Brazilian hurdler Gabriel Constantino (© Getty Images)
Gabriel Constantino won a fourth gold medal for Brazil to highlight day five action at the World University Games at the San Paolo Stadium in Naples on Friday (12).
Constantino, a finalist in the 60m hurdles at the 2018 World Indoor Championships, took the 110m hurdles title in a solid 13.22, edging 2014 world U20 champion Wilhelm Belocian from France, who clocked 13.30. Constantino came close to his recent personal best of 13.18 he set earlier this week in Szekesfehrvar.
Japan’s Shunsuke Izumiya held off Italy’s Lorenzo Perini by 0.01 with 13.49 to win the close battle for bronze.
Ernest John Obiena from the Philippines set a new national record to win the men’s pole vault with 5.76m on countback over Germany’s Torben Blech.
In the early morning, Japan claimed a podium sweep in the men’s 20 km race walk. Koki Ikeda, the winner at last year’s IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships, took the victory in 1:22:49, ahead of compatriots Masatora Kawano (1:23:20) and Yuta Koga (1:23:35).
Australia’s Katie Hayward won the women’s 20 km race walk in 1:33:30 beating her compatriot Jemima Montag (1:33:57).
Back on the track, Morocco’s Mounaime Sassioui won a close battle in the men’s 3000m steeplechase final in 8:30.24 to hold off South Africans Rantso Mokopane (8:30.37) and Ashley Smith (8:33.60).
Jessica Judd from Great Britain pulled away from Canada’s Nicole Hutchinson and Dutchwoman Julia Van Veithoven to win the women’s 5000m title in 15:45.82.
Ukraine’ Iryna Klimets won the women’s hammer thow with 71.25m ahead of Malawia Kopron from Poland (70.89m).
Another win for the Ukrainian team came from Olha Korsun who improved her PB to 13.90m to take the women’s triple jump ahead of Evelise Tavares Da Veiga feom Portugal (13.81m).
And finally, Finland’s Miia Sllman tallied a PB 6209 points to win the heptathon over Burkina Faso’s Marthe Koala who scored 6121.
Diego Sampaolo for the IAAF
