BYDGOSZCZ
In celebration of Bydgoszcz being confirmed as the host for the 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships, we pick eight classic moments from Poland’s most prolific athletics host.
It’s a running joke amongst athletics journalists that Bydgoszcz has hosted so many events, they don’t even need to check the spelling anymore. Now the Polish city is set to see even more track and field action after it was confirmed as the host for the 2016 World U20 Championships (formerly known as the world juniors). We pick out some of the significnant moments from previous meets going on in the Zdzisław Krzyszkowiak Stadium (ok, we had to look up that spelling).
1999 World Youth Championships
Mark Lewis-Francis wins 100m gold in 10.40. He went on to win Olympic gold with the British 4x100m relay in Athens 2004.
2004 European Cup
A year after setting the marathon world record (2:15:25) in London, Paula Radcliffe takes 5000m gold in the European Cup in 14:29.11, a national record that still stands today.
2008 World Junior Championships
Ivana Spanovic wins long jump gold three years after competing in the 100m at the world youths in Marrakesh. The Serbian is now the reigning European indoor champion and won her second world championship bronze medal in Beijing last August.
Reigning Olympic triple jump champion Christian Taylor, who last year won the world title with 18.21m (the second best mark of all time), finishes eighth in the TJ (winner: Teddy Tamgho) and seventh in the long jump (winner: Marquise Goodwin). Never give up is what we say.
Current 1500m world record holder Genzebe Dibaba wins silver in the 5000m behind fellow Ethiopian Sule Utura. Last year Dibaba won world 1500m gold and 5000m silver in Beijing.
Two-time world shot put champion David Storl wins his second age group world title. The previous year he won gold at the world youths in Ostrava. The German is one of the few athletes to win youth, junior and senior world titles in the same event.
2010 World Cross Country Championships
Caleb Ndiku wins gold in the junior race, also taking the team title with his fellow Kenyans. Ndiku won world indoor 3000m gold in 2014 and took 5000m silver behind Mo Farah at last year's world championships.
Two years after winning 3000m gold at the 2008 World Junior Championships, Mercy Cherono returned to Bydgoszcz to win gold in the junior race. She went on to win world 5000m silver at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow.
2013 World Cross Country Championships
Agnes Tirop wins silver in the junior race behind teammate Faith Kipyegon – part of the Kenyan team that won gold. Last year Tirop won senior world cross gold in Guiyang. She was the fourth-youngest athlete in the entire field.
The US team wins silver to upset Kenya in the senior men's 12km race. A mere two points separated the Americans from the east African nation, Ben True and Chris Derrick's 6th and 10th places ultimately making the difference.