EUGENE, OREGON, August 05 — For those watching, the atmosphere was challenging: hot, and extremely smoky, thanks to a persistent northwest wind, Washington state wildfires, and the geographical configuration of the Willamette Valley. Visibility, even beyond the Hayward Field confines, was limited, and the air quality was officially listed as “dangerous.”
But for the athletes, it was business as usual, and the opening day of competition yielded some fine marks.
The first men’s final, the shot, featured a duel between Korea’s Si-hoon Park and Brazil’s Alessandro Borges. Park led the opening round at 65-2½ (19.87), Borges moved ahead with a 65-9 (20.04) in the 2nd, Park retook the lead in the 3rd with his 66-7¾ (20.31) and held it until Borges fired a PR 66-9¼ (20.35) in the 5th. That held up, and Borges had won Brazil’s first-ever men’s gold.
Park finished 2nd ahead of South African Jaco Van Dyk’s PR 64-11½ (19.80) and Egypt’s Khalid Mohamed Salby’s PR 64-8¾ (19.73) in 4th.
An emotional and demonstrative athlete, the happy winner stated, “I cannot believe I am world champion. I want to show that we have more sports beyond football.”
The outstanding mark of the day belonged to Kenyan Frankline Kibet, who, despite the severe pollution, ran the last 4 laps of his 5000 in 3:59 to finish in a terrific 13:28.27, ahead of teammate Nehemiah Kipgneno (13:30.09) and Ethiopia’s Damitew Kebede (13:35.38, a PR). The pace was made or pushed for much of the way by Europeans from Sweden, Belgium and Norway, but when the Kenyans felt it was time to go, they were gone.
“I was so grateful to win the World XC, and I went back and trained very well, and that is why I was able to win in this championship,” said Kibet.
Similarly, in the women’s 5000, Uganda’s Charity Cherop decided at 4000m that she was done with tactical moves (“I put my mind to it and I wanted to get that medal”) and simply took off, leaving everyone else well behind and finishing with energy in reserve in 15:03.88. Ethiopia’s Shito Gumi and Kenyans Joyline Chepkemoi and Cynthia Chepkirui had no answer for her surge, finishing 2-3-4.
The night’s other final saw the USA’s mixed 4×4 run away from the field to finish in 3:15.31, by 2-plus seconds the fastest U20 time ever recorded. The second and third legs, by Taylor-Nicole Overton (51.70) and California HS soph Jaelen Hunter (45.57), put the race away, The next five teams set NRs, and Czechia was a surprise 2nd thanks to a fine 51.59 anchor leg by Linda Botková.
The day’s qualifying rounds produced more good marks, including a world-leading 263-9 (80.39) men’s hammer by China’s Jiawei Chen and a 10.05 100 prelim and 10.06 semi — both with atrocious starts — by the USA’s Tate Taylor. The 100 final, with Jamaica’s Gary Card (10.07 prelim) and South Africa’s Marko Ferreira (10.13 semi) will be a battle.
WORLD U20 CHAMPS DAY 1 MEN’S RESULTS
100 Heats: I(0.3)–1. Gary Card (Jam) 10.07. II(-0.1)–1. Jake Odey-Jordan (GB) 10.38. III(0.2)–1. Michael Cruz (Bra) 10.37. IV(1.2)–1. Marko Ferreira (SA) 10.11. V(1.4)–1. Akira Eghagha (Swi) 10.28. VI(0.0)–1. Tate Taylor (US) 10.05. VII(-0.8)–1. Kai Sugano (Jpn) 10.44. VIII(0.3)–1. Kyler Brown (US) 10.19.
Semis: I(0.6)–1. Ferreira 10.13; 2. Brown 10.16. II(0.1)–1. Card 10.16. III(0.1)–1. Taylor 10.06.
800 Heats: I–1. Negehe Eyasu (Eth) 1:51.16. II–1. Shaffin Murungi (Uga) 1:46.64 PR. III–1. Imad Bouchajda (Mor) 1:51.28;… 5. Kaleb Burroughs (US) 1:51.77. IV–1. Alejandro Rios (Spa) 1:50.85. V–1. Collins Tajewuo (Ken) 1:51.19;… 4. Stefon Dodoo (US) 1:53.01.
5000: 1. Frankline Kibet (Ken) 13:28.27 (finish: 28.20, 57.26, 1:57.84, 3:59.94); 2. Nehemiah Kipng’eno (Ken) 13:30.09; 3. Damitew Kebede (Eth) 13:35.38 PR; 4. Willem Renders (Bel) 13:43.41; 5. Mamaru Gwade (Eth) 13:44.41; 6. Magnus Øyen (Nor) 13:47.10;… 12. Juan Gonzalez (US) 13:59.00 PR;… 16. Jack Bidwell (US) 14:18.90.
SP: 1. Alessandro Borges (Bra) 66-9¼ (20.35) PR; 2. Si-hoon Park (SK) 66-7¾ (20.31); 3. Jaco Van Dyk (SA) 64-11½ (19.80) PR; 4. Yehia Khaled Helmy Mohamed (Egy) 64-8¾ (19.73) PR; 5. Ingmar Bratteby-Belem (Fra) 63-11¾ (19.50) PR; 6. Jayden Walcott (Bar) 63-2¾ (19.27);… 11. Michael Kpomassy (US) 61-10¼ (18.85).
Qual: Aristion Anastasios Papadopoulous (Gre) 65-½ (19.82);… dnq—Omar Hussein (US) 60-10 (18.54).
HT Qual: Jiawei Chen (Chn) 263-9 (80.39) PR;… Kayden Hulet (US) 238-11 (72.83).
JT Qual: Jan-Hendrik Heymans (SA) 249-5 (76.02);… Nolan Carey (US) 210-2 (64.07).
WORLD U20 DAY 1 WOMEN’S RESULTS
100 Heats: I(0.4)–1. Shanoya Douglas (Jam) 11.35. III(-0.2)–1. Mariah Maxwell (US) 11.33. IV(1.2)–1. Theianna-Lee Terrelonge (Jam) 11.21. V(0.0)–1. Xenia Buri (Swi) 11.38. VI(-0.1)–1. Mia Maxwell (US) 11.37. VII(1.9)–1. Zara Hagan (Aus) 11.40. VIII(0.9)–1. Kelly Ann Maevane Doualla Edimo (Ita) 11.35.
Semis: I(-0.2)–1. Doualla Edimo 11.36. II(0.4)–1. Mi. Maxwell 11.13. II(1.9)–1. Jady Emmanuel (StL) 11.28 PR. III(0.1)–1. Douglas 11.21; 2. Ma. Maxwell 11.25.
800 Heats: I–1. Živa Remic (Slo) 2:09.86. II–1. Rin Kubo (Jpn) 2:03.27. III–1. Ioulianna Roussou (Gre) 2:04.47… 3. Paige Sheppard (US) 2:06.40. IV–1. Habtam Gebeyehu (Eth) 2:04.66. V–1. Shaikira King (GB) 2:06.02; 2. Ellie Barada (US) 2:06.57.
5000: 1. Charity Cherop (Uga) 15:03.88; 2. Shito Gumi (Eth) 15:07.91; 3. Joyline Chepkemoi (Ken) 15:09.08 PR; 4. Cynthia Chepkurui (Ken) 15:14.86; 5. Carmen Cernjul (Swe) 15:22.18; 6. Emebet Tilahun (Eth) 15:32.51.
Steeple Heats: I–1. Mercy Chepngeno (Ken) 9:36.19;… 11. Bella Nelson (US) 10:44.05. II–1. Bude Almaz Yohannis (Eth) 9:42.45;… 7. Sierra Wall (US) 10:14.92.
PV Qual: Nicole Krutilová (CzR) 13-5¼ (4.10);… Katie Blue (US) & Kylie Neira (US) 13-5¼.
LJ Qual: Ella Alvelin Malm (Swe) 20-10½ (6.36) PR;… dnq—Abby Mecklenburg (US) 19-6¾w (5.96), Parker Coes (US) 19-5½ (5.93).
DT Qual: Yixin Su (Chn) 190-6 (58.06);… Jaslene Massey (US) 182-0 (55.47); Jillian Scully (US) 177-8 (54.15).
Mixed 4 x 400: 1. United States 3:15.31 WJR (old WJR 3:17.69 USA ’22) (Joshua Shelton 46.22, Taylor Nicole Overton 51.70, Jaelen Hunter, Olivia Harris);
2. Czechia 3:18.16; 3. Australia 3:18.45; 4. Jamaica 3:18.78; 5. Great Britain 3:20.50; 6. South Africa 3:21.48.
Heats: I–1. Great Britain 3:21.27. II–1. Jamaica 3:21.47. III–1. United States 3:18.26.
