Report21 Jul 2016


Report: women's 800m – IAAF World U20 Championships Bydgoszcz 2016

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800m medallists: Aaliyah Miller (silver), Samantha Watson (gold)and Tigist Ketema (bronze) at the IAAF World U20 Championships Bydgoszcz 2016 (© Getty Images)

A US-dominated 800m final seemed a likelihood based on the outcome of the heats and semifinals and so it played out with Samantha Watson and Aaliyah Miller taking the country’s first ever one-two in event history.

Watson and Miller said they were aiming to fill the top two spots on the podium, but team tactics were not on play, in spite of the end result. “All we talked about before the race was that we need to get gold and silver,” said Miller.

Watson found herself boxed in as Bahrain’s Marta Hirpato led a tightly bunched pack through the bell in a sluggish 63.53. But the 16-year-old Watson, who ran negative splits to comfortably win her semifinal, did the same in the final.

The world U18 champion from Cali last year boasts sub-53-second pace over 400m and she quickly made up the ground on Kenya’s Betty Sigei, who attacked hard with 200 metres remaining, before loping clear in the home straight.

Watson, who is eligible to defend her title in 2018, crossed the finish-line in 2:04.52 with Miller coming hard down the outside for silver in 2:05.06. After front running yesterday’s semifinals, Ethiopia’s Tigist Ketema adopted a more conservative game plan tonight to claim bronze in 2:05.13.

“I feel great, all the training has really paid off,” said Watson. “I always give it all I’ve got – I just want to get to the finish line first really badly.”

The pace Watson demonstrated through the rounds will undoubtedly be an asset to the USA in the 4x400m who will be without their star performer Sydney McLaughlin.

“I’m hoping for another medal there,” she said.

Steven Mills for the IAAF

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