World Athletics U20 Championships 2022, Cali, Colombia, 1st - 6th August: Day 4

[Occasional Hope]

Success didn't look as good as usual, but makes it in 3rd place.

[Ursus]

After the disappointment of UK no.1 Benjamin East only managing 64m and going out in qualifying group A of the javelin, Michael Allison pulled it out of the bag with a 3rd round effort in group B of 69.60m, just 10cm shy of his lifetime best and good enough for 9th overall in the standings.

That’s poor from East and even his 64m effort was a couple of metres up on his 2nd best. Nerves maybe? He hadn’t competed since the UK Champs, so perhaps undercooked / over focusing on this? Either way, should be a big learning experience banked. From what I can see, his coach is a young (mid 20s) club mate who has no experience of coaching at that level - this is not meant to be derogatory at all, some good work has obviously been done, but I hope he is in the right hands for the next critical stage of his development.

Allison really did pull it out of the bag. He was only at 64m after the first couple of attempts, which would have been some way short of qualifying. Well done him, particularly as he’s still new to the sport, which I didn’t know. Would be great to see him go 70+ in the final. He’ll still be a U20 next year.

[Occasional Hope]

Our 4x1 lineup is Nia WG, Alyson Bell, Joy Eze and Faith Akinbilije. Going in the 3rd heat at 9.16 our time.

Men's team is less familiar: Olutimilehin Esan, Medwin Odamtten, Tyler Panton, Michael Onilogbo.

[RunUnlimited]

That line up for the men's team was used in the Mannheim meeting a month or so ago. Should do well.

I'm really intrigued by that new-look women's squad though, with Nia Wedderburn-Goodison and Faith Akinbilije added to it.

[Occasional Hope]

A 34.61 pb for Ella Rush on the javelin, but still the second poorest in the competition sees her in 9th place going into the 800. She has the best 800 time of all of them, so could possibly pick up a place or two.

I think it's been a pretty good experience for her, and will show her what she needs to improve.

Saga Vanninen is over 200 points clear at the top.

[Mikka]

Yeah, if everyone runs near their PBs then she'll finish 6th overall. Should be a new heptathlon PB even if she's a little down on 2.16. Her weaknesses are the throws, but her jumps also seem inconsistent this year. A good winter and she should be a medal contender in Romania next year. Sprengel is still a junior next year as well though.

[RunUnlimited]

Ella Rush jumped 6.34m indoors... in fact, that was the jump that won her the national indoor title in February. So she is very capable, yet since the outdoor season started, she hasn't quite been the same, jumping inconsistently and often under 6m, though she did get a 6.18m outdoor PB in Mannheim. Rush is a big talent though, and if she can sort out her high jump and javelin, she could be a factor at next year's European U20s.

[Occasional Hope]

She's going to a US college in the autumn (University of Georgia). Hopefully that will give her some good technical coaching, although it doesn't work for everyone.

[Occasional Hope]

Very nice heat win for GB there.

[RunUnlimited]

I'm really intrigued by that new-look women's squad though, with Nia Wedderburn-Goodison and Faith Akinbilije added to it.

Well, I said that when I heard the news of that line up... and just now, GB & NI have just run 43.78, a new NU20 record! Taking down the 43.81 time set in the 2013 European U20 Championships, by a team containing Dina Asher Smith and Desiree Henry!

They go to the final with the 3rd best time.

[Occasional Hope]

Oh dear, the men fumble and drop the baton. Disappointing.

[RunUnlimited]

Panton is an idiot. The end.

[trickstat]

To be fair I think Odamtten was too far to the inside of the lane.

[treadwater1]

Be careful when criticising U20 athletes

[RunUnlimited]

The first time, and last time, you'll see Panton in a GB vest or a GB relay squad. Just like Olsen who made the same error in the World U20s in 2018.

[RunUnlimited]

Aww, and disaster for Thailand and Jamaica!

[trickstat]

And Germany.

[Occasional Hope]

Australia too. At least we're not alone in being useless

[RunUnlimited]

This just makes GB's terrible mix up all the more terrible. The favourites Jamaica are out, as are Thailand who would have been a medal threat. Not being able to pass the baton around has likely cost GB a medal.

[trickstat]

Australia fluffed the last change when leading and the American was run down by the Columbian!

[Occasional Hope]

Colombia DQ so the US go through after all.

[trickstat]

France DQ'd as well.

[Mikka]

A rarity in the heptathlon 800m: the top 7 in the first race (9th place and below) all ran faster than the winner of the 1-8 race.

[trickstat]

It is unusual. Sometimes you will get one person who's faster than everyone in an earlier race but it's rare for the top 8 not to have the fastest race overall.

Ella Rush ran the fastest 800 and her lowest position was in the javelin so reminiscent of a number of other British heptathletes. Still 6th with a PB score ain't bad.

[Occasional Hope]

Ella Rush does indeed move up to a very respectable 6th place in her first international competition., and adds 100 points to her pb, now at 5591.

A base to build on there.

[RunUnlimited]

But ultimately, it was a case of what could have been, because the UK no.1 Abigail Pawlett didn't even make it to Cali, ranked 6th in the world.

[Occasional Hope]

And ditto with Sammy Ball in the decathlon.

[Mikka]

Had she jumped close to her PBs in LJ and HJ she would've been 4th, but PBs in 3 other events, so swings and roundabouts. Great performance.

[Occasional Hope]

23.24 pb for Sophie Walton in 3rd place in her semi.

[trickstat]

Currently the fastest non-auto.

[RunUnlimited]

A fabulous 2nd heat in the women's 200m semi finals, with Brianna Liston running 22.83 (+0.2m/s) and 16 year old Mia Brahe-Pedersen running a 22.95 PB, but in 3rd place, Sophie Walton hung tough, came 3rd and ran 23.25, her 2nd successive personal best! She's leading the non auto qualifiers.