Boys' 200m final report - Donetsk 2013

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Jamaica’s Michael O’Hara gained redemption for finishing outside of the 100m medals on Thursday (11) by scorching to a 20.63 world youth lead and a narrow victory.

In the process, the 16-year-old emulated six-time Olympic sprint champion and triple world record-holder Usain Bolt, with his idol having won this event in Sherbrooke, 2003 with a 20.40 clocking.  

Flying to ninth on the all-time list, O’Hara – three days after finishing fourth in the 100m with 10.46 – has this year improved dramatically from 21.51 and today claimed Jamaica’s third 200m gold medal in the eight editions of this championship.

Meanwhile, in the silver medal position, Brazil’s Vitor Hugo Dos Santos recorded a 20.67 personal best, making up for having placed sixth in the 100m.

The 17-year-old has improved from 21.43 this season as his silverware in Donestk, Ukraine is Brazil’s first ever medal in this event in the 14-year history of this championship.


Cuba’s Reynier Mena took his second bronze medal of this championship, clocking 20.79 to snatch third.

The 16-year-old, who ran a 10.37 personal best in the 100km final, takes Cuba’s second medal in this event following
Jorge Vacarel’s silver in Marrakech, 2005.

Great Britain’s Thomas Somers ran a 20.84 lifetime best for fourth place after already reducing his best to 21.05 in the semi-final stage, as Trinidad’s Jonathan Farinha finished fifth with 21.00 personal best. 

Girls' 100m final report - Donetsk 2013

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USA’s Ky Westbrook claimed a surprise 100m victory over the pre-final favourite and teammate Ariana Washington, clocking a fine 11.33 lifetime best ahead of her compatriot’s 11.40 for the silver medal.

Westbrook’s victory provided her nation’s first gold medal in Donetsk following the 17-year-old’s gradual progression in Ukraine, having registered 11.59 and 11.52 in the qualifying round and semi-final stage. 

Her winning performance also represented the USA’s fifth title in this event over the eight editions of these championships and follows in the footsteps of Olympic 200m champion, Alyson Felix - the 2001 winner in Debrecen with 11.57.

For Washington, who has improved to 11.39 this year as well as a wind-assisted 11.18 at altitude, her silver medal was achieved in an extremely close-call with Ecuador’s Angela Tenorio who clocked 11.41 for the bronze, clinching her nation’s first ever medal in this discipline in the 14-year history of the World youth event.

The 17-year-old, who recently ran 11.30 finished clear of Poland’s 16-year-old Ewa Swoboda (11.61) and Sweden’s Irene Ekelund (11.62) who placed fourth and fifth place, respectively.

Boys' 100m final report - Donetsk 2013

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Youshidie Mo scorched to a 10.35 World youth-leading time* in taking a dramatic 100m final from Great Britain’s Ojie Edoburun, who clocked the same time in a nail-biting finish.

The 17-year-old Chinaman sprinted clear in the dying yards following a strong start and timed his dip-finish to perfection to clinch his nation’s first ever medal in this event in these championships.

Having clocked 10.44 behind Cuba’s Reynier Mena in the semi-final, Mo narrowly improved Kristoffer Hari’s World youth best by two one-hundredths of a second, as Edoburun too enjoyed setting a lifetime best.

The 17-year-old Edoburun follows a long line of successful British sprinters at this event, with Mark Lewis-Francis winning in Bygoszcz, 1999, Alex Nelson taking silver in Marrakech, 2005 and Craig Pickering claiming bronze in Sherbrooke, 2003.

Mena, meanwhile, clocked a 10.37 personal best for bronze to claim Cuba’s first medal in this discipline at these championships, as the 16-year-old finished clear of Jamaica’s Michael O’Hara (10.46) in fourth and Barbados’ Mario Burke (10.51) in fifth, respectively.

*Subject to the usual ratification procedures.

Hinriksdottir Hoping to Create History

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Iceland have never won a medal in the 14-year history of these championships but Anita Hinriksdottir is hoping to change that statistic in the 800m this Sunday (14) in Donetsk, Ukraine.

The 17-year-old qualified fastest from today’s (11) first round with a dominant front-running 2:04.79 display and is in confident mood ahead of tomorrow’s (12) semi-final.

Boasting the second fastest time of the year courtesy of her 2:00.49 lifetime best and Icelandic national record set in Germany last month, Hinriksdottir will not have the World youth leader to contend with as America’s Mary Cain is absent – the 1:59.51 runner preferring to concentrate on the IAAF World Championships in Moscow next month.

Nevertheless, the 2012 World Junior Championship fourth place finisher is not resting on her laurels:

“I don’t want to finish outside of the medals again,” she explained. “The Ethiopians (Kobeb Tesfaye and Dureti Edao) are strong and there’s the Australian girl (Georgia Wassall), all of us want to get to the final.”

A semi-finalist at the European Indoor Championships in Gothenburg in February and recent 1500m winner of the European Team Championships in Gateshead, Hinriksdottir continued:

“I want to set a personal best. It’s a very strong competition but hopefully I can win, I think it will take a personal record (to win).

“It would be very nice to get Iceland’s first medal and I think I can go sub-two minutes but maybe not this year.

“I’m very much enjoying my time here - it’s very fun meeting foreign athletes.”

Coached by Gunnar Paul Joakimsson, Hinriksdottir is also following in family tradition as her aunt, Martha Ernstodttir finished 45th in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games marathon.

“She inspired me to get into athletics and I’m proud of her,” Hinriksdottir revealed. And she too must be proud of her niece.

Washington out for Redemption

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Having been forced to concede defeat to her American team-mate, Ky Westbrook in the 100m final yesterday (11), 16-year-old Ariana Washington is fuelled with extra motivation to claim the 200m crown in Donetsk, Ukraine this weekend.

Little over 12 hours after her 11.40 silver medal-winning performance, the former basketball player cruised through to Saturday’s (13) semi-final stage in a comfortable 23.72.  

With a best of 23.18 this season, Washington is determined to seek redemption by taking the half-lap crown on Sunday (14) evening despite her hectic racing schedule:

“I want gold, nothing less,” she explained, “This (the 200m) is my baby, I’ve nurtured it, I’ve taken care of it and it’s what I’ve raced the most so I expect nothing less than gold.

“I’m extra hungry for it after not getting my gold last night so I’m going for it on Sunday.”

On whether she thinks she will need to go close to low-23 seconds and her closest challenger, Washington continued:

“It won’t take a PB to get the gold and my team-mate, Hannah (Cunliffe) will probably be right beside me, battling right to the finish-line.”

Despite Westbrook not contesting the 200m event, Washington will still have some tough competition in the form of Sweden’s Irene Ekelund, Great Britain’s Shannon Hylton and Ecuador’s Angela Tenorio and is pacing herself after her exploits last night:

“It felt really slow, I was trying to get off the curve first and just drive home, not pushing it to save as much energy as possible,” she said after her 200m first round heat.

“Last night was so chaotic after the race – all the cameras, the flag and drug testing so it was good to conserve some energy now and breathe. I only got a little sleep last night.”

“I’m tired but that’s what this was about – recovery, getting through to the next round with ease. I know when to give it my all so I’m just building up to that now.”
With her confidence still intact after losing the race many predicted she would win, Washington was gracious in defeat:

“That wasn’t my best race but I gave it my all and silver is still great,” she explained.

“I’m happy and my team-mate got gold so the US going 1-2 is all that matters. I had faith in Ky, she’s a really great runner so congrats to her.”

Eager to follow in the illustrious footsteps of her role model, Olympic 200m champion Alyson Felix who took the 100m World youth crown in Debrecen, 2001, Washington revealed:

“We both come from California and she’s opened doors in what she’s achieved and now I can’t wait to walk through those doors after her.

“I copy her technique and I hope to achieve what she has.”

Baker Hoping to Follow in Hastings’ Footsteps

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Ten years ago, American Natasha Hastings claimed the World youth 400m title in Sherbrooke, Canada and now the 26-year-old is tipped to win a medal at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow next month, having made quite an impression on her young pretender, Olivia Baker who is currently on track to replicate her role model’s success in winning the one-lap event in Donetsk, Ukraine this week.

The 17-year-old from New Jersey leads the world youth list with a 52.71 personal best set en route to claiming the national title in Illinois last month and cruised through the first round with a 54.41 winning heat today (10) at the
IAAF World Youth Championships.

Coached by Lisa Morgan and with her parents in the stadium for support, Baker will next contest the semi-final stage on Thursday (11) ahead of her quest for gold in Friday’s (12) final.

Although not previously aware of Hastings’ win a decade ago, Baker is a follower of her results and hopes to follow in her countrywoman’s footsteps into the junior and senior ranks – with Hastings having taken the World junior crown in 2004 and the World indoor title in 2012.

“I’ve seen several winners here go onto run well at the juniors and then do well as a senior so I do see this as a first step to getting there,” she explained.

“I met Natasha at the New Balance Games during the indoor season and she took a picture with me. I don’t think she knew how well I’d been running at the time but we talked a little bit.”

Having improved from 53.48 in 2012, Baker revealed her thoughts on her debut international championship:

“This has always been a dream of mine, just to be able to run here is so great - I’m living my dream.

“I’m enjoying the experience a lot. I’ve been looking towards this moment since freshman year and now I don’t want to waste this opportunity – I want to go out there and give my best, at least run a personal best.

“I’m hoping for the gold but anything can happen – I don’t take for granted that I’m number one right now because anyone could run a personal best on any given day and take my spot. I think it will take a personal best for me to win.”

Despite enduring a packed racing schedule in her 2013 campaign, Baker insisted she and coach Morgan have timed her peak to perfection:

“I still feel fresh and I feel like I’m peaking at the right time,” she explained, “I’m living the dream and say thanks to God for blessing me and helping me to be here.

“Winning the gold would be a dream come true and the perfect end to my season.”

Refusing to highlight her fiercest competitors for gold, Baker continued:

“Literally anyone could come up and beat me on any given day so I don’t focus on any specific people - I look at the field as a whole, look at myself and focus on executing my race to run the time.”

And when asked on whether she’d prefer to take victory or a lifetime best, the confident American simply replied “I rather have both.”

IAAF World Youth Championships - pre-event press conference, girls' highlights.

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Favourite for the 100m and 200m crown with 23.18 and 11.18w times to her name this season, 16-year-old Ariana Washington (USA) explained her relief of joining the competitive American team in Donetsk:

“This season, I’ve been top in both events but I had a tough time at the trials so I’m here to prove I’m the fastest female teenager on the planet.”

On her first love, basketball, Washington continued:

“My high school was really into it and my coach said I should also try out track - I stuck with it and found my god-given talent.”

On her role model, Olympic 200m champion Alyson Felix, Washington revealed:

“We both come from California and she’s opened doors in what she’s achieved and now I can’t wait to walk through those doors after her. I copy her technique and I hope to achieve what she has.”

Sixteen-year-old Morgan Lake (GBR), the World Youth leader in the heptathlon with a 5,725 score explained her inspiration behind hoping to claim her first international medal here in Donetsk:

“Seeing Jess (Ennis-Hill, the Olympic heptathlon champion from Great Britain) at the Olympics was amazing, she was really inspirational and I’m trying to be like her.

“She didn’t win the World Youth title but I hope I can win here and be like her one day.”

On her love of athletics and how she found the sport, Lake continued:

“The high jump’s my favourite and my strongest event and the 800m’s probably my hardest – it’s not anyone’s favourite.

“Athletics has always been there for me, I was about six months old when I saw my first competition and I did my first training at five years old (later winning her first national title at aged 11). I enjoy watching all events but I particularly like the high and long jump, and of course the heptathlon.”

On her preparation for the event and another role model, Katarina Johnson-Thompson whose national youth record Lake broke earlier this season, she revealed:

“The competition I did the day before we flew out was not the best preparation and best for confidence but I jumped well. Although I was upset and nervous afterwards, it’s best to get it out of the way before this competition. Also, losing my bag at the airport was not ideal but we bought some things from the local supermarket so I’m ok.

“I spoke to Katarina about two years ago but not recently, I hope to speak to her about our event soon.” 

Fifteen-year-old Robeilys Peinado (VEN), the World Youth leader in the pole vault with a 4.35m best this season, explained how she switched sports to find more success:

“I came to athletics three years ago after doing gymnastics. I was too tall to be a gymnast so I switched to the pole vault. I like being in the air and I feel I can be successful.”

On her role model, pole vault world record-holder Sergey Bubka who comes from Donetsk, Peinado continued:

“We take Sergey Bubka as our example, taking his technique and replicating his style so I hope to be as successful as he was.”

On her female inspirations, she concluded:

“Aside from Sergey, I look up to Yelena Isinbayeva (Russia’s world record-holder), Fabiana Murer (Brazil’s world champion) and Angelica Bengtsson (Sweden’s world junior champion).”