Australia’s mixed 4x100m relay held the inaugural World U20 record for about as long as it takes to walk from the finish line to the top of the mixed zone.
Uwezo Lubenda, Maya Taber, Kelechi Ekwomadu and Thewbelle Philp won the first of the two morning heats at Hayward Field and stopped the clock at 41.64, inside the 42.50 standard for a World U20 Record in the newly held event. Roughly five minutes later Great Britain went out in heat two. Divine Iheme, Savannah McKenzie Morgan, Mathew Ajayi and Sophie Thomas came home in 41.60, and the record was gone.
Four hundredths. Australia was quicker away — 0.139 on the reaction against Great Britain’s 0.147 — and lost it somewhere across the four legs.
Italy were third fastest in 41.74, a national U20 best, and the United States fourth in 41.82. All four go through to Saturday night’s final, and on those margins the medals are genuinely open.
“We are hungry for more,” Lubenda said afterwards.
“We know we are in contention for a medal, so we are very excited to come back for the final.
“Despite Great Britain getting the world record from us, the only thing that really matters is the gold medal.”
Shepherd and Roberts carry the middle-distance line
Australia’s middle-distance record at this championship is not an accident, and day two added to it. Two of the four 1500m runners are through to finals.
Kieran Shepherd, 17, qualified third fastest in the boys’ event in 3:42.94, a personal best and time only Cameron Myers has bettered in these championships. It came with a 1:56.09 last 800m and 56.91 final lap.
“I’m so grateful. Coming into this I was a bit nervous seeing my qualifying time was a lot slower than the other boys, but I had to just trust myself when I got to the line,” he said.
Milla Roberts booked her place in the girls’ final the hard way, running third in her heat in 4:19.55 to take an automatic spot. Mia Gray ran a 4:15.85 PB — almost four seconds faster than Roberts’ qualifying time — but finished ninth in her heat and didn’t process to the final.
Hill through to 400m final
Alice Hill produced a second personal best in two days in the 400m semis, running 53.28 to finish second in the second of three semi-finals. It is the 17-year-old’s first major international team.
“It feels incredible, it hasn’t soaked in yet, I’m just so, so happy,” she said.
“My goal coming into this was to make the semi and get a PB, and I’ve made the final now and a PB so I can’t complain.”
Shari Hurdman was fourth in her 400m semi in 53.44. In the men’s Chase Grant was fourth in his semi in 46.36, while Seth Kennedy clocked a new personal best of 46.51 to finish sixth in his semi.
