The US team rocked Hayward Field on Wednesday, achieving the fastest Under-20 mixed 4x400m in history with 3:15.31 on the first night of competition at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships Oregon 26.
The quartet of Joshua Shelton, Taylor-Nicole Overton, Jaelen Hunter and Olivia Harris took more than two seconds off the previous best of 3:17.69 achieved by another US team at the 2022 edition of the World Under-20 Championships in Cali.
VAN DYK BAGS FIRST MEDAL FOR SA
Jaco van Dyk stepped on the podium, as Team South Africa produced some impressive performances to open their campaign.
Van Dyk delivered a best throw of 19.09m in the qualifying round of the men's shot put in the morning session, booking his place in the final later in the evening. In the medal contest, the 16-year-old athlete went bigger, landing the shot at 19.80m and setting a new personal best to secure bronze. Alessandro Borges of Brazil (20.35m) won gold and Korean athlete Si-hoon Park (20.31m) earned the silver medal.
5000M TITLES FOR KIBET AND CHEROP
After winning the world Under-20 cross-country title in Tallahassee in January, Frankline Kibet clinched his second global gold by winning the 5000m in Eugene. His Kenyan teammate Nehemiah Kipngeno finished second in 13:30.09, while Ethiopia’s Damitew Kebede shocked fans with a bronze finish, improving his PB by almost 20 seconds to 13:35.38.
SPRINT CONTENDERS CONTINUE
USA’s Tate Taylor, South Africa’s Marko Ferreira and Jamaica’s Gary Card dominated the men’s 100m semifinals, all three winning their heats. Taylor achieved the fastest time of 10.06, while Ferreira ran 10.13. World Under-20 leader Card, who ran 9.93 in June, narrowly won his semifinal in 10.16.