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Yesterday was a pretty successful opening day for GB & NI athletes in Cali, with Zara Obamakinwa setting a new PB on her way to qualifying for the women's discus final, Sophie Ashurst and Gemma Tutton both reaching the pole vault final, Cleo Agyepong managed to make the women's shot put final as the 12th qualifier and Ethan Hussey gained a place in the men's 1500m final. Other fine performances saw Abigail Ives advance well to the 800m semi finals and Michael Onilogbo came within 0.1 of his PB in advancing through to the men's 100m semis.
However, the best performance much be reserved from Sammy Ball in the decathlon, who set PBs in the 100m and 400m (the latter a near full second improvement) on his way to ending the first half of the multi event in 4th place, having reached his best halfway score of 4046 points and being in with a shout of a possible medal.
If he can start today like he did with the 100m in the 110m hurdles, Ball will be definitely on his way to something special.
Other British athletes getting their World U20 campaign started in the Day 2 morning session are Yemi Mary John in the 400m, Lazarus Benjamin in the pole vault, European U18 champion Ophelia Pye in the women's 400m hurdles, Owen Merrett in the hammer, while last year's European U20 100m bronze medallist Joy Eze and freshly crowned European U18 champion Nia Wedderburn-Goodison, close out the session in the women's 100m heats.
The afternoon/evening session is jam-packed with action, including the semi finals and final for the men's 100m. Michael Onilogbo has been placed in a proper stinker btw, with world junior record setter Letsile Tebogo, and four of the other competitors have set lifetime bests faster than his 10.38. If he can set a PB in that kind of company, then I'd rate that as a successful champs for him.
Cleo Agyepong has already exceeded expectations by reaching the final of the shot put as by far the youngest competitor in the field, and the European U18 champion will be looking to get close to her PB with the U20 implement of 15.16m.
Abigail Ives has possibly landed in the easiest of the 800m semi-finals, though will be up against world leader and 1:59 American Juliette Whittaker, and has a chance of finishing in the top 2 for automatic qualification into the final.
Then Sammy Ball will hopefully be completing his decathlon adventure with the gruelling 1500m. Whether he'll be in medal contention by that point is debateable, but there is every possibility that Ball will set a substantial new decathlon PB points total, and that would be a fantastic return on his part.
However, the best performance much be reserved from Sammy Ball in the decathlon, who set PBs in the 100m and 400m (the latter a near full second improvement) on his way to ending the first half of the multi event in 4th place, having reached his best halfway score of 4046 points and being in with a shout of a possible medal.
If he can start today like he did with the 100m in the 110m hurdles, Ball will be definitely on his way to something special.
Other British athletes getting their World U20 campaign started in the Day 2 morning session are Yemi Mary John in the 400m, Lazarus Benjamin in the pole vault, European U18 champion Ophelia Pye in the women's 400m hurdles, Owen Merrett in the hammer, while last year's European U20 100m bronze medallist Joy Eze and freshly crowned European U18 champion Nia Wedderburn-Goodison, close out the session in the women's 100m heats.
The afternoon/evening session is jam-packed with action, including the semi finals and final for the men's 100m. Michael Onilogbo has been placed in a proper stinker btw, with world junior record setter Letsile Tebogo, and four of the other competitors have set lifetime bests faster than his 10.38. If he can set a PB in that kind of company, then I'd rate that as a successful champs for him.
Cleo Agyepong has already exceeded expectations by reaching the final of the shot put as by far the youngest competitor in the field, and the European U18 champion will be looking to get close to her PB with the U20 implement of 15.16m.
Abigail Ives has possibly landed in the easiest of the 800m semi-finals, though will be up against world leader and 1:59 American Juliette Whittaker, and has a chance of finishing in the top 2 for automatic qualification into the final.
Then Sammy Ball will hopefully be completing his decathlon adventure with the gruelling 1500m. Whether he'll be in medal contention by that point is debateable, but there is every possibility that Ball will set a substantial new decathlon PB points total, and that would be a fantastic return on his part.
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