4th Iolani Invitational
Hawaii Sept. 21
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Day 6 - Sunday July 21

Detailed Results on Event Pages

Stories

Highlights

Closing Day - USA wins 3 of 4 relays
in front of 35,000 screaming fans

USA men run 38.92!
- new World Junior record

M 4x100: The team of Ashton Collins, Wes Felix, Ivory Williams, and Willie Hordge ran into the history books. They put down the home team Jamaica squad 39.15, led by 200 meter gold medal winner Usain Bolt, and Penn Relays champion Trinidad & Tobago team 39.17, led by 100 meter gold winner Darrel Brown. The silver and bronze teams both set new national junior records. The old world record was 39.00, set by USA at Colorado Springs CO in 1983. The new record was a 19th birthday present for Wes Felix.

USA men 3:03.71

M 4x400: Kenneth Ferguson, Darold Williamson, Ashton Collins, and Jonathan Fortenberry held off Jamaica's national junior record 3:04.06. Japan 3:05.80 won bronze.

USA Women 3:29.95 !
W 4x400: Shaking off injuries to Sanya Richards and Allyson Felix, USA missed the world record but won the gold in US junior record time with Christina Hardeman, Monique Henderson, Tiffany Ross, and Lashinda Demus. Great Britain 3:30.46 and Russia 3:30.72 claimed the other medals in front of Jamaica 3:31.90. Lashinda Demus, the world record winning 400m hurdler, started the anchor lap with a slight lead but was caught by Great Britain and Russia before surging past Great Britain anchor Lisa Miller 30 meters from the finish line.

W 4x100: Jamaica 43.40, USA 43.66.

The US women's 4x400 relay team was hit by injuries that made the finals lineup problematic. Running the third leg of the 4x400 semis, Sanya Richards tripped over the railing after successfully handing off to anchor Lashinda Demus. Richards was taken off the track on a stretcher and has a strained ligament in her right ankle. Richards was running the semis after six rounds of open 200 and 400 races only because Allyson Felix and Tiffany Ross also have nagging injuries. That leaves only three of the six declared US 4x400 relay members healthy.

Antwon Hicks 13.42
wins hurdle gold for USA

M 110 METRES HURDLES FINAL - Antwon Hicks USA completed his victorious march with a better PR each round by winning gold in 13.42 +2.6, comfortably ahead of Dongpeng Shi CHN 13.58. Kenneth Ferguson USA was fifth in 13.91 after hitting his knee on a hurdle..

photo by Joy Kamani, NSSF team

 

Closing session
Time Event Round Status
18:00 M POLE VAULT FINAL - Ukrainian teammates Maksym Mazuryk and Vladyslav Revenko each cleared 5.55 18-2.5, with Mazuryk getting the gold by getting it on his second try to Revenko's third. The next four vaulters cleared 5.40 17-8.75.
18:10 W 100 METRES HURDLES FINAL - Anay Tejada of Cuba blew open the finals with a 12.81 mark that would be a new world junior record except for the +3.4 mps tail wind. Second was Agnieszka Frankowska POL at 13.16. Ashlee Williams USA was fourth at 13.36.
18:25 M 110 METRES HURDLES FINAL - Antwon Hicks USA completed his march through the meet with a better PR each round by winning gold in 13.42 +2.6, comfortably ahead of Dongpeng Shi CHN 13.58. Kenneth Ferguson USA was fifth in 13.91.
18:45 W 1500 METRES FINAL - The Kenya-Ethiopia distance rivalry played out once more as Viola Kibiwot KEN ran a personal best 4:12.57 to prevail over Berhane Herpassa ETH 4:13.59. Kibiwot took the lead at the 1200 meter mark in 3:25.48 after Lisa Dobriskey GBR set the pace through 400 meters in 1:07.09 and 800 meters ion 2:18.76. Dobriskey ended up fourth in 4:14.72, just missing a medal to Olesya Syerva RUS 4:14.32.
19:00 M JAVELIN THROW FINAL - Igor Janik POL 74.16 243-4.
19:05 M 1500 METRES FINAL - Chris Lukezic USA got another PR at 3:46.01, but it was only good enough for 11th in the rarefied air of the world finals. Yassine Bensghir MAR 3:40.72 won gold, taking the lead late from Isaac Songok KEN, who led through 800 meters in 2:03.60 and 1200 meters in 3:00.57.
19:25 W 4 X 100 METRES FINAL - Jamaica 43.40 (Simpson Sherone, Stewart Kerron, McLaughlin Anneisha, Facey Simone)
edges USA 43.66 (Williams Lauryn, Williams Ashlee, Solomon Shalonda, Hooker Marshevet), just missing the world junior record by 0.02.
19:45 M 4 X 100 METRES FINAL - New world junior record for USA 38.92 (Collins Ashton, Felix Wes, Williams Ivory, Hordge Willie). National junior records for silver winning Jamaica 39.15 (Hutton Winston, Nicely Orion, Plummer Yhann, Bolt Usain) and bronze winning Trinidad & Tobago (Simpson Chevon, Burns Marc, Holder Kevon, Brown Darrel).
20:05 W 5000 METRES FINAL -
Meseret Defar ETH 15:54.94 doubled (she won the 3000 earlier), with Ethiopia also getting silver with Tirunesh Dibaba 15:55.99. Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya was third at 15:56.04.
20:40 W 4 X 400 METRES FINAL - Shaking off injuries to Sanya Richards and Allyson Felix, USA missed the world record but won the gold with Christina Hardeman, Monique Henderson, Tiffany Ross, and Lashinda Demus. Great Britain 3:30.46 and Russia 3:30.72 claimed the other medals in front of Jamaica 3:31.90.
21:00 M 4 X 400 METRES FINAL - Kenneth Ferguson, Darold Williamson, Ashton Collins, and Jonathan Fortenberry held off Jamaica's national junior record 3:04.06. Japan 3:05.80 won bronze.

Mike Byrnes' event by event analysis

THE FINAL DAY

Our day begins with a trip to the top of world-famous Blue Mountain. Five of us, Jim, Mike Byrnes, Joy Kamani, Mike Kennedy and Scott Davis. Davis basks in our effusive praise for his terrific announcing of the women’s Heptathlon. It is well deserved. His setting up of the final event, the 800m, is without parallel. His voice is calm, almost conversational. He sounds as if he’s talking with us on the bus rather than to a crowd of about 25,000. For example, “OK, here’s the situation.” He goes on to explain that should Carolina Kluft, the leader from Sweden, run 2:13. 99 she’ll tie the WJR. BUT, should she run 2:13.88 the record will be hers. As you know, she runs slightly faster than required and gets the mark. Perhaps my colleague didn’t mention it but about 6m from the finish she’s almost staggering. Her prior best is a mere 2:17 or so. She sees the finish line clock and somewhere, deep down inside the heart of a champion, she finds the strength to take two quick strides and lunges across, the record is hers!

Back to our trip. The road is extremely windy, very bumpy and very steep. I’m often looking down at…nothing. And the drop is a long way. Spier has a propensity for getting sick but looks OK. About halfway up, he ups, out the window. That’s why I’m writing these reports rather than he.

When we arrive at the stadium we are faced with a huge traffic jam and thousands of people lining up to get inside the beautifully refurbished National Stadium. Once we get in we are crushed to learn two of our best, Allyson Felix and Sanya Richards will not compete due to injuries. They join Texan Jeremy Wariner on the sidelines. Richards’s injury is maddening. At the close of her leg in the 4x400 semis, she looked back to be sure she wouldn’t impede an incoming runner and stepped into a hole. As she stumbled her other leg came down upon the curb, twisted violently and badly strained the ligaments in her leg. What had looked to be a real challenge to the WJR 4x400mR is over. The big question, can we win the two relays at all?


WOMEN’S 100H FINAL

Anay Tejada, the World Junior Leader, got a terrible start almost being left in the
blocks. Agnieszka Frankowska was out like a shot and took the early lead but after
the second hurdle Tejada regained her composure and ran away from the field,
finishing in a fine 12.81. Williams ran well, almost her PB, but this field was
simply too fast with the Cuban girl, the WJL coming into the meet, running
brilliantly for the victory. Frankowska took advantage of her great start and held
on for the silver while Tina Klein, GER, hurdled cleanly and nailed a spot on the
victory stand.

MEN’S 110H FINAL

Antwon Hicks came into the meet as the favorite and solidified his position with a
splendid semi-final. But the Chinese youngster, Dongpeng Shi is no slouch. When Hicks gets left in the blocks at the start and Shi gets a great start it appears an upset might be in the making. But Hicks is a supremely confident athlete and never panics. “I knew I could catch him so I wasn’t worried.” We Americans in the press box were. About the fourth hurdle he begins to move. At #5 his strength asserts itself and he moves past the field. Suddenly, the race is over. Hicks opens a gap and wins in 13.42 with Shi back in 13.58. Our other entrant, Kenneth Ferguson, seems to have run too many races, never gets into stride and places 5th, 13.90, well out of 4th.


WOMEN’S 1500m FINAL

The trend of Kenyan victories continues as Viola Kibiwot comes on strongly to take
the win, 4:12.57. Ethiopian Berhane Herpassa drops to second, 4:13.59 and Russian
Olesya Syreva takes home the bronze in 4:14.32. Lone American, Kasi Anderson
was eliminated earlier.

Men’s 1500m FINAL

The gun sounds and, as usual in this race, the early pace is fairly easy. Two
Kenyans, as usual in this race, in front. Chris Lukezic is last but with the pack.
The leaders pass in 60.99, with Lukezic about a second back. The very comfortable pace, as usual in this race, is setting up a fast finish. The field goes through the 800m in 2:03.60, the Auburn HS, WA youngster is right there. The pace quickens. The young American moves into seventh but in the pack and the race is joined! The 1200m is passed in 3:00.57, with five in the lead pack. Lukezic comes through about 3:02. The top pack is flying and Lukezic hasn’t the speed to go with them. But he doesn’t fade, he’s running well, as fast as he can and that’s NOT usual in this race. Big sprint finish with the green shirt of Morocco bursting through on the inside and leaving the pack. No serious challenge down the stretch. Good race for second, Lukezic turns in the fastest time of his life and you can’t do better than that, 3:46.01. He did himself proud.


WOMEN’S 5000m FINAL

Once again the battle is joined between the Kenyans, Vivian Cheruiyot and the
Ethiopians, Meseret Defar and Tirunesh Dibaba. But this time the Orient joins the fray with China’s Yuhong Zhang and Japanese Fujiko Takahashi. The pack starts with about 15 runners. Several, including the two Americans, Lindsay Zinn and Laura Zeigle, drop to the back. They know they can’t compete with the fast early pace and are looking for PB’s. With two laps, the pack has dropped to five, then four. With 200m to go it’s anyone’s race. But coming off the final turn the two Ethiopians swiftly move away. Cheruiyot can’t hang on nor can Zhang. The order: 15:54.94, 15:55.99, 15:56.04; 15:58.20. None are PB’s nor do the Americans, Zinn crossing in 17:05.99 and Zeigle, 17:11.37, creditable efforts in this type weather.

WOMEN’S 4x100 FINAL

Ashlee Williams is called upon to replace Felix. The intention to replace Solomon with Richards is shelved. The team that takes the track is drastically different than the one the coaching staff had envisioned. They will face a very strong Jamaican team further emboldened by the news of our troubles.

The crowd is in frenzy! It’s impossible to imagine an American crowd that could get so
excited. The home team (Sherone Simpson, Kerron Stewart, Anneisha McLaughlin,
Simone Facey) is inside the Americans, L4 to the L5, USA (Lauryn Williams,
Ashlee Williams, Shalonda Solomon, Marshavet Hooker.)

FALSE START on the Jamaicans. Edge, USA. Then the gun, a clean start. US leads off
With WJC Lauryn Williams leading off we grab about a three-meter lead. But Stewart
blows off Williams and the lead quickly vanishes; then the Jamaicans go for the throat,
they run their best, Anneisha McLaughlin, on the turn leg and she hands off four meters
to the good. Hooker runs a terrific leg but can’t run down Facey. 43.40 for Jamaica. I
doubt if the roar when “THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT!” could have been any
louder. Simone Facey crosses the finish, arms outstretched, GLORY! They are the
World Junior Champions.

The US team ran well, 43.66 but had no one to match McLaughlin. Her third leg
doomed any hopes the US might have had.

MEN’S 4x100 FINAL

L3, Jamaica (Winston Hutton, Orion Nicely, Yhann Plummer, Usain Bolt); L4, US
(AshtonCollins, Wes Felix, Ivory Williams, Willie Hordge); L6, Trinidad and Tobago with Marc
Burns and Darrel Brown, 1-2 in the 100m. Once again the crowd drowns out Davis’
Lane assignment.

Collins out about as well as can be expected but trailing. Felix holds his own and
going into the third leg Jamaica and the US are even. IVORY WILLIAMS runs a
brilliant leg and hands off two meters to the good. It appears the Jamaicans have a
tough time time on the final pass and Hordge is gone. He runs a splendid leg, the
Jamaican can make up nothing and the US claims the gold. (On the replay the
crowd boos Hordge as he raises his hand, #1.)

WOMEN’S 4x400 FINAL

L3, USA (Christine Hardeman, Monique Henderson, Tiffany Ross, Lashinda
Demus); L5,Jamaica (: Davita Prendergast, Sheryl Morgan, Carlene Robinson, Camille
Robinson)
Prendergast gives the Jamaicans a slight lead at the handoff. But Henderson quickly
runs down the Jamaican and takes over at the 100m mark but Sheryl Morgan, running
the race of her life, comes back big and outruns the World champ into the zone.
But Tiffany Ross runs the race of her life and catches her Jamaican rival at
the 230m mark. The pair comes off the final turn as one but they’re all passed by
Great Britain. It’s up to Demus! Quickly she seizes the lead and it looks as if the race is
over. Surprisingly, three teams pass her going into the final turn and she falls to fourth.
Demus knows the name of the game and never panics. She bides her time and comes
on off the turn and runs away for the win, 3:29.95, best in the world this year and
#3-AT.

MEN’S 4x400 FINAL

L3, USA (Kenneth Ferguson, Darold Williamson, Ashton Collins, Jonathan
Fortenberry); L6, Jamaica (Sekou Clark, Usain Bolt, Jermaine Myers, Jermaine
Gonzalez – the home team, perhaps a psychological ploy, are wearing new all black
uniforms)
Ferguson gets out quickly and makes up the stagger on L4. He and Clark come in
together and the handoff is made almost simultaneously; Williamson runs a fast turn but
suddenly Jamaica’s great 15-year old 200m champ passes Williamson and takes a two
meter lead, Williamson momentarily drops to second. But this is the World champ and
he’s not about to tolerate such nonsense. He blasts past his adversary and hands off
with a solid ten meter lead. Jamaica starts to run Collins down but the New Orleans kid
has been saving a little and holds him off. Fortenberry opens lead to six meters and the
attack is on. Jamaica cuts the lead to three meters and can get no more as the US takes
the gold in 3:03.71 with the locals second in a National Junior record 3:04.06.

The Closing Ceremonies

by Mike Byrnes

The kids surge onto the field. It’s supposed to be an orderly thing but this is the JUNIORS and they’re having fun. Nationalism is rampant as flags, facial tattoos (don’t worry Mom, they wash off in about a week) signs, hats, etc are proudly displayed. All is chaos and I love it. No well-organized, strictly enforced rules here. This is Jamaica, this is where the hometown cheers for their kids regardless of where they finish. (As I write this the US team is awarded their gold medals and the Jamaican crowd cheers loudly. Not as loudly as they do for their team but a good solid show of respect for a great opponent.)

But the kids are courteous and cooperative, unlike several earlier championships, and leave the field so the festivities can begin.

THANK GOD THIS ISN’T THE OLYMPICS!

The festivities are a celebration of Caribbean cultures. It begins with Brazilian dancing. The kids are beautifully dressed and perfectly synchronized, well almost. The music quickens and the kids spin, twirl and move. The crowd cheers, it’s great. Then come the Jamaicans.

ROAR!! The kids look like elves. The costumes are colorful although two kids forgot their tights and cavort in black jeans. Like I said, this ain’t the Olympics. This is true hometown pride on display. Right now there are, perhaps, 200 kids on the field. They’ve become a bit scattered but who cares?

Now come the speeches and they aren’t bad. I’m far too busy writing to listen closely but what I hear I like. Nicely done.

Now the final moments. The flag of the IAAF is marched smartly to the middle of the infield and properly folded by the red-clad soldiers. Without making fun, the ceremony looks like something you’d see in a film about the British army. Arms swinging strongly, heads snapping around, knees raised and slammed down.

The flag is presented to IAAF President Liame Diack.

The ceremonies end. Out rush the kids quickly joined by the coaches and even some of the parents. It is a joyous time. The athletes dance, exchange gifts, swap shirts, hug, kiss, make sure they’ve gotten e-mail addresses. The relief is palpable. It’s over. No more pressure. Some go home bitterly disappointed; others have cried tears of joy. None will ever be the same. They have joined an Elite group. They’ve competed in the World Championships. They can count themselves among the best athletes of their age in the world. All didn’t turn in their best efforts but all can be proud. It was an honor to be here, an honor to cheer for our kids but equally an honor to applaud the efforts of others. It’s over. Tomorrow we go home.

Best ever WJ performance for Team USA - 21 medals, 9 gold

USATF Release:

Sunday, July 21, 2002

KINGSTON – The final night of the IAAF World Junior Championships was one
for the record books. Team USA entered the final day of competition with 16
medals, just one shy of the best all-time U.S. Junior Team performance of 17
medals at the 1994 World Junior Championships in Lisbon, Portugal.

By the end of the evening, the team added another World Junior record
(4x100m relay – men), another American Junior record (4x400m relay – women)
and five more medals, including four gold. The final tally for this team at
the 2002 World Junior Championships, 21 medals - a new U.S. best for a
junior team, two World Junior records and two American Junior records. The
21 total medals topped the medal count for Team USA at the 2001 World
Championships in Edmonton, where the seniors complied 19 medals.

Antwon Hicks (Mississippi) started off the excitement for Team USA, with a
convincing win in the men’s 110H. Hicks got off a great start and finished
ahead of the pack in 13.42. Teammate Kenneth Ferguson (Mumford (MI) HS)
knocked his knee on a hurdle and finished the race in fifth place (13.91).

Up next on the track, with over 34,000 Jamaicans cheering, was the women and
men’s 4x100m relays. Fans were literally scaling the perimeter wall to get
in as the relays were about to begin. For the women, Team USA was comprised
of Lauryn Williams (Miami), Ashlee Williams (Bishop Dunne (TX) HS), Shalonda
Solomon (Long Beach Poly (CA) HS) and Marshevet Hooker (Southwest (TX) HS).
The team faced a strong opponent in the team from Jamaica and got the stick
around the track, but the Jamaican third leg (Anneisha McLaughlin) handed
off to the anchor (Simone Facey) a lead the U.S. could not make up. Team USA
claimed the silver in 43.66, with Jamaica winning gold in 43.40.

The men’s 4x100m relay had different ideas when they took the track next.
The foursome of Ashton Collins (Clark (LA) HS), Wes Felix (Southern
California), Ivory Williams (Central (TX) HS) and Willie Hordge (Forest
Brook (TX) HS) got the stick around the track easily and won the gold in
38.92, a new World Junior record time. The new record lowered the previous
world junior best and U.S. mark of 39.00 from July, 1983.

“The crowd was great and they were cheering their team on,” said Wes Felix,
who celebrated his 19th birthday on Sunday. “We just wanted to go out there
and run our best. The second leg ran a great leg and I was just trying to
bring it in hard to Ivory (Williams), because I knew he was going to get the
stick around to Willie (Hordge) and lead us to victory.”

Team USA continued its relay dominance in the 4x400m relays, winning gold in
both the men and the women’s races, including an American Junior record for
the women. The women’s team was comprised of Christina Hardeman (Wilcox (CA)
HS), World Junior 400m gold medalist Monique Henderson (UCLA), Tiffany Ross
(South Carolina) and World Junior 400H gold medalist and reigning world
junior record holder Lashinda Demus (South Carolina). Running tight with
Great Britain and Russia, Team USA handed off the stick to Demus with a
slight lead. She ran strong with the anchor from Great Britain (Lisa Miller)
and began to pull away on with 150 meters to go. Team USA claimed the gold
in 3:29.95.

“I got boxed in a little and I’m not used to running from the back,” said
Demus. “When she saw me coming up, she kind of went to the inside and I got
boxed in. It messed up my steps but I still came back strongly at the end.”

The men stepped onto the track next with a team of World Junior 400H silver
medalist Kenneth Ferguson, World Junior 400m champion Darold Williamson
(Baylor), newly crowned World Junior 4x100m relay gold medalist Ashton
Collins and World Juniors 400m silver medalist Jon Fortenberry. The team
easily advanced the stick and held off a surge from the Jamaican team to win
3:03.71.

“He (Jermaine Gonzales JAM) was gaining, but I knew I was stronger,” said
Fortenberry. “I had to run with the lead all day. There was no pressure, I
was running against myself, but he was a very hard challenge to battle off.”

In other finals on Sunday, Ashlee Williams just missed the medal stand in
the 100H with a time of 13.36 and a fourth place finish. Chris Lukezic
(Auburn (WA) HS) finished 11th in the men’s 1500m in a personal best time of
3:46.01, while Lindsey Zinn (Purdue) and Laura Zeigle (South Jordan, UT)
finished 18th and 19th respectively in the women’s 5000m. Zinn ran 17:05.99,
while Zeigle clocked in at 17:11.37.

Team USA won the overall competition with 21 medals, including nine gold,
five silver and seven bronze. Jamaica and China tied for second in the
overall medal count with 11 and Russia finished third with 10. In the
overall points standing, Team USA won with 188 points. Russia finished third
with 115 points and host Jamaica finished third with 105 points.

Final Day is Magic in Kingston

IAAF release by David Martin (PA)

21 July 2002 – Kingston - Rarely has any major athletics championships produced the incredible scenes witnessed tonight in Jamaica's National Stadium in Kingston when the host nation won the IAAF World Junior women's 4x100 metres gold medal.

Already a 36,000 sell-out - just before the race started, spectators were trying to climb over the walls to watch - a thrilling contest lived up to its billing as the Jamaican's beat off a very strong challenge from the United States, with third placed Great Britain out of contention.

The winning quartet of Sherone Simpson, Kerron Stewart, Anneisha Mclaughlin and Simone Facey, were under immense pressure throughout from the Americans, but on each leg there were blistering displays, capped by a superb anchor leg from Simone Facey.

The 100m silver medallist produced a magical dash up the home straight, fetching the host nation across the line in a championship record - and second fastest ever - time of 43.40.

The United States team whose predecessors set the previous world junior record of 43.38 in 1999, finished in 43.66 with the Britons running 44.22s their quickest of the year.

When Facey crossed the line, the crowd already screaming at fever pitch erupted to a new ear splitting, decibel level. The victory also prompted an overwhelmed Jamaican Prime Minister P.J. Patterson to celebrate with a congratulatory kiss on the cheek of the country's first lady.

Hardly had the crescendo of sound died, than the joyous spectators, revelling and sharing their side's joy, brought it back to its previous level when the men's 4x100m relay got underway. The sense of anticipation of a further gold medal caused another cacophonic eruption to every ones' ears.

However on this occasion the Jamaican's met their match - although it took a world junior record from the United States who with slick baton changing, stormed to victory in 38.92.

It was the first time 39 seconds had ever been bettered at junior level, a testament of the skill of the American selection of Ashton Collins, Wes Felix, Ivory Williams and Willie Hordge. Both runners-up Jamaica and bronze medallists Trinidad and Tobago posted new national records of 39.15 and 39.17.

The relay action continued at a momentous level. The women's 4x400m saw the first three teams to finish set new national records. Lashinda Demus clinched victory for the United States.

The winner of the 400m hurdles in a world record time, passed Lisa Miller 30 metres from the line, denying Great Britain defending their title. The US ran 3:29.95 the third fastest ever achieved, the runners-up 3:30.46 and Russia 3:30.72.

The US also won the men's race clocking 3:03.71 to hold off the challenge of Jamaica who set a national record of 3:04.06. Japan were a surprise third in 3:05.80.

Having already won the 3000m final on Tuesday's opening day, Meseret Defar achieved a marvelous double when also improving on the 5000m silver medal she won two years ago in Santiago de Chile. With seven rivals together at the bell, a last lap burn-up - and a terrific kick from 150m - saw Defar after making her break untouchable, as she won in 15:54.94. Runner-up was her Ethiopian team mate Tirunesh Dibabar who clocked 15:55.99 with Kenya's Vivian Cheruiyot third in 15:56.04.

Caribbean champion Anay Tejeda opened the last day's action in fabulous style. But for a following wind of 3.4 metres-per-second, she would have smashed the long standing world and championship records of 12.84 and 12.96s Aliuska Lopez set in Cuban colours in 1987 and 1988. But it was still a mighty impressive win by Tejeda in 12.81. Behind the Cuban gold medallist, Poland's Agnieszka Frankowska was a distant runner-up in 13.16. There was also plenty of space between her and bronze medallist Tina Klein of Germany who ran 13.23.

With the wind again over-the-limit (+2.6m/s), Antwon Hicks added to the US domination of the championships, winning the 110m hurdles and his country's sixth gold medal in 13.42. China's Asian champion Shi Dongpeng finished second in 13.58 ahead of Caribbean silver medallist Shamar Sands of the Bahamas who clocked 13.67.

Surprisingly, given its middle distance heritage, a Kenyan had never won the women's 1500m medal. Viola Kibiowot winning in 4:12.57 rectified the default. The tiny Kenyan producing her fastest ever metric mile, easily held of Ethiopia's Berhane Herpassa (4:13.59). A personal best of 4:14.32 won the bronze medal for Russia's Olesya Syreva.

A dominating sprint from Yassine Bensghir to the finishing line with half-a-lap remaining gained a second 1500m gold medal for Morocco at the distance, in the last three championships. Clocking a personal best 3:40.72 Bensghir destroyed the challenges aimed in his direction with a second kick in the final 100 metres from Qatar's Abdulrahman Suleiman silver medallist in 3:41.72, with Tanzania's Samuel Newera only 0.03sec in arrears.

This year's leading performer Igor Janik took the javelin gold medal. The Pole threw 74.16m in the opening round. Runner-up Valdislav Shkurlatov of Russia clinched the silver medal with a last round effort of 74.09m. Third was Korea's Sang-Jin Jung who couldn't improve on his opening throw of 73.99m.

The pole vault saw a world leading performance of 5.55m as Maksym Mazuryk defeated fellow Ukrainian Vladyslav Revenko on countback. Third was Vincent Favretto who clinched bronze with a 5.40m. The Frenchman's better sequence gained him the medal from Stavrous Kouroupakis of Greece, Artem Kuptsov from Russia and his team mate Jerome Clavier who all cleared the same height.

US quartet strikes again

IAAF release

21 July 2002 - The tradition wants that the four relays be run on the final day of the competition.

It was the men’s 4x100m who offered the best technical results with the American team of Ashton Collins, Wes Felix, Ivory Williams and Willie Hordge establishing a new world junior record of 38.92. The four teenagers became the first ever to dip under the 39-second barrier as the former world best was 39.00 held by another US team of Neal Jessie, Allen Franklin, Stanley Blalock and Dennis Mitchell since 1983.

The extraordinary performance was the result of the pure talent of the four athletes, the crowd’s massive support and the presence of what the world has best to offer in terms of junior sprinters. Indeed, the USA had to fight hard to hold off brilliant teams from Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.

“We were very confident,” revealed Wes Felix who ran the second leg. “We were all aiming for gold because we know we have talent.” Felix who was also a bronze medallist in the individual 200m turns 19 today and certainly couldn’t have hoped for a better present. “These championships have been fantastic for me, two medals and a world record this is my best ever birthday.”

The US quartet admitted they had troubles with their first and second exchanges but were proud of their last exchange which set 100m bronze medallist Hordge on track for gold.

“The only thing that was in my head when I had that relay baton was ‘stop the clock” were Hordge’s simple words.

The tactic was simple and clear as Williams explained: “my job was to hand the relay baton in first position to Willie. I knew that if I did, we would get gold.”

The American sprinters may not have noticed that around them both Trinidad and Jamaica were having great trouble with their exchanges but they certainly couldn’t help hearing the crowd.

“They have been great all week long but tonight was special,” commented Felix. “Jamaica is great”

From the stand former world record holder Leroy Burrell was a happy man. “I am proud of these boys. What they have accomplished is unbelievable. They competed against the best athletes in the world and obtained excellent results. They have just ensured that US sprinting carries on for years to come. They are the future of the sport in our country.”

Kingston WJC the best of a decade

IAAF release

21 July 2002 – The curtain was drawn on the IAAF/Coca Cola World Junior Championships in Kingston today and for its first ever World Athletic Series held in Jamaica, the IAAF could not be more than happy with the results and technical level of the competition.

With a total of three World Junior records – and two more to be ratified by 31 December 2002 –Kingston 2002 has been the best Championships of the past decade. Only Sudbury 1988 can claim a better record with four World junior marks established during that edition of the Championships.

In the opening edition of the World Junior Championships in Athens 1986, two world records were set as one per edition were established in Plovdid 1990, Seoul 1992 and Sydney 1996. No world records were registered in Lisbon 1994, Annecy 1998 and Santiago de Chile two years ago.

In addition to Lashinda Demus’s 54.70 in the 400m hurdles, Carolina Kluft’s extraordinary tally of 6470 points in the heptathlon and the US 4x100m quartet timed in 38.92, the 2002 edition will eventually be credited of the best junior marks for the men’s shot put and discus throw. The implement being lighter in both disciplines since 1 January 2002 following a decision of the IAAF Council, their marks will be officially considered as world records on 31 December 2002 should they remain the best in the world by a junior this year.

A total of 9 Championships records were also bettered in Kingston. Four by the men and five by the women. The men were Darrel Brown of Trinidad in the 100m, Hillary Chenonge of Kenya in the 5000m, Louis van Zyl of South Africa in the 400m hurdles and USA in the 4x100m relay. The women were Lashinda Demus, Carolina Kluft, Floé Kühnert in the pole vault, Ivana Brkljacic in the hammer throw and Jamaica in the 4x100m relay.

Eight Continental records were also registered in Kingston and most impressively 73 national records.

37 Member Federations were listed on the medal Table with USA topping the standings (20 medals – 8 gold, 5 silver, 7 bronze) ahead of Kenya (5 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze) and Ethiopia (3 gold, 4 silver, 1 bronze). For the first time in the history of the championships, Antigua (1 silver), Kazakhstan (1 silver), India (1 bronze) and Luxembourg (1 bronze) were listed in the medal table.

No fewer than 83 countries had athletes competing in the finals.

The number of countries taking part in the championships was officially 159 and the athletes competing 1040 – 619 men and 421 women. Kingston 2002 is second only to Annecy 1998 in the list of editions with the highest number of countries participating. It tops the standings of participation nations in a World Junior Championship held outside Europe.

With a capacity crowd of 30,000 on the last day of competition, the Championships ended in tremendous celebration of athletics and international understanding.

Thank you Kingston - Thank you Jamaica!


 

World Junior Championships

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