Day 5 Evening Review: 2016 IAAF U20 World Champs: 4x1 sweep, 4 medals
2016 IAAF U20 Championships – Day 5 evening session summary
MEN’S POLE VAULT FINAL
What a great competition! The favorite was Australian Kurtis Marschall, the U20 world leader at 18-08.5. He was leading through 17-10.75. Deakin Volz (Virginia Tech), in second then, passed at that height, but then cleared 18-0.5 – beating his PR of 17-11.5, which he had cleared to win New Balance Nationals Indoor in March, 2015. Marschall had passed that height, but then made 18-02.5 on his first attempt. Volz missed on his first, then passed again. The bar was moved to 18-04.5 and Volz made it on his second attempt. Marschall missed on all three of his attempts at that height, giving the Volz the win. The bar was then moved to 18-06.5, at which Volz cleared on his first attempt, his third new personal best of the night. Armand Duplantis (Lafayette, LA/SWEDEN) was third at 17-10.75 and Chris Nilsen (Park Hill, Kansas City, MO was 7th at 17-06.75.
WOMEN’S 100m HURDLES semi final
Alexis Duncan (De Soto, TX) and Tia Jones (Walton, Marietta, GA) qualified as expected, with Duncan running a lifetime best 13.03 for 2nd in SF#1 and Jones 13.10 to win SF#2. Duncan’s time is the third-best of any U.S. high schooler this year and the fifth-best all-time high school. The Americans will have stiff competition in the final as Elvira Herman (Belarus – 12.97 to win SF#3) and Tobi Amusan (Nigeria/UTEP – 12.99, beating Duncan) had the fastest times of the 8 finalists.
MEN’S 800m semi final
Brian Bell (Houston) had himself in a good position during the race and got run down in the homestretch. He did qualify on time, however, running 1:47.49. (Bell had anchored Dayton Dunbar’s national record Sprint Medley Relay in the 2015 New Balance Nationals Indoor). Vincent Crisp (Texas Tech) finished fourth in a slower heat and did not advance.
WOMEN’S 200m FINAL
Edidiong Odiong (Bahrain) led from start to finish, winning in a national record 22.84. Odiong is a prior Nigerian Junior champion who transferred allegiance to Bahrain in June. Taylor Bennett (Houston) contended for the bronze, but finished fifth, only .07 out of third.
MEN’S 400m HURDLE FINAL
This event was true to form as Jaleel Hyde (Jamaica) won in 49.03. Taylor Mc Laughlin (Michigan), was second at the last hurdle, and then sprinted furiously the final stretch to edge Kyron Mc Master (British Virgin Islands/Central Arizona JC), 49.45 to 49.54. It was a personal best for Mc Laughlin.
MEN’S 5000m FINAL
It was the usual scenario with East Africans taking the top 7 spots. The winner was Selemon Barega (Ethiopia) in 13:21.21. Zachary Snider (Wisconsin) finished 16th in 14:15.89, with Olin Hacker (Wisconsin) finishing with a personal best 14:23.33 in 19th.
MEN’S 4x100m FINAL
One holds one’s breath when the U.S. is passing the baton in the 4x100m. This time they were decent, though not as flawless as those of Japan and Germany. In fact, the U.S. was slightly behind at the final handoff, and Noah Lyles had all he could do to pass Japan’s Kenta Oshima. The team of Michael Norman (Vista Murietta, Murietta Valley, CA), Hakim Montgomery (Troy State U.), Brandon Taylor (Clearbrook, Friendswood, TX) and Lyles (TC Williams, Alexandria, VA) ran 38.93 for the World Junior lead. Japan was 39.01 (=#4 all-time) and Germany 39.13 (#7 all-time). Germany edged Jamaica, which also ran 39.13.
WOMEN’S 4x100m FINAL
Germany, with their usual flawless exchanges, led at the final exchange, only to have to contend with Candace Hill -- who easily pulled well away to give the U.S. the win a time of 43.67,the world junior lead. The team was comprised of Tia Jones (Walton, Marietta, GA), Taylor Bennett (Baylor), Kaylor Harris (Horn, Mesquite, TX) and Hill (Asics).
MEN’S JAVELIN FINAL
No Americans made the final, but it was a notable competition. Neeraj Chopra (India) the world U20 leader at 270-01 unleashed a world record throw of 283-09 on his second throw, breaking that of Zigismunds Sirmais (Latvia) of 277-10. Johan Grobler of South Africa, with a 20-foot PR, was second at 264-05, and Anderson Peters (Grenada) was third at 261-05, a PR and national record.
