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Sweep of 4x400 Relay Titles Helps U.S. Capture Seven Golds, 15 Medals at World Athletics U20 Championships

Published by
DyeStat.com   Aug 7th 2022, 12:37am
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Bartholomew, Garrett, Sumner and Willis all earn second golds, with Jackson becoming only third American female athlete to secure 4x100 and 4x400 medals in same year; Ethiopia wins four straight distance races to match Jamaica with six tites, Davronova takes triple jump crown at age 15

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Even the distance dominance of Ethiopia and the hurdling heroics of Jamaica couldn’t prevent the United States from becoming the most decorated country once again Saturday at the World Athletics U20 Championships.

The most successful men’s and women’s events in meet history for the Americans have been the 4x400-meter relays, and needing to win both titles in order to surpass Ethiopia and Jamaica for most gold medals at the six-day championship showcase, the U.S. delivered in the clutch in the final two races at Pascual Guerrero Olympic Stadium in Cali, Colombia.

After Mekenze Kelley, Shawnti Jackson, Akala Garrett and Roisin Willis won the women’s 4x400 crown in 3 minutes, 28.06 seconds for the 12th overall title in the event for the Americans, the U.S. secured a 15th championship in the men’s 4x400, with Steven McElroy, Ashton Schwartzman, Charlie Bartholomew and Will Sumner clocking 3:04.47.

The 4x400 sweep gave the Americans seven gold medals, just ahead of Ethiopia and Jamaica with six apiece.

INTERVIEWS | TIMETABLE/RESULTS

Jamaica edged the U.S. by a 16 to 15 margin for most overall medals, with Ethiopia – on the strength of four championships and six medals in a one-hour span Saturday – accumulating 12 total, as 41 countries earned at least one medal, including 24 nations that secured gold.

Willis, a Stanford signee from Stevens Point, Wis., celebrated her 18th birthday with a 51.34-second anchor split and a second gold medal, including her 800 title Wednesday, and Garrett – a Texas commit representing Harding University in North Carolina – also secured another title with a 53.13 split on the third leg, in addition to her 400 hurdles crown Thursday.

Along with Coastal Carolina’s Kelley opening with a 52.23 split and Jackson, a standout at Wakefield High in North Carolina clocking 51.36 on the second leg, Garrett and Willis helped the Americans run the fastest time at the meet since 2004 and produce the No. 3 all-time World U20 mark.

Jamaica secured silver in 3:31.59 and Great Britain earned bronze in 3:31.86, led by 400 gold medalist and Michigan commit Yemi Mary John running 52.15 on the opening leg.

Jackson became only the third female athlete in American history to earn medals in both the 4x100 and 4x400 finals in the same World U20 Championships, joining Myra Combs in 1998 and Kendra Mackey in 1988. Jackson, the bronze medalist in the 100-meter dash final, helped the U.S. earn silver in the 4x100 relay.

Bartholomew, representing Oklahoma State and producing a 46.30 split on the third leg, and Sumner – a Georgia signee from Woodstock High anchoring in 45.88 – also captured their second gold medals after teaming with Madison Whyte of Heritage High in Virginia and Texas A&M’s Kennedy Wade to prevail Tuesday in the mixed 4x400 relay final.

Joining Cincinnati’s McElroy, the 400 silver medalist who opened the relay in 46.93, and Texas A&M’s Schwartzman achieving a 45.36 split on the second leg, Bartholomew and Sumner contributed to the U.S. winning its record 15th men’s 4x400 title in meet history. The Americans have medaled 17 times in the 4x400 in 19 editions of the meet, even more impressive considering the U.S. didn’t attend last year’s competition in Kenya.

Jamaica grabbed silver 3:05.72, with Delano Kennedy closing in 45.02 to rally past Will Floyd of Seattle Prep in Washington and his 45.93 anchor leg for Canada, which held on for bronze in 3:06.50.

The runner-up finish helped Jamaica edge the U.S. in the final medal tally.

Ethiopia placed significant pressure Saturday on both the Americans and Jamaica after winning the women’s 1,500, men’s 800, women’s 5,000 and men’s 3,000 steeplechase titles in succession.

Birke Haylom triumphed in the women’s 1,500 for Ethiopia in 4:04.27, eclipsing the championship record of 4:04.96 achieved in 2012 by Kenyan legend Faith Kipyegon.

Kenya’s Brenda Chebet and Purity Chepkirui earned silver and bronze. Chebet was also under the previous meet record by clocking 4:04.64 and Chepkirui secured another medal in 4;07.64 after winning last year on home soil in Nairobi.

Addy Wiley, a Colorado signee from Huntington North High in Indiana, elevated to the No. 6 all-time U.S. prep competitor by finishing fifth in 4:11.43.

Mia Barnett, representing Virginia, was 11th in 4:22.37 for the Americans.

Ermias Girma produced the third consecutive men’s 800 title for Ethiopia in 1:47.36, followed by Heithem Chenitef of Algeria in 1:47.61 and Great Britain’s Ethan Hussey clocking 1:47.65.

Girma, who was runner-up in the 1,500 final in 3:37.24, joined fellow Ethiopian Desta Asgedom as the only male athletes in World U20 Championships history to medal in both the 800 and 1,500 in the same meet. Asgedom won the 800 title in 1990 and earned bronze in the 1,500.

Medina Eisa and Melknat Wudu of Ethiopia were able to overcome an ambitious early pace from the Kenyan competitors in the women’s 5,000 final and eventually pulled away from Uganda’s Prisca Chesang on the final lap to achieve a 1-2 finish.

Eisa helped Ethiopia win its second straight title and 10th overall by running 15:29.71 and Wudu earned consecutive silver medals after clocking 15:30.06. Chesang achieved back-to-back bronze medals in 15;31.17.

Analee Weaver of Utah State was eighth for the Americans in 16:35.74 and Arkansas’ Heidi Nielson finished 14th in 17:13.97.

Samuel Duguna became the second Ethiopian male athlete to triumph in the 3,000 steeplechase by running 8:37.92, joining Takele Nigate in 2018, and helped his country produce its first sweep of the top two spots in the event, as Samuel Firewu clocked 8:39.11 for the silver medal.

Salaheddine Ben Yazide grabbed bronze for Morocco in 8:40.62.

Jamaica picked up where it left off following four gold medals Friday to win the first track final Saturday.

Kerrica Hill took the women’s 100-meter hurdles title in a championship record 12.77, eclipsing the 2016 mark of 12.85 by Elvira Herman of Belarus, and fellow Jamaican Alexis James secured silver in 12.87.

It marked the first sweep of gold and silver medals in the event for Jamaica, with Hill elevating to the No. 5 all-time World U20 competitor and James ascending to No. 11 in history.

Hungary’s Anna Toth ran a personal-best 13.00 to earn bronze for the second year in a row, with USC’s Jalaysiya Smith placing fourth in 13.35.

Sharifa Davronova of Uzbekistan became the youngest champion in Colombia, capturing the women’s triple jump crown at age 15 with a lifetime-best 46-0.75 (14.04m) performance on her second attempt.

Davronova became the 12th athlete in meet history to win a title at age 15, including the 10th female competitor and the first since 2016. She improved to the No. 11 all-time World U18 competitor.

France’s Sohane Aucagos captured the silver medal with a 43-10.75 (13.38m) effort and Australia’s Tiana Boras edged Venezuela’s Fernanda Maita for bronze.

Boras and Maita both jumped 43-7.75 (13.30m), but the Australian athlete held the tiebreaker with the better second jump by a 43-1 (13.13m) to 42-10.25 (13.06m) margin.

Agur Dwol of Mullen High in Colorado, an Oklahoma commit, placed 12th for the U.S. at 41-5.25 (12.63m).

Karmen Bruus of Estonia relied on the experience of competing in Oregon and achieving a seventh-place finish in July at the women’s high jump final at the World Championships to deliver a memorable third-attempt clearance Saturday at 6-4.75 (1.95m) to win the title.

Bruus became only the second female athlete from Estonia in meet history to capture a championship, joining Kaire Leibak in the triple jump in 2006.

Britt Weerman of the Netherlands and Serbia’s Angelina Topic both cleared 6-4 (1.93m), with the Dutch athlete earning silver based on fewer attempts.

Emma Gates, an Arizona signee from Cascade High in Oregon, finished 11th for the Americans by clearing 5-8.75 (1.75m).

Germany not only secured its first gold medal of the meet, but also became the first country to take the top two spots in the history of the men’s discus competition, with Marius Karges producing a 215-foot (65.55m) performance in the sixth round to prevail against teammate Mika Sosna and his opening attempt of 209-7 (63.88m).

Ukraine grabbed another medal with Mykhailo Brudin achieving bronze at 207-8 (63.30m) following his fourth-round effort.

Desmond Coleman of Liberty placed seventh for the U.S. with a personal-best 198-3 (60.43m) and Sam Houston State’s Kevin Grubbs took ninth at 197-2 (60.11m).

The U.S. led all countries in the placing table based on top-eight performances with 166 points, followed by Jamaica at 126 and Ethiopia at 116.



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