by Justin Lagat
Women’s 100m, Moi International Sports CentreStadium, Kasarani, Nairobi, 18 August, session 1, photo by Justin Lagat
This is update 1 on the first session of Day 1 of the World Athletics Under 20 Championships, being held in Moi International Sports CentreStadium, in Kasarani, Nairobi, Kenya. Justin Lagat, @RunBlogRun’s senior writer in Kenya, wrote this for us on the opening session.
Justin Lagat reports on Session 1, Day 1, #WU20Nairobi21, https://t.co/mlToHG1gnQ
— RunBlogRun (@RunBlogRun) August 18, 2021
On a cool and a little bit chilly morning inside the Moi International Sports CentreStadium in Kasarani, the 4x400m mixed relay opened the morning and the first session of the world athletics under 20 championships.
India and Nigeria won the first and second heats respectively as Kenyan and Ethiopian runners began the day on a low note after the two nations were disqualified.
The second event on the track was the women’s followed by the men’s 100m heats where Namibia’s Beatrice Masilingi, straight from participating at the Tokyo Olympics showed that she will be the woman to watch here. She ran a new national under 20 record of 11.20 to win heat 3 of the women heats. Coincidentally in heat 3 as well, Letsile Tebogo of Botswana won the men’s 100m also in a new national under 20 record of 10.22.
Justin Lagat reports on Session 1, Day 1, #WU20Nairobi21, https://t.co/mlToHG1gnQ
— RunBlogRun (@RunBlogRun) August 18, 2021
Despite running their personal best times; 12.39 for Mercy Chebet and 10.66 for Sylvester Simiyu, runners from the host nation could not proceed to the semi-finals in this event. But, their personal best times show some level of inspiration from Ferdinand Omanyala’s recent performances and a bright future for the sprint events in the country.
Then, as the spirits of the Kenyan fans were beginning to die, Sylvia Chelangat came strongly from behind in the last 100m of the women’s 400m heats to finish second, running a personal best time of 53.49 in the process. There was a lot of cheering and excitement in the stadium as she fought hard to edge Priya Mohan of India who showed a lot of determination as well as she dived at the finish line. This was the fastest heat that was won by Nigeria’s Imaobong Nse UKO.
Luis Avilés Ferreiro of Mexico ran a new national under 20 record to win heat 1 of the men’s 400m heats. But, with Anthony Pesela of Botswana who ran a personal best time of 45.88 and Antonie Nortje of South Africa also with a new personal best time of 46.27, the final of this event should be exciting to watch. A Kenyan, Kennedy Kimeu also made it through to the final here.
The view from the media tribune, Moi International Sports CentreStadium, 18 August 2021, photo by Justin Lagat
