Team South Africa secure two more medals in Eugene

South African athletes raked in two more medals on Friday, climbing the overall table on day three of the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

Jan-Hendrik Heymans was spectacular in the men's javelin throw final, claiming the national team's first gold medal of the junior showpiece.

He launched a massive 80.50m throw, setting a new personal best and producing the best throw in the world this season by an U20 athlete. Heymans landed the spear more than six metres clear of his nearest opponent, with India's Ashish Yadav grabbing the silver medal with a best attempt of 74.09m.

Another South African athlete, Marques Olivier, took seventh position with a 70.94m throw. On the track, sprinter Leendert Koekemoer earned bronze in the men's 400m final, finishing third in 44.96 seconds (just 0.02 outside his own SA junior record). Up front, American athlete Jayden Deleon won gold in 44.47, setting a championship record, and his compatriot Quincy Wilson earned silver in 44.62. Further back, South Africa's Kryn Romijn took seventh position in 46.16.

Versatile athlete Daniel von der Heyden was also looking good in contention for a medal, lying third with 4133 points midway through the men's decathlon competition. The decathletes were set to compete in five more disciplines on the fourth day of competition.

MEDAL HOPES STILL ALIVE

Meanwhile, multiple SA athletes kept their hopes alive in preliminary rounds on day three.

Javelin throwers Marine Grobler (51.59m) and Stephane Hook (49.23m) both stayed in the hunt, performing well enough in the qualifying round to book their spots in the women's final to be held on the fifth and final day of the global spectacle on Sunday.

In the women's 200m sprint, Rume Burger won her first-round heat in a personal best 23.17, and she went on to take second place in her semifinal race in 23.18. Burger booked her place in the half-lap final to be held on day four.

Mukona Manavhela was second in his 200m heat in 21.10, but he settled for fourth spot in his semifinal in 20.89 and did not qualify for the men's final.

In the women's 100m hurdles event, Tumi Ramokgopa was superb, winning her heat in 13.16 and storming to victory in her semifinal in 13.02, progressing to the medal contest on day four. Her compatriot, Megan Nieman, was third in her heat in 13.52, but she trailed home in 13.65 in her semifinal and missed out on a place in the final.

Phenyo Miyen did well in the men's 110m hurdles event, winning his first-round heat in a personal best 13.28, and he was third in his semifinal in 13.18 (with a +2.7m/s tailwind). He qualified for the final. Over the 800m distance, Werner Gouws finished fifth in his semifinal (1:48.89) and Emil Els ended eighth in his race (1:51.02) and both athletes were eliminated.

In the women's two-lap semifinals, Carise van Rooyen was fifth in her race in 2:04.94 and she too was unable to progress to the medal contest.

After three days of action in Eugene, the SA team were in seventh position in the overall table with four medals (one gold and three bronze).

Schedule of SA athletes competing on day four (SA times):

Early session (Saturday night)

6pm - 110m hurdles decathlon, men (Daniel von der Heyden)

7pm - discus throw decathlon, men (Daniel von der Heyden)

7.45pm - 4x400m relay heats, women (SA team)

8.20pm - 4x400m relay heats, men (SA team)

8.55pm - 4x100m relay heats, women (SA team)

9pm - pole vault decathlon, men (Daniel von der Heyden)

9.25pm - 4x100m relay heats, men (SA team)

11.15pm - discus throw qualification, men (Joshua Gerber)