two years ago but looks capable of a medal this time. Gesese is the Ethiopian U20 champion and finished a fine sixth at the Xiamen Diamond League in April.
Kenya&rsquo;s Diana Chepkemoi, Germany&rsquo;s Adia Budde and US pair Angelina Napoleon and Katie Clute look the others most likely to contend.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s 3000m steeplechase</h2>
Kenya unsurprisingly has a strong hand here and they will be expecting both of their men to walk away with medals. Edmund Serem and Matthew Kosgei top the entry lists with their respective bests of 8:20.05 and 8:21.98.
Serem earned silver at the African Championships in June, with Kosgei winning bronze, and they finished fourth and sixth respectively at the Kenyan Olympic Trials in June. Serem once again led the way at the Kenyan U20 Trials in late June, beating Kosgei by two seconds and so he will start as the favourite in Lima.
Japan also has a strong hand with Tetsu Sasaki (8:37.23) and Soma Nagahara (8:37.36) the third and fourth quickest in the field this year, while USA&rsquo;s Wyatt Haughton and Anes Djayahia are next quickest.
The Ethiopian vest is always worthy of significant respect on this stage and their colours will be carried by Hailu Ayalew and Berihun Moges, who have both run below 8:50 and who finished third and fourth respectively at their National U20 Championships in early July.
Jon Mulkeen and Cathal Dennehy for World Athletics

A look at the sprint hurdles, 400m hurdles and 3000m steeplechase in Lima

WU20 Lima 24 preview: hurdles and steeplechase

The World Athletics U20 Championships Lima 24 will take place between 27-31 August, with more than 1700 athletes from 134 teams set to take part.
Here we take a look at the distance events at the Estadio Atletico de la Videna.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s 800m</h2>
Kenya&rsquo;s Sarah Moraa will look to follow in the footsteps of her cousin, Mary, by claiming a global 800m title. Mary Moraa finished fifth at these championships back in 2018 and went on to win the world 800m title at senior level in 2023 and she&rsquo;s been a mentor for her 18-year-old cousin, Sarah, who finished third at the Kenyan Olympic Trials in June, lowering her PB to 1:59.39.
Moraa is the second quickest in the field on personal bests, the entries headed by Australia&rsquo;s Claudia Hollingsworth, who broke the national U20 800m record to win the Australian senior title in April with 1:58.40 before going on to the Paris Olympics where she reached the 800m semi-finals.
Sophia Gorriaran is another who is likely to be in the medal hunt, the US 19-year-old equalling her PB in May with 2:00.65 and she finished seventh in the semi-final of the US Olympic Trials in June.
Japan&rsquo;s Rin Kubo is one of the country&rsquo;s most exciting young prospects, having clocked 1:59.93 in Nara last month at the age of just 16 and she could well announce herself on the international stage by snatching a medal here. Norway&rsquo;s Malin Hoelsveen, Germany&rsquo;s Jana Marie Becker and Italy&rsquo;s Ngalula Gloria Kabangu should also be strong contenders.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s 800m</h2>
Australia&rsquo;s Peyton Craig tops the world U20 lists for 2024 via the Oceanian record of 1:44.12 he ran in Vienna in June, the 19-year-old Queensland athlete going on to compete in the Olympics in Paris. He competed over 1500m at the last edition of these championships in 2022.
Czechia&rsquo;s Jakub Dudycha is the European U20 champion and the 18-year-old broke the Czech senior record in June with his 1:44.82 and made his Olympic debut in Paris over 800m.
Japan&rsquo;s Ko Ochiai is the Asian U20 champion and broke the national U20 record in Niigata in June with 1:45.82, which he lowered again to 1:44.80 in late July. Ethiopia&rsquo;s General Berhanu Ayansa has a best of 1:45.45 and is sure to be in the medal hunt while Qatar&rsquo;s Hatim Ait Oulghazi, Kenya&rsquo;s Kelvin Kimutai Koech and USA&rsquo;s Daniel Watcke are among those to have run under 1:47 and should also feature.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s 1500m</h2>
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Saron Berhe is the clear favourite for this title with a personal best eight seconds quicker than her nearest rival on the entry lists. The 17-year-old won the African title in June and dipped under four minutes for the first time in April at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Xiamen, China, clocking 3:59.21. She will be joined by compatriot Tsige Teshome, who won silver at the Ethiopian U20 Championships last month.
Germany&rsquo;s Jolanda Kallabis has made giant strides this year, lowering her PB to 4:07.55 in May, while Britain&rsquo;s Ava Lloyd (4:12.07), Norway&rsquo;s Malin Hoelsveen (4:12.17) and Denmark&rsquo;s Sofia Thogersen (4:12.95) are the others on the entry list to have run below 4:15.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s 1500m</h2>
Australia&rsquo;s rising star Cameron Myers has enjoyed another strong season and the 18-year-old looks capable of crowning it in Lima with a world U20 title. He missed out on qualification for the Paris Olympics after finishing fifth at their national championships in Adelaide and then clocked a 3:50.15 mile at the Eugene Diamond League to break the national U20 record.
But to win in Lima, he will have to defeat Ethiopia&rsquo;s Abdisa Fayisa, who tops the entries via the 3:32.37 he ran to win the Ethiopian Olympic Trials in Nerja, Spain in June. Fayisa then competed at the Paris Olympics, finishing 14th in his 1500m heat and 10th in the repechage.
Norway has significant strength at senior level in this event and the same is true in the U20 category, with Hakon Moeberg and Andreas Fjeld Halvorsen both capable of contending for a medal, having run 3:37.25 and 3:38.32 this year. Kenya&rsquo;s Josphat Kipkirui and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Sendel Musa have both run below 3:40 already, as has Britain&rsquo;s George Couttie.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s 3000m</h2>
You have to go back to 2016 to find the last Ethiopian winner of this title but it will come as a surprise if the distance-running superpower doesn&rsquo;t reclaim the crown this year, with Aleshign Baweke and Marta Alemayo topping the entry lists, having run 8:41.10 and 8:45.40 respectively this year. Both of those times were run at altitude in Hawassa to lead the way at the Ethiopian U20 Championships, with Alemayo proving her strength in Liege, Belgium in June by clocking 14:39.61 for 5000m.
There are three other women on the entries who have run below nine minutes: Sofia Thogersen of Denmark, Amy Bunnage of Australia and Innes Fitzgerald of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Thogersen won silver over 1500m and 5000m at the European U20 Championships last year and ran her 3000m PB of 8:50.26 indoors in Metz, France in February.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s 3000m</h2>
Kenyan duo Clinton Kimutai Ngetich and Denis Kipkoech should prove tough to beat in this. Australia&rsquo;s Cameron Myers tops the entry list with his PB of 7:46.38 but he&rsquo;s expected to focus solely on the 1500m in Lima, with Ngetich (7:48.09) and Kipkoech (7:48.48) the next quickest.
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Ybeltal Gashahun and Abrha Gebru finished 1-2 at their national U20 Trials, clocking 7:58.70 and 7:59.00 in the thin air of Hawassa, and while both of those were personal bests, it&rsquo;s likely that both are capable of significantly faster at sea level.
Norway&rsquo;s Andreas Fjeld Halvorsen and Juan Zijderlaan of the Netherlands have both run 7:51 and should also be in contention for a top-five finish, along with Britain&rsquo;s Henry Dover who has a best of 7:57.47.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s 5000m</h2>
Ethiopia looks to have the strongest hand in this event courtesy of the only two athletes to have run below 15 minutes in the field: Medina Eisa and Mekedes Alemeshete.
Eisa will start as favourite to defend her title, having clocked 14:16.54 &ndash; the fastest time ever by an U20 athlete &ndash; in London last year. She finished seventh in the 5000m at the recent Paris Olympics and took an impressive win over 5000m at the Marrakech Diamond League in May. Alemeshete should prove the biggest threat, having run 14:36.70 to win at the Suzhou Diamond League in April.
Australia&rsquo;s Amy Bunnage has a best of 15:11.68, which she ran indoors in Seattle in February, and the Stanford University student will fancy her chances of contending if she produces her best. Kenya&rsquo;s Sheila Jebet clocked her PB of 15:20.48 in Italy in May and should also be in contention, along with her teammate Mercy Chepkemoi, Britain&rsquo;s Innes Fitzgerald and Japanese duo Kana Mizumoto and Yuumi Yamamoto.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s 5000m</h2>
Kenya&rsquo;s Andrew Kiptoo Alamisi tops the entries via the 13:05.55 he ran in Italy in early June, but he was beaten into second at the Kenyan U20 Trials a few weeks after that by 2023 world U20 cross-country champion Ishmail Rokitto Kipkurui, who clocked 13:05.47 last year and finished a fine 10th in the world 5000m final in Budapest. They look the two athletes to beat.
Burundi&rsquo;s Emilie Hafashimana has enjoyed a strong season and he lowered the national U20 record to 13:15.24 in France in July and clocked a national U20 record of 27.47.88 for 10,000m in London in May.
Ethiopian pair Nibret Kinde and Sewmehon Anteneh should also be in the shake-up, while Uganda&rsquo;s Samuel Simba Cherop, Burundi&rsquo;s Desire Niyomwungere and Tanzania&rsquo;s John Nahhay Wele are also among the potential medallists.
Cathal Dennehy for World Athletics

A look at the 800m, 1500m, 3000m and 5000m in Lima

WU20 Lima 24 preview: distance

The World Athletics U20 Championships Lima 24 will take place between 27-31 August, with more than 1700 athletes from 134 teams set to take part.
Here we take a look at the relay events at the Estadio Atletico de la Videna.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s 4x100m</h2>
Jamaica has won this title at the past two editions of the World U20 Championships, and in 2022 in Cali their quartet turned in a spectacular performance to break the world U20 record, clocking 42.59.
With Alana Reid, Thieanna Lee Terrelonge and Shanoya Mikalia Douglas in their ranks along with sprint hurdlers Kerrica Hill and Habiba Harris, they undoubtedly possess the strength to successfully defend their title if things click in Lima.
USA should also feature strongly with the likes of Elise Cooper, Cynteria James and Taylor Snaer among those who should feature. Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Germany and Australia are among the nations to have run close to 44 seconds already this season, with Torrie Lewis likely to play a key role for the Australians and Nia Wedderburn-Goodison set to do similar for the Brits.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s 4x100m</h2>
The last three editions of this event have featured three different nations taking victory, with USA winning in 2018, South Africa in 2021 and Japan in 2022. This year&rsquo;s edition again looks wide open and it may well come down to which team gets their exchanges right.
South Africa is sure to feature, with Bradley Nkoana leading the entries for the men&rsquo;s 100m with his best of 10.03 and he will be backed up by Bayanda Walaza, who&rsquo;s run 10.13. Neo Modibe has also run 10.20 and they will likely be the team to beat if they get things right.
Jamaica should also be strong, featuring 10.07 athlete Gary Card and 10.16 sprinter Deandre Daley, while USA is also sure to be in contention with Jaden Wiley and Jesse Myers among their pool.
Japan should put up a strong title defence with Naoki Nishioka, Kei Wakana and Fukuto Komuro in their ranks, while Germany, Australia and Great Britain and Northern Ireland are among the other potential contenders.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s 4x400m</h2>
In Cali two years ago, USA was a dominant winner of this title, coming home 3.5 seconds clear of silver medallists Jamaica and it will come as a big surprise if any nation lowers their colours in Lima. Among the athletes in their relay pool are 400m runners Michaela Mouton and Zaya Akins along with 400m hurdlers Braelyn Baker and Jasmine Robertson.
Jamaica should again produce a strong showing with Abigail Campbell and Kelly Ann Carr among their ranks, while British pair Charlotte Henrich and Kara Dacosta will hope to help their nation to another podium finish. Nigeria also looks capable of getting among the medals, led by individual 400m contender Ella Onojuvwevwo, who has a best of 50.57.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s 4x400m</h2>
The US team proved a class apart in the last edition of these championships in Cali two years ago and they look the team to beat here once again. They have a couple of formidable 400m runners in their ranks in Jayden Davis and Sidi Njie with 400m hurdlers Vance Nilsson and Jonathan Frazier also likely to feature.
South Africa should have a strong hand with Udeme Okon expected to lead their team along with Bryan Katoo, while 400m hurdler Njabulo Mbatha should also be available.
Botswana won this title in 2021 and they should have a strong showing again here with Enerst Kumevu, Thabang Charles Monngathipa and Keorapetse Oreokame in their ranks. China could also feature given the presence of Ailixier Wumaier and Fu Haoran, who will both have eyes on making an individual final over 400m.
&nbsp;
<h2>Mixed 4x400m</h2>
The US set the current world U20 record for the mixed 4x400m when winning this title two years ago in 3:17.69 and given their strength across male and female categories, they&rsquo;re likely to be the team to beat here.
It&rsquo;s difficult to know who exactly will be competing, however, given the heats of the mixed relay take place on the opening morning (27 August) of the championships and the final is that night, with the first round of all one-lap events getting under way the following morning.
Among the potential US team members are 400m runners Michaela Mouton and Zaya Akins along with 400m hurdlers Braelyn Baker and Jasmine Robertson, while on the men&rsquo;s side they are replete with several strong one-lap athletes such as Jayden Davis, Sidi Njie, Vance Nilsson and Jonathan Frazier.
India earned silver medals two years ago and bronze when this event was introduced at these championships in 2021 and they should again feature strongly here along with Jamaica, a nation that has significant strength in depth across the 400m.
South Africa also has several strong athletes in this category, as do Poland and Great Britain and Northern Ireland, though much will depend on who among them makes themselves available.
Cathal Dennehy for World Athletics

A look at the 4x100m and 4x400m in Lima

WU20 Lima 24 preview: relays

The World Athletics U20 Championships Lima 24 will take place between 27-31 August, with more than 1700 athletes from 134 teams set to take part.
Here we take a look at the women&rsquo;s and men&rsquo;s sprint events at the Estadio Atletico de la Videna.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s 100m</h2>
All eyes will be on Jamaica&rsquo;s Alana Reid in the women&rsquo;s 100m. With her national U20 record of 10.92, she is the only competitor in the field with a personal best under 11 seconds. Reid ran the lead-off leg for Jamaica&rsquo;s 4x100m team at the Paris Olympics, placing fifth in the final. After earning 200m bronze at the 2022 World U20 Championships, Reid will have her sights set on 100m gold in Lima.
She will be tested by 16-year-old Thieanna Lee Terrelonge, another rising star from Jamaica. Terrelonge carries a PB of 11.13 from her victory at this year&rsquo;s Jamaican U20 Championships (Reid competed in the senior championships). Australian record-holder Torrie Lewis could be well positioned to take the top podium spot, having run her 11.10 PB earlier this year and coming off representing her country in the 200m and 4x100m relay at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Adaejah Hodge will also bring momentum from Paris with her into the competition. The sprinting sensation from the British Virgin Islands has a PB of 11.11, won both the 100m and 200m at her country&rsquo;s senior national championships in June, and contested the 200m at the Olympics earlier this month.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s 100m</h2>
A startling four athletes have broken 10.10 this season in the men&rsquo;s 100m, led by Bradley Nkoana of South Africa. His personal best time of 10.03, achieved in Switzerland in July, is a national U20 record. Nkoana will arrive in Lima as the favourite after helping the South African 4x100m team set an African record of 37.57 to earn silver at the Olympic Games in Paris.
He Jinxian of China, Gary Card of Jamaica and Puripol Boonson of Thailand are among those who&rsquo;ll be challenging Nkoana in Lima. China&rsquo;s He ran a 10.06 national U20 record to take the title at this year&rsquo;s Chinese Championships. 17-year-old Card ran a personal best of 10.07 to win the Jamaican U20 Championships in June, putting him second on the Jamaican U20 all-time list. Boonson is coming off a semi-finals appearance in Paris and will look to improve upon his season&rsquo;s best of 10.08 from April; his personal best of 10.06 came in 2023 and tied the U18 world best.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s 200m</h2>
Just as in the 100m, a Jamaican leads all competitors in the 200m: 16-year-old Shanoya Mikalia Douglas, who ran 22.59 to win the Jamaican U20 Championships in June. While that performance earned her the fastest season&rsquo;s best of the competitors in Peru, she does not own the fastest personal best in the field. That honour belongs to Adaejah Hodge, who ran 22.33 indoors in 2023 and who will be doubling back in Lima after the 100m. Hodge will bring significant global senior experience to the event, having advanced to the semi-finals in the 200m at this year&rsquo;s Olympic Games as well as at last year&rsquo;s World Championships in Budapest.
Australia&rsquo;s Torrie Lewis will also be doubling up in the 200m after first tackling the 100m in Lima. Lewis has a PB of 22.89 which she earned earlier this month at the Olympic Games. Expect a strong showing from USA&rsquo;s Elise Cooper, who won her national U20 championships and then went on to run a PB of 22.71 in the semi-finals of the US Olympic Trials.
In addition to these four women, Viwe Jingqi of South Africa is the only other competitor in the field with a PB inside 23 seconds (22.96).
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s 200m</h2>
Another South African leads all entrants in the men&rsquo;s 200m &ndash; Bayanda Walaza is in a league of his own with his personal best of 20.34. Walaza, who ran the opening leg for South Africa&rsquo;s silver-medal winning and African-record-breaking 4x100m team in Paris, will also be contesting the 100m in Lima, but it is in the 200m where his title chances are likely strongest.
Other podium contenders include Poland&rsquo;s two-time European U20 champion Marek Zakrzewski (PB 20.50); Italy&rsquo;s Eduardo Longobardi, whose PB of 20.53 came just last month in his victory at the Italian U20 championships; and Great Britain&rsquo;s Jake Odey-Jordan (PB 20.55), who broke the British U20 indoor 200m record this year at the age of 16.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s 400m</h2>
At the 2022 World U20 Championships, it took running under 52 seconds to make the podium in the women&rsquo;s 400m. In 2024, there are three women in the field who have already broken 51 seconds this season.
Lurdes Gloria Manuel of the Czech Republic boasts the fastest personal best with her national U20 record of 50.52, set in June at the European Championships in Rome. Manuel made it to the semi-finals of the 400m at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Nigeria&rsquo;s Ella Onojuvwevwo owns a PB of 50.57 and will be looking to challenge Manuel for the win. Onojuvwevwo was part of Nigeria&rsquo;s gold-medal-winning 4x400m relay team at the African Championships in June. Like Manuel, she made it to the semi-finals of the 400m in Paris.
Michaela Mouton of the US ran her PB of 50.96 in May and will be aiming to improve upon that if she hopes to come up with the win against Manuel and Onojuvwevwo. Her teammate Zaya Akins, who managed to best Mouton at the US U20 Championships, has a PB of 51.33 and is the final competitor in the field to have broken 52 seconds.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s 400m</h2>
The sprinting strength of the South African men&rsquo;s team is rounded out by Udeme Okon in the men&rsquo;s 400m. Okon has notched personal bests in the 100m, 200m, and 400m in 2024, and he comes into the 400m in Lima with the field&rsquo;s fastest personal best and season&rsquo;s best (45.41). He will be looking to follow in the footsteps of compatriot Lythe Pillay, who won the 400m at the last World U20 Championships.
Okon will face multiple challengers in that attempt, most notably Jayden Davis of the United States. Davis was a member of the Arizona State University 4x400m relay team that won the NCAA Indoor Championships earlier this year. Though he has a slightly faster PB of 45.49, Davis placed second at the US U20 Championships to Sidi Njie. Njie will also feature in the race in Lima, and could be in the medal mix with his personal best of 45.62.
Ailixier Wumaier of China will be another one to watch, with season highlights including a PB of 45.53 from his win at the Asian U20 Championships as well as the 400m title from China&rsquo;s senior national championships.
Jessi Gabriel for World Athletics

A look at the women's and men's 100m, 200m and 400m

Three things to follow on the fifth and final day in Lima

Three things to watch on day four in Lima

Three things to follow on day three in Lima

Three things to watch on day two in Lima

Three things to follow on day one in Lima