Japan crowns two first-time champions, Australia takes top two spots in decathlon and Indonesia earns country’s first medal; Baker makes javelin history for U.S., which adds pair of men’s 100 medals to rich sprint tradition

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

No matter which final was taking place Wednesday inside Ratina Stadium, there was something transpiring that had never been seen before at the IAAF World U-20 Championships.

Whether it was a Japanese distance runner stunning the favored Ethiopians with a staggering pace from the beginning of the women’s 3,000-meter race, or a pair of Australians achieving an unmatched level of success in the decathlon, or an Indonesian sprinter making history for his country, the second evening session of the week in Tampere, Finland will go down as one of the most memorable ever at the meet.

The Americans also experienced their share of highs and lows, topped by Olathe North KS graduate Dana Baker becoming the first U.S. javelin thrower to earn any medal at the World U-20 Championships by capturing bronze.

American Heritage FL graduate Anthony Schwartz and Ohio State’s Eric Harrison continued the Americans’ tradition of success in the men’s 100-meter dash, but the race will be remembered most for Lalu Muhammad Zohri capturing the gold for Indonesia in 10.18 seconds, producing his nation’s first medal in any event in meet history.

Zohri was the first male sprinter from an Asian country to win the 100 title and missed equaling Indonesia’s national record by one-hundredth. Schwartz edged Harrison by a 10.211 to 10.220 margin in the battle for silver and bronze.

Schwartz, an Auburn signee, had been unbeaten this season in the 100, including a wind-legal 10.09 on June 2 at the Great Southwest Classic in Albuquerque, N.M., that elevated him to the No. 4 all-time prep performer and established him as the World U-20 leader entering the meet.

“This feels great winning a medal here in my first international meet against the best of the best. I didn’t get the result I wanted but I leave here knowing I still have a lot in me and still have the fastest time in the world,” Schwartz said. “It’s really a learning experience knowing that I can be beat. Being beat is actually the best outcome because I now know that I need to train harder.”

Schwartz and Harrison helped the U.S. earn two men’s 100 medals for the fourth time in meet history, although the other three occasions in 1986, 2004 and 2014 produced gold and silver.

In the women’s javelin, Ukraine’s Alina Shukh secured her country’s first title since 2008 with a third-round throw of 183-6 (55.95m), with Japan’s Tomoka Kuwazoe earning silver after throwing 182-7 (55.66m), also in the third round.

But it was Baker, who took the lead in the second round with a throw of 180-7 (55.04m), that left the most lasting impression after ending the drought for the Americans by producing a javelin medal.

“It’s amazing. Hopefully I’m the first of many,” Baker said. “It’s a great feeling, kind of surreal. It hasn’t really set in yet.”

Baker, a Duke signee, became only the second American prep athlete to throw beyond 180 feet more than once, including her personal-best 180-10 (55.11m) from June 29 at American JavFest in Pennsylvania.

Madison Wiltrout, who set national high school and American U-20 records at Connellsville PA before attending University of North Carolina, had three 180-foot efforts, including a personal-best 185-8 (56.59m) in 2015.

“I hope that this shows other female javelin throwers that they don’t need to be intimidated by competition and they, too, can show what the USA is capable of,” Baker said.

Along with Kuwazoe, Japan enjoyed an incredible night with Nozomi Tanaka winning the women’s 3,000 gold medal in 8:54.01, followed by Ethiopia’s Meselu Berhe taking silver in 8:56.39 and Tsige Gebreselama capturing bronze in 8:59.20. It marked the second time in meet history that Ethiopia earned two medals in the event, along with 2008.

Yuki Hashioka added to the history for Japan by becoming the country’s first World U-20 men’s long jump champion with a third-round leap of 26-4.25 (8.03m).

Cuba’s Maikel Vidal had four jumps over 25-10, but couldn’t surpass Hashioka and captured silver with a third-round jump of 26-2.75 (7.99m). Jamaica’s Wayne Pinnock established an early lead with a first-round effort of 25-11 (7.90m), but couldn’t improve on that mark.

Ashley Moloney not only became Australia’s first World U-20 decathlon champion, but he also set the meet record with 8,190 points, breaking the 2016 mark of 8,162 points accumulated by Germany’s Niklas Kaul and elevating to the No. 2 World U-20 performer in history.

Gary Haasbroek helped Australia make additional history by taking silver with 7,798 points, helping the country become the first ever at the meet to sweep the top two spots in the decathlon championship. Simon Ehammer produced Switzerland’s first decathlon medal by earning bronze with 7,642 points.

Following a 20th-place finish in the women’s shot put final in 2016, Madison-Lee Wesche ascended to the top of the podium with a sixth-round effort of 56-1 (17.09m), securing New Zealand’s first gold medal in the event since Valerie Adams in 2002.

China’s Linru Zhang and Jorinde van Klinken of the Netherlands both produced marks of 55-11.25 (17.05m), but Zhang earned the silver based on a better second effort since van Klinken, the World U-20 leader this year at 56-8.50 (17.28m), had only one more additional fair throw in the competition.

The complexion of the podium changed dramatically when UCLA’s Alyssa Wilson, second among World U-20 performers this year at 56-5.75 (17.21m), fouled on all three attempts in the final and placed 12th. Wilson captured bronze for the Americans in 2016.