Chespol repeats as 3,000 steeplechase champion, sets meet record to give Kenya fourth gold of meet; Davis, Harrison both earn bronze to increase Americans’ medal total to eight overall

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

The United States still leads all countries with eight medals entering the final two days of competition at the IAAF World U-20 Championships, a position they’ve been accustomed to since the meet’s inception in 1986.

But the Americans are still searching for their first gold medal, with two more significant hopes washed away Friday with most of the night’s schedule being contested under rainy conditions at Ratina Stadium in Tampere, Finland.

Georgia’s Tara Davis, the World U-20 leader in the women’s long jump, still managed a bronze medal, one of two earned Friday for the U.S., along with Ohio State’s Eric Harrison in the men’s 200 meters.

But the Americans had another golden opportunity slip through their hands, literally, when the anchor exchange led to a dropped baton in the women’s 4x100 relay prelims, resulting in a disqualification and the U.S. not advancing to the finals for the first time since 1994.

The Americans had won the past seven women’s 4x100 gold medals and 10 overall in the previous 16 editions of the championships.

The U.S. men’s 4x100 did advance to the final, looking to extend a streak of five straight titles in Saturday’s championship.

Davis, who had jumped 22-0.25 (6.71m) on June 16 at the USATF Junior Outdoor Championships in Indiana, managed only a sixth-round leap of 20-10.50 (6.36m).

Lea-Jasmin Riecke won Germany’s first World U-20 women’s long jump gold medal since 1986 with a second-round effort of 21-4.25 (6.51m) and Ayaka Kora captured Japan’s first medal in the event since 2000 by securing silver following a second-round jump of 20-10.75 (6.37m).

“Getting a medal always is going to have a good feeling. It’s not the medal I wanted, but you know, I’ll take it,” said Davis, who captured the World U-18 title in 2015 in Cali, Colombia.

“The conditions out here were a bit strange. It was pouring down rain when we were warming up then the track was wet, some weird stuff going on. But if you get hit with anything, you’ve got to deal with it.”

Harrison became the first American U-20 male sprinter to earn a medal in both in the 100 and 200 since Aaron Ernest in 2012, and just the fourth in the country’s history, clocking 20.79 to earn his second bronze, following a 10.22 effort in the 100 final.

Great Britain’s Jona Efoloko (20.48) and Charles Dobson (20.57) took the top two spots, the first time since 1986 that one country swept gold and silver medals in the men’s 200 final, when Stanley Kerr and Derrick Florence achieved the feat for the Americans.

“It’s definitely not easy doubling in the 100 and 200. This is what I wanted to do so I can’t complain because I was one of the only ones that did double,” Harrison said. “That’s no excuse, I’ve got to get back to the drawing board and continue to work hard to make sure this doesn’t happen again. I learned what my limit was. I’m very grateful, but I do not like losing. This is a stiff competition all around, so everybody’s got to be on their ‘A’ game.”

Although the U.S. is still looking for its first title, Kenya increased its gold-medal haul Friday to four championships.

Celliphine Chepteek Chespol became the first athlete to repeat as World U-20 women’s 3,000 steeplechase champion, setting a meet-record 9:12.78.

Chespol helped Kenya win its seventh title in eight championships since the event was added to the schedule in 2004. Uganda’s Peruth Chemutai earned her country’s first medal in the event by taking silver in 9:18.87 and Bahrain earned a medal for the third consecutive final, with Winfred Mutile Yavi capturing bronze in 9:23.47.

Jonathan Sacoor became Belgium’s first gold medalist in any event in meet history, prevailing in the men’s 400-meter final in a national U-20 record 45.03. Jamaica earned silver and bronze, with Calabar High’s Christopher Taylor taking second in 45.38 and Florida’s Chantz Sawyers finishing third in 45.89.

Zeney van der Walt became the first South African female athlete in 14 years to win a gold medal in any event, clocking 55.34 in the 400-meter hurdles. Shiann Salmon earned a second straight silver medal for Jamaica in 56.11, with Switzerland’s Yasmin Giger securing her country’s first medal in the event by grabbing bronze in 56.98.