Katarina Johnson-Thompson captures first World Indoor gold for host Great Britain in pentathlon; Murielle Ahoure, Marie-Josee Ta Lou lead Ivory Coast double play in women's 60-meter final

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Whether it was the arrival of a young star in the men's long jump, the patience of two talented veteran sprinters being rewarded or the validation of one of the world's most versatile athletes, several exceptional performances shared the spotlight Friday at the IAAF World Indoor Championships.

Cuba's Juan Miguel Echevarria became the youngest male field event athlete in history to win a World Indoor title, prevailing over reigning World Outdoor champion Luvo Manyonga of South African and American Marquis Dendy, the 2016 World Indoor winner, in one of the most thrilling long jump competitions in meet history.

Echevarria joined women's pentathlon champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson of Great Britain, women's 60-meter dash gold medalist Murielle Ahoure and women's shot put title holder Anita Marton of Hungary as winners at Arena Birmingham.

Echevarria produced a fifth-round leap of 27 feet, 9 inches (8.46m) to surpass the fourth-round effort of 27-8.25 (8.44m) by Manyonga, which improved on his own African indoor record. Dendy's fifth-round jump of 27-7.50 (8.42m) established the mark for the best third-place performance all-time in any indoor competition, in addition to equaling his wind-legal outdoor personal best.

After none of the finalists improved on their efforts in the final round, Echevarria, at 19 years and 203 days, surpassed 1985 triple jump winner Khristo Markov of Bulgaria (19 years, 357 days) as the youngest male World Indoor champion in any field event. Echevarria also became the youngest long jump winner, taking over the distinction held by five-time champion Ivan Pedroso of Cuba when he won his first title in 1993 at 20 years, 86 days.

Echevarria elevated to the No. 7 all-time indoor performer, with Manyonga equal to ninth and Dendy tying for 13th in history, including the No. 6 American. Jarrion Lawson placed fourth for the U.S. with a fourth-round jump of 26-8.5 (8.14m).

Johnson-Thompson became the first British pentathlon winner since Jessica Ennis-Hill in Doha, Qatar in 2010, accumulating 4,750 points, capped by a victory in the 800 meters in 2:16.63.

Johnson-Thompson won the European Indoor pentathlon championship in 2015 and captured a World Indoor long jump silver in 2014. Victories in the high jump with a 6-3.25 (1.91m) clearance and long jump with a leap of 21-4 (6.50m) propelled Johnson-Thompson to her first major global gold medal.

Austria's Ivona Dadic secured silver with 4,700 points and Cuba's Yorgelis Rodriguez set a national indoor record with 4,637 points to grab bronze. Two-time U.S. champion Erica Bougard placed fifth with 4,571 points and four-time NCAA winner Kendell Williams was ninth with 4,414 points.

After World Indoor silver medals in 2012 and 2014, Ahoure finally captured gold in the 60 in a world-leading 6.97, equaling the third-fastest time in championship history. Ahoure, who improved to the No. 7 all-time performer, and fellow countrywoman Marie-Josee Ta Lou (7.043) helped the Ivory Coast match the feat of the U.S. in 2006 by taking gold and silver in the short sprint.

Ta Lou edged Switzerland's Mujinga Kambundji (7.048), who secured bronze, to help make history as she and Ahoure became the first African sprinters to go 1-2 in any global championship.

Jamaica's Elaine Thompson and Dutch standout Dafne Schippers, both World Indoor medalists in 2016, finished fourth and fifth.

American Javianne Oliver, who entered the meet as the world leader in 7.02, clocked 7.10 to place fourth in her semifinal, but when a second-place dead heat at 7.15 occurred in another semifinal resulting in three automatic qualifiers to the final, her effort didn't advance, despite the U.S. champion running the fifth-fastest time overall and the best non-qualifying mark in championship history. Destiny Carter was 19th for the U.S. in 7.28.

Marton, who captured silver in the World Indoor shot put in 2016, punctuated her gold medal with a world-leading 64.4-50 (19.62m) in the final round.

Danniel Thomas-Dodd, the defending NCAA Division 1 outdoor shot put champion at Kent State, became the first Jamaican female athlete in history to earn a field event medal at a global championship meet, taking silver with a third-round effort of 63-0.75 (19.22m). Thomas-Dodd had placed fourth in the shot put at the World Outdoor Championships in August in London.

Lijiao Gong, the reigning World Outdoor gold medalist, grabbed bronze with a final-round mark of 62-7.25 (19.08m).

American Jeneva Stevens placed eighth with a mark of 59-7.75 (18.18m) and U.S. champion Daniella Hill took 12th with an effort of 56-7.50 (17.26m).

Keni Harrison ran the fastest 60 hurdles time ever in a prelim heat and produced the No. 4 performance overall in World Indoor history at 7.77 to lead three Americans into the semifinals, with Sharika Nelvis (7.96) and Christina Manning (7.97).

Courtney Okolo (51.34) and Shakima Wimbley (51.79) led a U.S. sweep of the top two spots in the women's 400 semifinals. Michael Cherry (45.73) and Aldrich Bailey (46.73) advanced for the Americans to the men's 400 final, with Spain's Oscar Husillos running a national indoor record 45.69 to lead all qualifiers.

Bowerman Track Club teammates Shelby Houlihan (4:06.21) and Colleen Quigley (4:09.31) both qualified for the women's 1,500 final, trying to secure the first World Indoor medal in the event for the U.S. since 2003.

Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands, the 3,000 silver medalist Thursday and reigning World Indoor 1,500 champion, led all qualifiers in 4:05.46. Jamaica's Aisha Praught-Leer, who trains in Colorado, also made the final in 4:07.51.

American Drew Windle ran the third-fastest time in his 800 heat at 1:45.52 to qualify for the final, but won't be joined by U.S. champion Donavan Brazier, who was disqualified because of lane infringement. Brazier wouldn't have advanced on time, regardless, after clocking 1:47.81. Spain's Alvaro de Arriba led all qualifiers in 1:45.44.

France's Kevin Mayer, who trains with Johnson-Thompson, continued to lead the men's heptathlon after four events with 3,536 points. American Zach Ziemek is sixth with 3,305 points.