Editor’s Note: Senior writer Deji Ogeyingbo is in Eugene. Deji will be covering the World U20 for Making of Champions, an exciting sports site in Nigeria and RunBlogRun. Each day, we asked Deji to provide a US round up and a feature on a global athlete that he finds of interest!
Mia Maxwell and Tate Taylor lead USA’s push for 100m double at World U20 Championships after dominant semis
Team USA will head into the men’s and women’s 100m finals at the World U20 Championships in Eugene with genuine hopes of winning both titles, with Mia Maxwell and Tate Taylor leading the charge after strong semifinal performances at Hayward Field.
Mia Maxwell looked composed in her semifinal, clocking 11.13s to book her place in the women’s final. She then had to wait and watch as her twin sister, Mariah Maxwell, took on Jamaica’s Shanoya Douglas in another semifinal, with Mariah finishing second in 11.25 to secure her own place in the final.
That means both Maxwell sisters will line up for a global title together, giving the United States one of the most interesting storylines of the championships. Mia had already spoken about how much the sisters push each other, and now they will share the biggest race of their young careers while still chasing the same prize.
The athlete they will all have to deal with is Douglas, who came into Eugene as the fastest U20 woman in the world this season after running 10.98 in Jamaica. She won her semifinal in 11.21 and has remained measured throughout the championship, repeatedly emphasizing the importance of taking each round as it comes rather than trying to send a message before the final. Her 10.98 earlier this year underlined why she entered Oregon as the woman to beat.
Douglas will have plenty of company. Italy’s Kelly Ann Doualla Edimo, still only 16, advanced after winning her semifinal in 11.36 and continues to underline why she is regarded as one of Europe’s brightest young sprint prospects. Jamaica also has another finalist in the mix, while the Maxwell sisters give the United States two realistic medal opportunities.
It sets up a final built around several layers, with Douglas carrying the favorite tag, the Maxwell twins trying to turn their domestic rivalry into global success, and Doualla Edimo attempting to make another major statement despite being several years younger than many of the athletes around her.
Taylor moved through his semifinal in 10.06, producing the kind of controlled performance expected from an athlete who has been tagged the favorite for the title. Taylor’s confidence was evident after the semifinal as he moved quickly away from the mixed zone, seemingly satisfied that the job had been completed with the final still to come.
South Africa’s Marko Ferreira also put up a show in his semis. He won his semifinal in 10.13 and was far more vocal about what he expects from himself in the final, even predicting that he could run 9.96 seconds and keep the World U20 100m title in South African hands.
Ferreira has already shown this season that such confidence is built on genuine speed, having run 10.04 in France against senior competition.
Jamaica’s Gary Card remains another major threat and carries the distinction of being the only athlete in the field who has run under 10 seconds this season. He negotiated his semifinal in 10.16 without appearing to chase the clock, keeping plenty of attention on what he might be capable of when everyone finally lines up for the title.
There is also Kyler Brown (10.16), Jake Odey-Jordan (10.24) and Botswana’s Wazha Matakule (10.28), who produced a personal best to reach the final and now has the chance to follow the pathway created by Letsile Tebogo, Botswana’s former World U20 champion.
Odey-Jordan also deserves attention after recovering from an untidy opening round to put together a much better semifinal performance. He has already shown this season that he can beat Taylor, having defeated his training partner at Nike Outdoor Nationals in Eugene.
This year’s championships have the heats and semifinals held on the same day and the finals coming the following day, which means athletes have more recovery time and a full night to process what lies ahead.
For the United States, the possibility of a sprint double is very real. Mia Maxwell and Tate Taylor have placed themselves right in the middle of the gold-medal conversation, while Douglas, Card, Ferreira and a deep group of challengers ensure that neither final will be straightforward.
