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At just 18 years old, Tate Taylor has transformed the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene into the stage for one of the most extraordinary sprint performances in the history of the competition.

The American speedster completed a remarkable championship treble, winning gold in the men’s 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay as Team USA closed the championships in spectacular fashion.

Taylor began his assault on the sprint titles with victory in the 100m, producing a superb 9.94 seconds to establish himself as the fastest man in the field and add a World U20 title to his rapidly growing list of achievements.

He then returned to Hayward Field for the 200m, where he delivered an even more emphatic statement. Taylor stormed to gold in 19.83 seconds, setting a new World Athletics U20 Championships record.

The performance placed him just 0.16 seconds behind the world U20 record of 19.67 set by Australia’s Gout Gout earlier this year. It also completed Taylor’s historic 100m-200m double, making him the first American man to achieve the feat at the World U20 Championships.

But Taylor was not finished.

In the men’s 4x100m relay, he was handed the baton for the anchor leg with another piece of history within reach. The American quartet delivered a sensational performance, crossing the finish line in 38.16 seconds to set a new world U20 record.

Taylor produced a powerful closing leg to bring the United States home, adding a third gold medal to his collection and helping cap a championship that had already established him as one of the brightest young sprinting talents in the world.

His three victories have now placed him in a rare category in World U20 Championships history. At only 18, Taylor leaves Eugene not simply as a triple champion, but as the central figure in one of the defining performances of the 2026 championships.

The significance of his achievement is even greater when viewed alongside the progression he has made throughout the season. Before arriving at the U20 championships, Taylor had already announced himself on the senior international stage by winning the 200m at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene in a personal best of 19.75 seconds.

Now, after three races, three gold medals and two championship/world U20 records, Taylor has written his name into the history of the competition.

Eugene was supposed to be a championship for the next generation.

Tate Taylor made it his own.

Kenya secured a double podium finish in a fiercely contested men’s 3000m steeplechase final at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, with Emmanuel Lemiso Someki taking silver and Nicholas Kitum Losiwareng battling his way to bronze.

Spain’s Bakr El Asri Mohsine produced the decisive move when it mattered most, surging away in the closing stages to claim the gold medal in 8:28.35 and set a new European U20 area record.

Lemiso, the African U20 champion, had positioned himself at the front of the race and moved into the lead around the 2,300-metre mark as Kenya looked capable of producing another major championship sweep in the event.

But El Asri remained within striking distance. With two laps remaining, the Spaniard began to close the gap before unleashing a powerful finishing surge that ultimately carried him clear of Lemiso and towards the biggest victory of his young career.

Lemiso refused to surrender his position, holding on strongly for silver in a personal-best 8:32.81. It was a significant performance from the Kenyan, who converted his front-running effort into a world U20 championship medal.

Behind him, the battle for bronze delivered perhaps the most dramatic moment of the race.

Losiwareng appeared to lose valuable ground after a stumble at one of the barriers late in the race. Rather than allowing the mistake to end his medal hopes, however, the Kenyan regrouped and launched an aggressive sprint over the final 100 metres.

That charge brought him back into contention with Spain’s Martí Torregrossa. The two athletes fought all the way to the line, with Losiwareng eventually securing third in 8:38.05, just 0.08 seconds ahead of his Spanish rival.

The result gave Kenya two medals from a race that had threatened to slip away in the final stages. Lemiso’s silver and Losiwareng’s bronze also underlined the depth of Kenya’s young steeplechase talent on the international stage.

For El Asri, the victory marked a breakthrough performance, while Kenya could take considerable encouragement from placing two athletes on the podium despite missing out on the title.

The final standings were:

1. Bakr El Asri Mohsine (Spain) — 8:28.35, European U20 Area Record

2. Emmanuel Lemiso Someki (Kenya) — 8:32.81, Personal Best

3. Nicholas Kitum Losiwareng (Kenya) — 8:38.05

In a race decided by the final two laps, El Asri had the speed to take gold, Lemiso had the strength to secure silver, and Losiwareng had the resilience to fight back from adversity and complete Kenya’s double podium finish.

The men’s 1500m final at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene delivered a compelling display of young middle-distance talent, with Kenya’s Wilson Chepkwech producing a remarkable late surge to take the world junior title on August 9, 2026, at Hayward Field.

Just 16 years old, Chepkwech timed his decisive move perfectly in the closing stages. After staying within contention through the earlier laps, he unleashed a spectacular final 400 metres in 52.87 seconds, powering away from his rivals to cross the finish line in a personal-best 3:37.46.

His compatriot David Kapaiko Sekento also enjoyed an outstanding race, securing the silver medal in a personal-best 3:38.32. Sekento remained firmly in the medal battle throughout the closing stages and held on strongly to complete a Kenyan 1-2.

Morocco’s Osama Er Redouani completed the podium in 3:39.68, also setting a personal best. His bronze added an international dimension to a final in which all three medallists produced the fastest performances of their careers.

The quality of the race was reflected in the closeness of the leading trio, with less than three seconds separating the gold medallist from bronze. Chepkwech’s finishing speed ultimately proved decisive, while Sekento and Er Redouani demonstrated the competitiveness required to challenge for medals on one of the biggest stages in junior athletics.

The podium was therefore led by Wilson Chepkwech – 3:37.46 (PB), followed by David Kapaiko Sekento – 3:38.32 (PB) and Osama Er Redouani – 3:39.68 (PB).

For Chepkwech, the victory represents a significant early milestone and an indication of the potential he possesses as he continues his development. His age makes the performance particularly notable, but the strength of the final also underlined the depth of talent emerging across the international middle-distance scene.

The result brought the individual track events at the World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 2026 to a memorable conclusion at Hayward Field. With three athletes setting personal bests and a fiercely contested battle for the medals, the 1500m final provided an exciting showcase of the young talent that will shape the future of the event.

Kenya has a new women’s 1500m world champion at U20 level.

Josephine Sembeyo Mancha produced a composed and determined performance in Eugene to win gold at the World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26, ending Kenya’s long wait for another world title in the event.

Mancha crossed the finish line in 4:16.73, edging American Claire Stegall by just 0.04 seconds in one of the most dramatic finishes of the championships. Kenya’s Caren Chepchirchir completed the podium to make it a memorable double medal for the country.

The final was anything but straightforward. A cautious opening lap of roughly 78 seconds saw the athletes remain tightly bunched, creating a dangerous situation as several runners went down in a series of falls.

The chaos continued throughout the race, with a discarded spike even left on the inside of lane one for more than a lap, adding another unusual obstacle to an already unpredictable contest.

Through it all, Mancha remained patient.

Rather than becoming caught up in the disorder around her, the Kenyan kept her composure and positioned herself for the decisive moment. As the bell sounded and the race entered its final lap, the contest suddenly came alive.

Mancha unleashed her finishing speed and surged toward the line, but Stegall refused to surrender. The American launched herself forward in a desperate diving attempt at the finish, making the outcome almost impossible to separate with the naked eye.

In the end, it was Mancha who had done enough.

Josephine Sembeyo Mancha — gold, 4:16.73.

Claire Stegall — silver.

Caren Chepchirchir — bronze.

For Kenya, however, the significance of the victory goes far beyond a single race.

Mancha’s triumph ends a 14-year wait for a Kenyan women’s U20 1500m world title. The last Kenyan to achieve the feat was Faith Kipyegon, who captured the crown in 2012 before going on to build one of the greatest middle-distance careers in athletics history.

Fourteen years later, Mancha has restored Kenya to the top of the global U20 podium.

In a final defined by falls, uncertainty and a breathtaking finish, the young Kenyan showed exactly what championship racing demands: patience, resilience and the ability to produce when it matters most.

Eugene has a new 1500m champion, and Kenya has another name to remember.

Sixteen years old and already a world champion. Slovenia’s Živa Remic produced a sensational performance in the women’s 800m final at the World Athletics U20 Championships, delivering a perfectly timed finishing surge to capture the gold medal in one of the closest races of the championships.

Remic remained firmly in contention throughout the race before unleashing her decisive move in the closing metres. With the medals still up for grabs, the young Slovenian found another gear approaching the line and edged clear at precisely the right moment, stopping the clock at 2:03.03.

Greece’s Ioulianna Roussou refused to surrender and pushed Remic all the way to the finish. Roussou crossed the line in 2:03.08, just 0.05 seconds behind the champion, turning the final into an extraordinary battle decided by the smallest of margins.

Great Britain’s Shaikira King also produced an impressive performance to secure the bronze medal in 2:03.52, completing a podium separated by less than half a second.

For Remic, the victory represents a major breakthrough on the global stage. At an age when many athletes are still gaining experience at major championships, she has already demonstrated the composure and finishing speed required to win a world title against some of the strongest young 800m runners in the world.

The Slovenian’s victory is even more remarkable considering the depth of talent in the final. Ethiopia’s Habtam Gebeyehu led the African challenge, finishing fourth in 2:03.99, while Japan’s Rin Kubo followed closely in fifth with 2:04.00. Canada’s Chloe Symon was sixth in 2:04.24, with Ethiopia’s Derartu Shibiru seventh in 2:04.81.

American Paige Sheppard finished eighth in 2:06.94, while Poland’s Róża Olchawa completed the final in 2:10.64.

Remic’s triumph also adds another chapter to what is becoming an extraordinary rise in the 800m. The teenager has already shown that she possesses the speed and competitive confidence to challenge at the highest level of junior athletics, and her ability to produce such a composed finish under championship pressure suggests there could be much more to come.

The defining image of the final was Remic surging toward the line while her closest rivals battled desperately behind her. When the clock stopped at 2:03.03, Slovenia had its newest world champion.

At just 16, Živa Remic has already reached the top of the world in her age category. Her golden finish was not only a victory—it was a powerful introduction to a young athlete whose name could become increasingly familiar in international middle-distance running.

American sprinting has produced a remarkable moment at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon, with Tate Taylor and Mia Maxwell etching their names into the history books through an extraordinary clean sweep of the 100m and 200m titles.

Taylor delivered a stunning display of speed in the men’s sprints, first claiming the 100m crown in 9.94 seconds before returning to the track to dominate the 200m, stopping the clock at an impressive 19.83 seconds.

The double underlines Taylor’s exceptional versatility over both sprint distances and establishes him as one of the most exciting young talents emerging from the United States.

On the women’s side, Maxwell matched Taylor’s achievement with an equally impressive sprint double. She won the 100m title in 11.14 seconds before producing another commanding performance in the 200m, crossing the finish line in 22.37 seconds to secure her second gold medal of the championships.

Together, Taylor and Maxwell have created a rare piece of U20 history.

Their achievement marks the first time a United States male and female sprinter have simultaneously completed the 100m and 200m double at the under-20 global level, making their performances in Eugene particularly significant.

Winning either sprint title at a global championship requires exceptional speed, composure and consistency. Winning both demands something even greater: the ability to recover quickly, maintain peak performance across multiple rounds and deliver when the pressure is highest.

Taylor and Maxwell managed to do exactly that.

Their four victories have provided one of the standout stories of the championships and offered another powerful indication of the depth of sprinting talent developing in the United States.

For Taylor, the combination of 9.94 seconds in the 100m and 19.83 in the 200m represents a remarkable championship campaign. For Maxwell, her 11.14 and 22.37 secured an equally memorable double.

Eugene has therefore witnessed more than four individual sprint victories. It has witnessed the emergence of a historic American sprinting duo whose names will now be permanently linked to one of the most impressive achievements in the history of the World Athletics U20 Championships.

Taylor and Maxwell came to Eugene chasing gold.

They leave as history-makers. 

Ethiopia produced a spectacular display of emerging talent as Almaz Yohannis was crowned world champion in the women’s 3000m steeplechase at the 2026 World Athletics U20 Championships in Oregon, powering to a commanding victory in 9:15.81.

Yohannis delivered a superb performance to secure the gold medal and, in the process, recorded a World U20 Leading time (WU20L), underlining the strength of her performance on the global junior stage.

The young Ethiopian established herself as the athlete to beat, maintaining her composure and strength throughout the demanding eight-lap steeplechase before crossing the finish line well clear of the field. Her winning mark of 9:15.81 provided a fitting reward for a dominant championship performance.

Ethiopia’s celebrations were doubled when Wosane Asefa secured the silver medal in 9:30.50, producing a season’s best (SB) and completing an impressive Ethiopian one-two.

Kenya’s Anatasha Cheptoo ensured there was East African representation on all three steps of the podium, fighting her way to the bronze medal in 9:37.18.

Behind the medalists, Sweden’s Majken Söderlund Larsson finished fourth in 9:48.01, setting a national U20 record (NU20R), while Czech Republic’s Ema Berková followed in fifth with 9:49.06, also recording a national U20 record.

Sweden’s Fanny Szalkai placed sixth in 9:55.06, a personal best, while Greece’s Anna Dafni Almyroudi Stroumpou finished seventh in 10:00.63, another national U20 record.

Egypt’s Malak Abdelghany Abdalla Ibrahim crossed eighth in 10:04.52, also establishing a national U20 record. Slovakia’s Anna Švrček was ninth in 10:05.91, followed by Japan’s Rei Taya in 10:12.37.

Portugal’s Lara Roque finished 11th in 10:15.69, setting a national U20 record, while Poland’s Zuzanna Szymańska took 12th in 10:15.94, a personal best. Great Britain’s Ava James was 13th in 10:18.96, followed by American Sierra Wall in 14th with 10:21.21.

Poland’s Michalina Thamm completed the finishers in 15th place in 10:39.01.

Kenya’s Mercy Chepngeno Koskey, who had also lined up as part of the Kenyan challenge, was unfortunately unable to finish the race.

The final podium therefore belonged to three of East Africa’s rising stars, with Yohannis and Asefa delivering a memorable Ethiopian one-two, while Cheptoo secured bronze for Kenya.

Women’s 3000m Steeplechase — Official Results

1. Almaz Yohannis (Ethiopia) — 9:15.81 (WU20L) 

2. Wosane Asefa (Ethiopia) — 9:30.50 (SB) 

3. Anatasha Cheptoo (Kenya) — 9:37.18 

4. Majken Söderlund Larsson (Sweden) — 9:48.01 (NU20R)

5. Ema Berková (Czech Republic) — 9:49.06 (NU20R)

6. Fanny Szalkai (Sweden) — 9:55.06 (PB)

7. Anna Dafni Almyroudi Stroumpou (Greece) — 10:00.63 (NU20R)

8. Malak Abdelghany Abdalla Ibrahim (Egypt) — 10:04.52 (NU20R)

9. Anna Švrček (Slovakia) — 10:05.91

10. Rei Taya (Japan) — 10:12.37

11. Lara Roque (Portugal) — 10:15.69 (NU20R)

12. Zuzanna Szymańska (Poland) — 10:15.94 (PB)

13. Ava James (Great Britain) — 10:18.96

14. Sierra Wall (United States) — 10:21.21

15. Michalina Thamm (Poland) — 10:39.01

DNF: Mercy Chepngeno Koskey (Kenya)

Yohannis’ victory marked the highlight of a brilliant Ethiopian performance, with her 9:15.81 World U20-leading mark setting the tone for a memorable championship final and announcing another exciting young talent onto the international athletics scene.

Kenya’s Emmanuel Kiprono has announced himself as one of the brightest young distance-running talents in the world after producing a sensational solo performance to win the men’s 3,000 metres gold medal at the World Athletics U20 Championships in a championship-record 7:28.28.

Just 17 years old, Kiprono took control from the opening metres and never looked back. Running completely alone for virtually the entire race, the Kenyan dictated the tempo with remarkable confidence and gradually transformed the final into a one-man race.

Kiprono passed 1,000 metres in 2:26.52, reached 1,600 metres in 3:54.58, and continued his relentless charge through 2,000 metres in 4:55.43. With every lap, the gap behind him grew larger as his rivals struggled to match his extraordinary pace.

He eventually crossed the finish line in 7:28.28, smashing the championship record and coming agonisingly close to the world U20 record of 7:28.20, set by Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha. Kiprono missed the global junior mark by just 0.08 seconds.

The margin of victory was equally spectacular. He finished 19 seconds ahead of France’s Alois Abraham, who took silver in 7:47.79, while Japan’s Ojiro Honda secured bronze in 7:48.49, setting a Japanese U20 record.

Men’s 3,000m Final

1. Emmanuel Kiprono — Kenya — 7:28.28 (Championship Record)

2. Alois Abraham — France — 7:47.79

3. Ojiro Honda — Japan — 7:48.49 (National U20 Record)

4. Liam Conway — Great Britain — 7:50.10 (Personal Best)

5. Aleksi Ahlfors — Finland — 7:50.56 (Personal Best)

6. Tzu-Chieh Chien — Chinese Taipei — 7:51.18 (National U20 Record)

7. Ilyes Druez — Belgium — 7:51.67 (Personal Best)

8. Sebastian Lörstad — Sweden — 7:51.94 (Personal Best)

9. Edwin Elkana — Kenya — 7:51.94 (Personal Best)

10. Owen Powell — United States — 7:53.35 (Personal Best)

Kiprono’s breakthrough is particularly significant given his performances earlier this year. The 17-year-old finished second in the U20 race at the World Cross Country Championships, establishing himself as one of the leading prospects in the new generation of Kenyan distance runners.

But on the track, he produced something even more extraordinary.

There was no tactical waiting game, no final-lap sprint and no group to shelter behind. Kiprono simply went to the front and challenged himself against the clock. His splits — 2:26.52 at 1,000m, 3:54.58 at 1,600m and 4:55.43 at 2,000m — demonstrate the remarkable consistency and courage behind the performance.

After the race, Kiprono celebrated with the Kenyan flag draped around him before posing beside the SEIKO championship-record display, which showed his historic 7:28.28.

His championship record also came with a tantalising glimpse of what might have been. Had he found even a fraction more in the closing metres, the world U20 record could have fallen as well. Nevertheless, coming within eight hundredths of the mark while running almost the entire race alone makes the achievement all the more remarkable.

Emmanuel Kiprono has not merely won a world junior title — he has made a statement. At only 17, his extraordinary front-running, championship record and near-world-record performance suggest that Kenyan distance running may have another major talent ready to emerge onto the global stage.

Records were rewritten twice within the space of a few unforgettable minutes as the inaugural World Athletics U20 Mixed 4x100m relay produced one of the most dramatic sessions of the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

Australia ignited the excitement in the opening heat by storming to a world U20 record of 41.64 seconds, becoming the first team ever to reach that mark and briefly claiming a place in history. For five memorable minutes, the Australian quartet of Uwezo Lebenda, Maya Taber, Kelechi Ekwomadu and Thewbelle Philp stood as world record holders after a sensational performance that also secured their place in Saturday's final.

Their celebration, however, proved to be short-lived.

Moments later, Great Britain delivered an even more electrifying display in the second heat, clocking 41.60 to erase Australia's newly established mark and set a fresh World U20 record. It was a masterclass in speed, precision and flawless baton exchanges that propelled the British team into the history books.

The record-breaking quartet of Divine Iheme, Savannah McKenzie Morgan, Mathew Ajayi and Sophie Thomas combined brilliantly from start to finish to produce the fastest mixed U20 4x100m relay ever recorded. Sophie Thomas, who is set to compete for the University of Connecticut (UConn) this year, produced a composed anchor leg to seal the landmark performance.

The extraordinary back-to-back world records underlined the remarkable depth of sprint talent on display, with several other nations also producing outstanding performances to qualify for the final.

Italy impressed with a personal best of 41.74, while the United States advanced comfortably in 41.82. Nigeria also produced a personal best of 41.91 to secure qualification.

Jamaica (42.08 PB), Germany (42.12 PB), France (42.16 PB) and Poland (42.18 PB) completed the eight-team final after delivering strong performances in one of the fastest mixed relay qualifying rounds ever witnessed at the U20 Championships.

With two world records already falling in rapid succession, anticipation is now soaring ahead of Saturday's final. If the qualifying heats are any indication, the newly established global mark of 41.60 may once again come under serious threat as the world's best young sprinters chase another piece of athletics history.

The United States produced a memorable night of sprinting at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon, as Tate Taylor and Mia Maxwell captured the men's and women's 100 metres titles to complete a remarkable American clean sweep in one of track and field's most prestigious junior competitions.

Taylor announced himself among the world's brightest young sprinters with a breathtaking performance in the men's final, powering away over the closing metres to clock a wind-legal personal best of 9.94 seconds. The outstanding run made him the only athlete in the field to break the 10-second barrier and confirmed his status as one of the fastest teenagers in history.

Jamaica's Gary Card claimed the silver medal in 10.05 seconds after a strong race, while South Africa's Marko Ferreira secured bronze in 10.16, completing a highly competitive podium. Despite a closely contested opening half of the race, Taylor's explosive finishing speed proved decisive as he surged clear to take the world junior crown in emphatic fashion.

The women's final delivered another thrilling contest, with Mia Maxwell holding her composure under immense pressure to secure the title in 11.14 seconds. Jamaica's Shanoya Douglas mounted a determined late challenge but settled for silver in 11.17, while Italy's Kelly Ann Doualla Edimo earned bronze after crossing the line in 11.27.

The victory capped an unforgettable championship for the Maxwell family. After progressing impressively through the rounds, Mia delivered when it mattered most, while her twin sister, Mariah Maxwell, also reached the final and finished fifth, underlining the family's exceptional sprinting talent on the global stage.

The double triumph marked a dominant evening for Team USA, which swept both 100m gold medals before a home crowd in Eugene. With Taylor producing a historic sub-10-second breakthrough and Maxwell demonstrating remarkable composure in a world-class women's final, the pair provided another glimpse of the exciting future of American sprinting.

Uganda's 19-year-old long-distance sensation Charity Cherop delivered the performance of her young career, producing a championship masterclass to capture the women's 5000m title at the 2026 World Athletics U20 Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

Born on July 4, 2007, Cherop executed a tactically brilliant race, remaining patient throughout the early stages before unleashing a devastating surge over the final kilometre. Her perfectly timed move proved decisive as she crossed the finish line in 15:03.88, becoming the new World U20 champion.

The victory was more than just a world title—it completed a remarkable journey from silver to gold. After finishing runner-up at the previous World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Cherop returned to the global stage stronger and more determined, upgrading her silver medal to gold and confirming herself as one of the brightest young stars in international distance running.

Behind the Ugandan star, Ethiopia's Shito Gumi fought bravely to secure the silver medal in 15:07.91, while Kenya's Joyline Chepkemoi delivered an outstanding performance to claim bronze in 15:09.08, setting a new personal best in the process. The battle for the podium remained fiercely contested until the closing stages, with every medal decided through courage, tactical awareness, and a powerful finishing kick.

Kenya narrowly missed placing two athletes on the podium as Cynthia Chepkirui finished a strong fourth in 15:14.86, while Sweden's Carmen Cernjul rounded out the top five in 15:22.18.

Ethiopia's Emebet Tilahun placed sixth in 15:32.51, followed by Japan's Yui Onotora in seventh with 15:37.33. Uganda celebrated another top-10 finish through Bentalin Yeko, who finished eighth in 15:48.35, underlining the nation's impressive depth in women's distance running.

Germany's Julia Ehrle claimed ninth in 16:09.53, with France's Lamia Mourabit completing the top ten in 16:10.80.

Further down the field, Portugal's Carolina Correia impressed with an 11th-place finish in a personal best 16:11.47, while Norway's Venus Teffera also celebrated a lifetime best of 16:12.07 in 12th. Germany's Gloria Herold added another personal best, clocking 16:13.75 for 15th place.

France's Laly Porentru, Japan's Ayami Yoshida, the Netherlands' Rosalie Ten Bruggencate, Italy's Sofia Ferrari and Mimosa Miari Fulcis, Spain's Fatima Hernandez, Switzerland's Anina Hirzel, Great Britain's Eliza Nicholson, Canada's Airlie Downie-Back and Athena Andrecyk, Mexico's Kenya Cuahutle, and Australia's Libby Mantay and Imogen Baker all battled courageously to the finish, highlighting the exceptional depth and global talent assembled for the championship final.

The only athlete unable to start the race was the United States' Emily Wisniewski, who was listed as DNS.

The women's 5000m final showcased the very best of championship distance running—patience, tactical intelligence, and a thrilling finish. On the biggest stage of her junior career, Charity Cherop produced a race worthy of a world champion, transforming silver in Lima into gold in Eugene and writing another unforgettable chapter in Uganda's rich distance-running legacy.

The women's 800m at the World Athletics U20 Championships is shaping up to be one of the most unpredictable events of the competition, with nothing settled after an enthralling opening round.

Japan's Rin Kubo took the first step in style, producing the fastest performance of the heats to qualify for the next round in 2:03.27. Calm, composed, and tactically brilliant, Kubo controlled her race from start to finish, underlining why she is among the leading contenders for the world U20 title.

Her performance may have earned her the psychological advantage heading into the next stage, but the battle for gold is only just beginning. With a stacked field of talented athletes still in contention, the women's 800m remains wide open, and every qualifier will believe they have a genuine chance of reaching the podium.

The heats highlighted the remarkable depth of this year's championship, with several strong contenders advancing comfortably while conserving energy for the tougher rounds ahead. As the competition intensifies, tactics, positioning, and a perfectly timed finishing kick could prove just as important as raw speed.

Among those safely through to the semi-finals are Paige Sheppard, who qualified in 2:06.40, Shakira King in 2:06.02, Ioulianna Roussou with an impressive 2:04.47, and fastest qualifier Rin Kubo, whose 2:03.27 remains the benchmark heading into the next round. Their progression adds even more quality to an already fiercely competitive field.

With the semi-final lineup now locked in, attention turns to what promises to be a captivating contest. Every remaining athlete has earned the right to dream of a place in the final, and with the standard so evenly matched, the next round could produce the fastest and most dramatic racing of the championships so far. The battle for the world U20 crown is only gathering momentum.

The Maxwell twins, Mariah and Mia, continued their outstanding run at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Oregon by powering into the women's 100 metres final after commanding displays in both the heats and semi-finals.

Mariah opened her campaign with an impressive victory in her opening heat, clocking 11.33 seconds to advance comfortably. Moments later, Mia matched her sister's performance by winning Heat 6 in 11.37 seconds, ensuring both Americans progressed safely to the semi-finals while looking well within themselves.

If their opening-round performances were convincing, the semi-finals were even more emphatic.

Mia Maxwell stamped her authority on the event by producing the fastest semi-final performance of the day, surging to victory in Heat 2 in a superb 11.13 seconds. Her sister, Mariah, also delivered when it mattered most, winning her place in the final with a composed run of 11.25 seconds in Heat 3.

The Maxwell sisters' remarkable performances ensured they both booked places in the championship final, strengthening their status as leading contenders for the world junior title. Their ability to deliver under pressure has made them one of the biggest stories of the championships, with the twins now just one race away from global glory.

Elsewhere in the semi-finals, Italy's Kelly Ann Maevane Doualla Edimo claimed victory in the opening semi-final, while Jamaica's Shanoya Mikalia Douglas emerged victorious in the third semi-final to complete an impressive lineup for the title showdown.

The women's 100m final will feature an exceptional field comprising Mia Maxwell (United States), Theianna-Lee Terrelonge (Jamaica), Shanoya Mikalia Douglas (Jamaica), Xenia Buri (Switzerland), Mariah Maxwell (United States), Kelly Ann Maevane Doualla Edimo (Italy), Emma Goretzka (Germany), Jady Emmanuel (Saint Lucia), and Lena Anochili (Germany).

With both Maxwell sisters in scintillating form and carrying the fastest performances into the final, anticipation is building for what promises to be one of the most exciting sprint races of the World Athletics U20 Championships.

What should have been one of the standout performances of the morning session at the World Athletics U20 Championships instead became one of the most heartbreaking moments for Team Kenya.

Nancy Jepngetich produced a breathtaking display in Heat Two of the women's 800 metres, storming away from the field to win in a remarkable 2:01.25. The young Kenyan looked in complete control from the opening stages, powering to the finish nearly 10 metres clear of her nearest rival and recording the fastest time of all the qualifying heats. It was a commanding performance that instantly established her as one of the leading contenders for the world junior title.

However, the celebrations were short-lived.

Moments after the race, officials disqualified Jepngetich for a lane infringement under World Athletics Rule 17.5.1, which requires athletes to remain in their assigned lane until reaching the designated break line. The ruling overshadowed what had been a sensational run and dramatically altered the outcome of the women's 800m competition.

Kenyan team officials immediately lodged an appeal, arguing that Jepngetich had gained no unfair advantage from the infringement and that it had no impact on the result of the race. After reviewing the race footage, the jury upheld the original decision, confirming the disqualification and ending her championship campaign before the semifinals.

The verdict transformed what had appeared to be one of the finest performances of the morning into one of the biggest talking points of the championships. In a matter of minutes, the fastest qualifier in the women's 800m was officially ruled out of the competition.

Jepngetich's disqualification means Kenya loses one of its strongest medal prospects in the event, with the official result standing despite the team's appeal. The decision brings a dramatic and heartbreaking end to her World Athletics U20 Championships campaign, ensuring that one of the fastest performances of the qualifying round will not feature in the semifinals.

Kenya's Anatasha Cheptoo produced one of the most memorable moments of the opening round of the women's 3,000m steeplechase at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Oregon, USA, displaying remarkable composure after an early setback to comfortably qualify for the final.

In a dramatic sequence during her heat, Cheptoo accidentally missed the water jump. Realizing the mistake almost immediately, she turned back, retraced her steps and cleared the obstacle correctly before rejoining the race. Although the incident briefly disrupted her rhythm, the young Kenyan refused to panic.

Showing maturity beyond her years, Cheptoo gradually worked her way back through the field with a determined and controlled performance. Her resilience paid off as she crossed the finish line in second place in 9:51.02, safely booking her place in the championship final.

What made the performance even more impressive was the way she transformed a potentially race-ending mistake into a qualification-worthy run. Many athletes would have struggled to recover after losing valuable seconds and momentum, but Cheptoo's calm decision-making and unwavering determination turned adversity into one of the championship's standout moments. It was a powerful reminder that championship racing is as much about mental toughness as it is about speed.

The qualification also reinforces Kenya's enduring reputation as a powerhouse in the steeplechase. For decades, Kenyan athletes have dominated the barriers and water jump on the global stage, and Cheptoo's fearless display suggests another exciting talent is emerging to carry that proud tradition into the future. Her ability to remain composed under immense pressure will make her one of the athletes to watch when the medals are decided.

Cheptoo will now shift her focus to the women's 3,000m steeplechase final, where she will be aiming to challenge for a place on the podium and add another medal to Kenya's campaign at the World Athletics U20 Championships.

The final is scheduled for Friday, 7 August 2026, and after her remarkable recovery in the heats, athletics fans will be eager to see whether the resilient Kenyan can transform an unforgettable qualification into a medal-winning performance.

The global spotlight turns to Eugene, Oregon, today as the 2026 World Athletics U20 Championships officially get underway at the iconic Hayward Field, launching five days of elite competition that will showcase the sport's brightest young talents.

Running from August 5 to August 9, the 40th edition of the championships is the biggest in the event's history, bringing together more than 1,800 athletes representing 147 nations. For many of these rising stars, the championships mark the first major step toward future Olympic, World Championship, and Diamond League success.

The opening day immediately promises world-class action with three gold medals on the line. The women's 5,000m and men's 5,000m finals will test the endurance of the world's finest young distance runners, while the mixed 4×400m relay is expected to provide a thrilling conclusion to the day's competition as teams battle for the first relay title of the championships.

Several exciting athletes arrive in Eugene carrying high expectations. American sprint sensation Quincy Wilson will be one of the biggest attractions on home soil after establishing himself as one of the fastest young quarter-milers in the world. Fellow American Tate Taylor, the high school national record holder, will also be aiming to translate his remarkable speed into championship gold.

Jamaica's emerging sprint talent Shanoya Douglas enters the competition determined to challenge for the women's 200m title, while Kenya's Frankline Kibet will spearhead his country's pursuit of more distance-running success, continuing a tradition that has produced some of the greatest champions in athletics history.

Beyond the medals, the World U20 Championships have long served as the launching pad for future legends of the sport. Numerous Olympic and world champions first announced themselves on this very stage, making Eugene the perfect setting for another generation of athletes eager to leave their mark on the global scene.

Fans around the world will be able to follow every moment of the action through a range of broadcast partners, including Peacock in the United States, SuperSport across Sub-Saharan Africa, Eurovision Sport throughout Europe, CBC Gem in Canada, Seven Network in Australia, and World Athletics+ in eligible territories.

With national pride, championship titles, and the chance to announce themselves to the world at stake, the stage is set for five unforgettable days of athletics. As competition begins at the historic Hayward Field, the next generation of global stars is ready to write the opening chapter of what could become remarkable careers.

Long before he became the fastest man in history, before the Olympic gold medals, world records, and global superstardom, Usain Bolt was simply a gifted teenager with extraordinary speed and limitless potential. In 2002, on the track at Kingston's National Stadium in Jamaica, the world witnessed the first chapter of a story that would forever change athletics.

At just 15 years old, Bolt lined up for the men's 200 metres at the World Junior Championships with the weight of expectation resting on young shoulders. Competing before a passionate home crowd, the Jamaican prodigy produced a performance that instantly captivated the athletics world. Crossing the finish line in 20.61 seconds, he became the youngest athlete ever to win the men's 200m title at the championships.

It was far more than a gold medal. It was the moment the world realised that a once-in-a-generation talent had arrived.

Bolt's victory in Kingston marked the beginning of one of the greatest careers in sporting history. Over the years that followed, he rewrote the record books, dominated the Olympic Games and World Championships, and transformed sprinting into a global spectacle through his breathtaking speed, infectious personality, and unrivalled confidence. His legacy continues to inspire young athletes across the globe, many of whom dream of following the same path he once began as a teenager.

This week, that dream comes alive once again as the World Athletics U20 Championships take centre stage at the iconic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. The venue has already witnessed the birth of future superstars. In 2014, it was where Britain's Dina Asher-Smith and Uganda's Joshua Cheptegei captured their first global titles, launching careers that would later produce world championships, Olympic medals, and lasting legacies in athletics.

Twelve years later, another generation arrives in Eugene hoping to create its own defining moment.

Among the brightest young talents is Great Britain's Jake Odey-Jordan, the 200m bronze medallist from Lima who now owns the European U20 100m record after an astonishing 10.01-second performance. He enters the championships eager to build on his growing reputation as one of Europe's most exciting young sprinters.

The United States will look to Tate Taylor, who has already made history as the first American high school athlete to break the 20-second barrier for the 200 metres. Fresh from a Diamond League victory in a sensational 19.75 seconds, he arrives in Eugene carrying the momentum of one of the most remarkable junior seasons ever recorded.

Jamaica, the nation that introduced the world to Usain Bolt, will once again have high hopes through Shanoya Douglas. The talented sprinter has established herself as one of the championship's leading contenders after producing lifetime bests of 10.98 seconds for the 100m and 22.11 for the 200m this season.

History has repeatedly shown that the World U20 Championships are far more than a junior competition. They are often the first chapter in the careers of future Olympic champions, world record holders, and global icons. Every generation arrives with ambitious dreams, but only a select few leave having announced themselves to the world.

No one can say with certainty whether the next Usain Bolt will emerge this week. Greatness cannot be predicted, and legends are never manufactured. Yet every legendary career begins with a single breakthrough performance.

For Bolt, that defining moment came in Kingston in 2002.

Now, under the famous lights of Hayward Field, another group of gifted teenagers stands ready to chase history. Somewhere among them could be the next athlete whose name will inspire the world for years to come.

Australian teenage sprint sensation Gout Gout has suffered a devastating setback after being ruled out of next month's World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene following a serious hamstring injury sustained during training in Brisbane.

The highly rated sprinter injured his left hamstring during a training session on Wednesday night. An MRI scan conducted the following morning confirmed a Grade 3C partial tear of the proximal biceps femoris tendon. While the tear affects less than 10 percent of the tendon's cross-sectional area, it extends over an eight-centimetre length, making it a significant injury that requires a lengthy rehabilitation period.

The diagnosis immediately ended Gout's hopes of competing in Eugene, where he had been expected to challenge for gold. The disappointment is even greater considering he had deliberately prioritized the World U20 Championships over the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, choosing to focus his entire season on the global junior championships.

In a heartfelt statement following the diagnosis, Gout shared his disappointment while remaining determined to return stronger.

"I'm very disappointed but I have no other possibility but to accept the situation. I understand this is part of athletics. My focus now will be on my rehab in the coming weeks and months and ensuring I come back in 2027 better and stronger and faster."

The withdrawal is a major blow not only for Australian athletics but also for fans around the world who had eagerly anticipated watching one of the sport's brightest young stars compete on the international stage. Gout has emerged as one of the most exciting sprint prospects of his generation, earning global attention with his remarkable speed and maturity at such a young age.

Although missing the World U20 Championships is a painful setback, the teenager and his support team are now focused entirely on recovery. Rather than rushing back to competition, the priority will be a complete rehabilitation to ensure he returns in peak condition.

With youth firmly on his side and enormous potential still ahead of him, there is every reason to believe this injury will become just another chapter in what promises to be an outstanding career. Athletics fans everywhere will now be hoping to see Gout Gout back on the track in 2027—fully recovered, stronger than ever, and ready to continue his rise among the world's elite sprinters.

In a decisive move aimed at sharpening its competitive edge, Athletics Kenya has officially revised the dates for the national trials ahead of the World Athletics U20 Championships, signaling an early push toward assembling a formidable junior team.

The global championship, set to unfold in Eugene from 4th to 9th August 2026, remains one of the most prestigious stages for emerging talent. With Kenya’s rich legacy in middle- and long-distance running, expectations are already building around the next generation of stars poised to carry the nation’s dominance forward.

Originally scheduled for late June, the Kenyan trials have now been brought forward and will take place from 21st to 23rd May 2026 at the iconic Nyayo National Stadium. The adjustment reflects a strategic shift by Athletics Kenya to allow sufficient time for administrative processes, team selection procedures, and logistical planning ahead of the international competition.

The earlier timeline is also expected to give selected athletes a crucial window to fine-tune their preparations, recover adequately, and align with high-performance training programs before heading to the United States. For a nation that consistently produces world-beating junior athletes, such meticulous planning could prove decisive.

Officials have emphasized that further communication regarding the selection criteria and the list of invited athletes will be released in due course. In the meantime, aspiring competitors are urged to recalibrate their training schedules and peak in time for the revised dates.

As anticipation builds, the spotlight now turns to Nairobi, where the country’s brightest young prospects will battle not only for national glory but also for the honor of representing Kenya on the world stage.

Several performances that had been celebrated as world junior records are now set to be removed from the official books after new age verification findings cast doubt on the eligibility of a number of athletes.

At the centre of the development is Ethiopian distance runner Medina Eisa. Newly revealed documentation indicates that her correct date of birth is 17 October 2002, rather than 3 January 2005, which had previously appeared in competition records.

The revised information carries significant implications. If the updated birth date is confirmed, Eisa would have exceeded the age limit for under-20 competition during both the 2022 and 2024 editions of the World Athletics U20 Championships. At those championships she won two women’s 5000-metre gold medals, achievements that had initially marked her as one of the standout junior athletes in global distance running.

The age discrepancy also affects one of the most remarkable performances of the 2024 track season. Eisa’s 14:21.89 run in the women’s 5000 metres, recorded at the Memorial Van Damme, had been celebrated as a world U20 record. However, because she would not have been eligible for the junior category at the time, the mark will not be ratified as an official world junior record.

The issue does not stop there. Fellow Ethiopian athletes Birke Haylom and Melknat Wudu have also seen potential world junior records denied recognition. According to the Athletics Integrity Unit, their dates of birth could not be verified to a level that satisfies the strict documentation standards required for record ratification.

As a result, several performances that were believed to be world junior records will not enter the official record books.

Age eligibility remains a fundamental pillar of youth athletics, with governing bodies placing increasing emphasis on accurate documentation and verification. The latest developments underline the importance of strict compliance with eligibility rules, ensuring that records achieved in junior categories truly belong to athletes competing within the correct age bracket.

Although the performances themselves remain impressive from a purely athletic standpoint, the case highlights how records in global athletics must meet both competitive and administrative standards before they can be formally recognised.

The University of New Mexico Lobo takes his first steps into professional road racing, carrying years of endurance, resilience, and determination.

Running Was Life Before the Track

Before Habtom Samuel ever set foot on a formal track, he was running to school—seven kilometers each way—books in hand, racing the clock to arrive on time. Growing up in Debresina, a small village in Eritrea, running was not a sport. It was part of daily life. It was necessity. And in its quiet way, it revealed a talent that would one day carry him onto the international stage.

Samuel’s childhood, like that of many young athletes in rural Africa, blended joy with hardship. The second-born of eight siblings, he learned responsibility early, helping his family and neighbors with farming and daily chores. Life was often difficult, but it shaped a resilience that continues to define him today.

Discovery and Early Talent

Running emerged naturally from routine—long walks to school, informal football matches with friends, and sprints home when village responsibilities made him late. Endurance came long before structure.

“I noticed I could run long distances without getting tired,” Samuel recalls. “That’s when I realized running was something special for me.”

Those unplanned miles built a foundation well before formal training arrived. His breakthrough came in 2021 at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi, where he earned a bronze medal in the 3000 meters. The race was tactical and fast, stacked with Kenya’s top under-20 athletes. Samuel managed surges carefully, conserving energy before finishing strongly. The podium confirmed more than talent—it confirmed belief.

Just one month later, he lined up at the Absa Kip Keino Classic against an elite senior field. Finishing fourth, ahead of several seasoned competitors, he left motivated rather than discouraged. “Running with elite athletes showed me I belonged,” he says. “It made me believe I could do even better.”

A New Life with the Lobos

That belief carried Samuel thousands of miles to the University of New Mexico. He was searching not just for competition, but for growth—athletically and personally. Adjusting to a new language, culture, and academic system during his freshman year was challenging, but he found support within the Lobo program.

Wearing the Lobo uniform and competing for a team rooted in tradition and values fuels him daily—on the track, in cross country, and in the classroom.

Academically, Samuel explored public health and exercise science, drawn by a desire to understand the human body. When prerequisites prevented formal entry into exercise science, he found his stride in Liberal Arts and Integrative Studies. “It allows me to take a variety of classes and keep growing academically and personally,” he explains.

Motivation Drawn From the Past

During the hardest training days, Samuel looks backward to move forward.

“I think about where I come from,” he says. “I went through many struggles as a child and always dreamed of a better life. When I look at where I am now, I feel proud. Many people never get these opportunities, and that pushes me to work harder. This is my moment. I feel lucky—but luck means nothing without hard work.”

Debuting on the Roads

This weekend marks another turning point: Samuel’s debut at the Chevron Houston Half Marathon.

Until now, his focus has been cross country and track. Road racing remained unexplored—until winter break offered the opportunity to step outside the collegiate circuit and test himself against seasoned professionals.

The half marathon represents more than a distance change. It is a test of endurance, pacing, strategy, and mental resolve.

“What excites me most is standing on the start line with top professionals,” he says. “I want to see how fast I can run in my debut and what I can learn.”

He approaches the race with curiosity rather than pressure—an opportunity to learn, adapt, and understand his potential beyond the oval.

Looking Ahead: Lessons Beyond the Finish Line

Samuel’s Houston debut marks an important milestone. It allows him to explore a new distance, apply lessons learned from village paths, cross-country courses, and track races, and take a measured step toward a possible professional future on the roads.

More than times or placements, Samuel hopes to be remembered for how he races—and how he lives.

“I want people to remember me as someone who was never afraid to challenge himself,” he says. “As a person, I hope to be remembered for staying hopeful, working hard, and turning every opportunity into something positive.”

From the paths of Debresina to the roads of Houston, Habtom Samuel’s journey as a Lobo is a story of endurance, courage, and gratitude—a reminder that every mile carries a story, and every challenge offers a chance to grow.

Gout Gout recently signed with Adidas and will have the opportunity to train alongside world champion Noah Lyles, gaining valuable mentorship as he continues his path to the top.

After inking a lucrative deal with leading German athletic apparel and footwear corporation Adidas, Gout Gout will now have a chance to train with triple world champion Noah Lyles.

Gout Gout’s manager James Templeton noted that it is a great opportunity for the youngster to interact with Noah Lyles and get to know more about sprinting as he looks to chat his own path to the top.

James Templeton is optimistic that Noah Lyles will be open to teaching Gout Gout a lot, noting that he believes the reigning Olympic 100m champion is a great personality to be around.

Noah Lyles is also an Adidas athlete and earlier this year, the American sprint king extended his contract until the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Noah Lyles’ contract with Adidas is considered the richest in track and field since Usain Bolt's deal with Puma.

"We have the opportunity to go to Florida and join the training group of Noah Lyles and coach Lance Brauman (Lyles’ coach). There are about 16 or 18 top sprinters there,” James Templeton told ABC News.

"We'll be heading over for two or three weeks. That'll be a great opportunity, a wonderful educational experience. I haven't heard from Noah, but he's a great guy and I'm sure he'll be happy to take the younger guy under his wing a little bit."

Meanwhile, Gout Gout has been very impressive in his races and since 2022, he has proven to be unstoppable, running crazy times and making headlines. Gout Gout was named the holder of the Australian Under-16 100m and 200m records at the age of 14.

The following year, Gout Gout managed to break the Australian Under-18 men’s 200m record after running 20.87 seconds. He claimed top honors at the Australian Junior Athletics Championships in Brisbane.

In 2024, Gout Gout has been on top of the world with his crazy times and superb form. He started his season with a personal best time of 10.29 seconds to claim the win in the U-18 Boys 100m at the Queensland Athletics Championships.

Gout Gout then won the Australian U20 100m title in a time of 10.48 seconds in Adelaide before heading to the World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Peru. In Peru, the Australian youngster won a silver medal in the 200m.

He recently signed with Adidas and then proceeded to the Queensland All-Schools Championships, clocking a time of 20.29 seconds in the heats of the 200m to showcase his authority once again.

Kenyan running legend Janeth Jepkosgei made a historic contribution to the Museum of World Athletics (MOWA), donating the singlet she wore on 28 August 2007 when winning the 800m title at the World Championships in Osaka.

It was the first ever world title won by a Kenyan woman in a middle-distance event, paving the way for eight more titles claimed by her successors in subsequent editions up to 2023.

Jepkosgei, who is now head coach of the U20 Athlete Refugee Team, made the donation to the MOWA during the World Athletics U20 Championships Lima 24, presenting her singlet to World Athletics CEO Jon Ridgeon.

‘Inspiring the sport of running’

“I’m very happy to present my 2007 World Championships singlet to the Museum of World Athletics (MOWA),” said Jepkosgei. “When it is displayed in the online museum and exhibited around the world, I hope it helps to inspire and promote the wonderful sport of running, which, in my role as head coach for the U20 Refugee Team, I know is a powerful force for good.”

Ridgeon added: “Thank you to Janeth for her work with the Athlete Refugee Team and for the enormous generosity she has shown by donating her 800m world title-winning uniform to our museum’s collection. The support and encouragement of champions like Janeth is crucial to the success of our heritage programme, which helps preserve and promote our sport’s inspiring history to athletes and fans alike.”

From world champion to global role model

Janeth Jepkosgei Busienei, born in 1983 in Kabirirsang village (Rift Valley Province), was one of the most consistent 800m runners of her decade. Her journey began as a hurdler, but after transitioning to middle-distance running, she won the world U20 800m title in 2002.

Known for orchestrating races with fast starts, Jepkosgei stood on a major championship podium every year from 2003 to 2011, earning the 2007 world 800m title, 2008 Olympic silver, and two more world silvers in 2009 and 2011.

Off the track, Jepkosgei was deeply involved in her community, serving as the Kenyan team captain at numerous championships, sponsoring students, and supporting local projects. After the birth of her daughter Becky Olympia Jepchirchir and her retirement in 2016, Jepkosgei became even more involved in the sport’s development by hosting training camps and becoming one of the few female coaches in the athletics world.

She notably discovered young Emmanuel Wanyonyi, whom she coached to his world U20 800m title in 2021, and then mentored alongside her former Italian coach, Claudio Berardelli, to his Olympic title in 2024.

Since 2022, Jepkosgei has also been the head coach of the U20 Athlete Refugee Team (ART), a women-driven programme based near the South Sudan border in East Africa. She has embraced a mentorship role, passing on her vast experience to the next generation, a journey marked by her iconic victory in Osaka in 2007.

A soaring victory in Osaka

In Osaka, Jepkosgei astonished everyone as early as the semifinals, with a world-leading time and Kenyan record of 1:56.17, also the fastest prelim in 800m history.

In the final, she set a blistering pace right from the start, exiting the first turn with a three-metre lead and hitting the 100m mark in 13.0, an unprecedented achievement in a championship.

Neither the efforts of Belarusian Svetlana Usovich, Russian Olga Kotlyarova, Mozambican Maria Mutola, nor Moroccan Hasna Benhassi could keep up with the Kenyan’s solo race, as she easily won in 1:56.04, further improving the best time of the year.

Jepkosgei’s winning singlet will sit alongside the shoes and clothing of other world 800m champions in the Heritage Collection of MOWA, including Ana-Fidelia Quirot, Maria Mutola, Willi Wülbeck, Wilson Kipketer and David Rudisha.

On a cool, crisp evening in the Peruvian capital on Tuesday (27), Ethiopia’s Medina Eisa turned up the heat on her rivals to successfully defend her 5000m title, the highlight of the first day of action at the World Athletics U20 Championships Lima 24. 

Eisa’s winning time of 14:39.71 carved more than 28 seconds off the championship record set by Genzebe Dibaba, which had stood since 2010, and brought her home well clear of her compatriot Mekedes Alemeshete. The two broke away from the field from the outset and alternated pace-setting duties, passing 2000m in 5:58.59 with a 40-meter lead. 

By 3000m, reached in 8:57.28, they’d built a 70-meter lead and from there it only extended, with Eisa breaking clear of her compatriot with three and a half laps to run and lapping most of the field to hand women’s 5000m gold to Ethiopia for the eighth time in the last nine editions.

“I'm very happy with this win and to achieve a championship record after the Olympics,” said Eisa, who finished seventh in the 5000m in Paris. “I wanted to be a champion, I have wanted this for months.” 

Alemeshete followed her home in 14:57.44, with Uganda’s Charity Cherop getting bronze in a PB of 15:25.02. 

The men’s 5000m proved a very different race, with some early moves proving inconsequential and the final boiling down to a sprint finish, with seven clustered together at the bell. As the contenders hit full speed on the final turn it was Kenya’s Andrew Kiptoo Alamisi who soon took flight like a bird, soaring to victory in 13:41.14 ahead of Ethiopia’s Abdisa Fayisa (13:41.56) and Uganda’s Keneth Kiprop (13:41.73). 

Australia reigned supreme in the mixed 4x400m final, their quartet of Jordan Gilbert, Bella Pasquali, Jack Deguara and Sophia Gregorevic controlling the race and hitting the line comfortably in front in an Oceanian record of 3:19.27. Poland claimed silver in 3:20.44 with China coming through strongly for bronze in 3:21.27 courtesy of a big final leg from Liu Yinglan. 

In the men’s shot put, it was no surprise to see gold go to the Netherlands for the first time in 24 years, but it wasn’t the thrower many were expecting, with Dutch U20 record-holder Yannick Rolvink – who topped the entry lists by more than a metre – finishing fifth with 19.88m.

It was his teammate, Jarno van Daalen, who shone brightest, the 18-year-old adding 36cm to his lifetime best with his opening round effort of 20.76m. That was a mark no one else could match in the subsequent rounds, though South Africa’s JL van Rensburg came close, launching a PB of 20.74m in the final round for silver. Germany’s Georg Harpf took bronze with 20.28m. 

With four events completed in the heptathlon, Croatia’s Jana Koscak tops the standings with 3536 points, the 2022 European U18 champion adding to her 13.80 hurdles performance and 1.81m high jump earlier in the day with a 12.01m shot put and 25.12 200m in the afternoon session. 

Second overnight is Switzerland’s Lucia Acklin, who rocketed up the standings during the latter part of the day after throwing 13.42m in the shot put and clocking a PB of 24.42 in the 200m. That leaves her on 3472 points. Australia’s Mia Scerri sits third with 3385, closely followed by Czechia’s Adela Tkacova who is fourth with 3351, aided by her season’s best of 24.14 in the 200m.

"It's been a long day, but I'm happy," said Koscak. "I ran a solid 200m, a good high jump, but the hurdles and shot put could have been a little better. It's been a long process because I've been travelling a lot, with climate changes, times zones. This is the World Championships so I'm not going to complain."

In the women’s 100m semifinals, Jamaica’s Alana Reid was highly impressive when winning in 11.44 (-0.3m/s), easing off the gas far from the line to beat Nigeria’s Justina Tiana Eyakpobeyan (11.56) and Aleksandra Stoilova of Australia (11.58), who also advanced. Kishawna Niles of Barbados and Britain’s Nia Wedderburn-Goodison were the quickest qualifiers, both clocking 11.39 in the first semifinal ahead of South Africa’s Viwe Jingqi (11.49). Germany’s Chelsea Kadiri won the third semifinal in 11.52 ahead of Adaejah Hodge of the British Virgin Islands (11.59). 

Thailand’s Puripol Bonsoon, who finished fourth in this event two years ago, was the quickest qualifier for the men’s 100m final, clocking 10.30 (-0.6m/s) in the semifinals to edge South Africa’s Bradley Nkoana by one thousandth of a second. Jamaica’s Gary Card qualified in third with 10.39.

Deandre Daley of Jamaica powered to victory in the first semifinal in 10.34 (-0.9m/s) with Japan’s Naoki Nishioka taking the second automatic spot in 10.43. South Africa’s Bayanda Walaza recovered from an early stumble to win the third semifinal in 10.33 (-0.2m/s) ahead of Britain’s Teddy Wilson (10.35) and China’s He Jinxian (10.36), who also advanced. 

China’s Wang Xiaobo led the way in men’s javelin qualification, launching 73.83m with Slovenia’s Tom Tersek next best with 73.37m ahead of Germany’s Oskar Janicke (73.02m). Ukraine’s Illia Saievskyi was the only other thrower to surpass the 72.50m automatic qualification mark.

In women's pole vault qualification, the automatic qualifying mark of 4.25m wasn't necessary and four athletes cleared 4.10m with faultless performances. One vault was all it took for USA's Molly Haywood to make the final as she entered at 4.10m and cleared that first time. She'll be joined by athletes including Estonia's Miia Tillmann, Australia's Tryphena Hewett and Austria's Magdalena Rauter.

The women’s 3000m steeplechase heats saw a dominant performance from race favourite Sembo Almayew who coasted to victory in 9:30.59 ahead of Kenya’s Diana Chepkemoi and Uganda’s Nancy Chepkwurui (9:49.06). Ethiopia’s Firehiwot Gesese eased to victory in the other heat in 10:00.96 ahead of Uganda’s Loice Chekwemoi (10:01.85) and Kenya’s Sharon Chepkemoi (10:07.59). 

There are many things to look forward to in the sport of athletics in the upcoming year.

There’ll be six global championships in 2024, with ever-expanding one-day meeting circuits spread throughout the year. Rivalries will be renewed, and record-breakers will continue to push boundaries in their respective disciplines.

Here are just 10 of the many reasons to be excited by what’s to come over the next 12 months.

1. Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Athletics is the No.1 sport in what will be the biggest event on the planet this year. 100 years after Paris last hosted the Games, the Olympics will return to the French capital where 2000 athletes from about 200 countries will compete for medals in 48 disciplines from August 1-11 . Expect duels, drama and record-breaking performances as athletes compete for the highest honor in the sporting world.

2. World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24

The first global track and field championships of the year will start in just two months’ time as Glasgow hosts the World Indoor Championships on March  1-3. In Belgrade two years ago, pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis and triple jumper Yulimar Rojas set world records to claim gold; they’ll be looking to add to their medal – and record – tally in Glasgow, as will a host of other top track and field stars.

3. World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24

For the first time since 2017, the World Relays will be held in the Bahamian capital as the global event returns to the venue of the first three editions. From May 4-5, athletes will be vying to secure their place in the 4x100m, 4x400m and mixed 4x400m for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Expectations of a nation rests on their shoulders – and their baton exchanges.

4. World Athletics Cross Country Championships Belgrade 24

Just two years after the Serbian capital hosted the World Indoor Championships, Serbia will this year play host to the world’s best cross-country runners. Recent editions of the event, in both Aarhus and Bathurst, have put athletes to the test on grueling courses, so expect more of the same on 30 March.

5. World Athletics U20 Championships Lima 24

After the latest successful edition of the World U20 Championships in Cali two years ago, the global event will return to South America as Lima becomes the first city in Peru to host a World Athletics Series event. The championships will take place from August 27-31, and will showcase the world’s most promising up-and-coming stars.

6. World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships Antalya 24

Is there room on the calendar for one more global event? Go on, then. For the first time ever in the history of these championships – including all previous iterations – Turkiye will play host to the World Race Walking Team Championships on April 21 . The first 22 teams here will automatically qualify for the marathon race walk mixed relay – the newest Olympic discipline – at the Paris Games.

7. One-day meeting circuits

While championship action is great, the likes of the Wanda Diamond League and World Athletics Continental Tour is where athletes can be seen in action week in, week out throughout the peak of the outdoor track and field season. Before that, there’s also the World Indoor Tour, while other series such as the Cross Country Tour, Combined Events Tour, Race Walking Tour and Label road races will provide competition opportunities throughout the year.

8. Record breakers

Athletes continued to push boundaries throughout the past 12 months on the track, field and roads. Expect more of the same in 2024 as the likes of Faith Kipyegon, Mondo Duplantis, Kelvin Kiptum, Yulimar Rojas and Ryan Crouser look to run, jump and throw better than they ever have done before.

9. Big clashes

Rivalries between the sport’s biggest stars always provide a gripping narrative for any season. For 2024, expect some mouth-watering clashes to come from the likes of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Femke Bol in the 400m hurdles, Kelvin Kiptum and Eliud Kipchoge in the marathon, Gudaf Tsegay and Sifan Hassan in the 10,000m or Daniel Stahl and Kristjan Ceh in the discus to name but a few.

10. New stars

Every year a new generation of talent emerges. Some of those will be athletes who started to make a bit of a breakthrough towards the end of last year, while others may be athletes who fans have barely heard of. Either way, keep your eyes peeled as the season unfolds to witness the future stars of the sport mixing it with the world’s best athletes.

Eliud Kipchoge, who has dominated running for nearly two decades, winning countless awards, medals and accolades, is stepping into a coaching and mentorship role with the U20 World Athletics Athlete Refugee Team (ART). According to World Athletics (WA), Kipchoge will take a mentorship and assistant role, using his experience in the sport to educate and inspire upcoming refugee athletes.

The World Athletics Athlete Refugee Team is comprised of athletes who have fled violence, conflict and injustice in their home country. The team was founded in 2016 and has since evolved into the world’s only year-round elite refugee team program. The Refugee Olympic Team made its first competitive appearance at the 2016 Olympic Games and has competed at most WA events since then.

Kipchoge and the team’s head coach, Janeth Jepkosgei, former world 800m champion, will mentor the U20 team through to the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Peru, next August.

The two-time Olympic champion’s mentorship will begin in January, per WA: “Kipchoge will motivate the team members by sharing his knowledge and discipline in the sport while encouraging them to pursue their education and read books, which is one of his passions,” said the press release.

Note that Kipchoge’s new role does not mean is he stopping his running career anytime soon. The 39-year-old still has aspirations to win every Abbott World Marathon Major (he is missing only New York and Boston) and potentially a third Olympic marathon title next year in Paris. 

Having Kipchoge as a coach is an incredible opportunity for any runner. He has 11 Abbott World Marathon Major victories to his name and four Olympic medals to go along with it. We are confident he knows a thing or two about running, and can provide some inspiration with his Kelly Clarkson pump-up music.

Kenya’s two-time Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge is to mentor the U20 World Athletics Athlete Refugee Team (ART), using his great experience in the sport to educate and inspire upcoming athletes.

Kipchoge will motivate the team members by sharing his knowledge and discipline in the sport, while also encouraging them to pursue their education and read books, which is one of his own passions. Committed to helping the underprivileged, the former world record-holder will also share life skills as part of the role, which he will hold through to next year’s World Athletics U20 Championships Lima 24.

Confirmation of Kipchoge’s mentorship, which will begin in January, coincides with the announcement of the Multistakeholder Pledge on Sport for Inclusion and Protection of Refugees, a commitment signed by more than 100 organisations represented at the Global Refugee Forum 2023, which gets under way today (13) in Geneva. As one of the signatories, and as part of the Sport for Refugee Coalition which it joined earlier this year, World Athletics reaffirmed its commitment to use sport to help improve the lives of stateless people around the world.

Held every four years, the Global Refugee Forum is the world’s largest international gathering on refugees. It is designed to support the practical implementation of the objectives set out in the Global Compact on Refugees: ease pressures on host countries, enhance refugee self-reliance, increase access to third-country solutions and improve conditions in countries of origin.

World Athletics’ pledge outlines the role that sport can play in improving the lives of refugees, including through sport programming, policy change, skill development, and communication and advocacy efforts.

The World Athletics Athlete Refugee Team, composed of athletes who have fled violence, conflict and injustice at home, was founded in 2016 and has since evolved into the world's only year-round full-time refugee team programme. The team made its first competitive appearance as part of the Refugee Olympic Team at the 2016 Olympic Games and has competed at nearly every World Athletics Series event since. 

The U20 team was formed as a pilot in 2022, with the objective of presenting a well-prepared U20 ART for the World Athletics U20 Championships Lima 24.

Kenya’s 2007 world 800m champion Janeth Jepkosgei is head coach of the U20 ART, which is partly based at Kakuma Refugee Camp, located around 100km from the South Sudan border in east Africa, and Kapsabet, Kenya. Swiss educator Barbara Moser-Mercer leads the programme, supported by coach Arcade Arakaza, himself a refugee from Burundi, and now Kipchoge.

Earlier this month, World Athletics was part of a delegation including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Olympic Refugee Foundation (ORF), National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) and African Higher Education in Emergencies Network (AHEEN) that visited the Kakuma and Kalobeyei refugee camps in Kenya. World Athletics was invited to be part of the delegation by the ORF, recognising the work that World Athletics is doing in this domain.

Global Refugee Forum pledge: Sport for Inclusion and Protection of Refugees

“In its capacity as world governing body of athletics, World Athletics pledges to mobilise its sphere of influence to support the inclusion of refugee athletes in athletics events around the globe. We commit to providing them safe sport, promoting gender parity in our selection, educating them on safeguarding and offering academic and sport scholarships. Through our sponsor, Asics, they will benefit from our value in kind kit provision and will be eligible like any other athlete to win prize money.

“Together with our stakeholders, we will pursue and advocate for more World Athletics certified refugee coaches and support staff. We will offer media training courses for refugee athletes. In collaboration with the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), we will be diligent on the wellbeing of refugee athletes under our programme and advocate running clean in the spirit of fair play.

“During our World Athletics Series (WAS) events, refugee athletes will be treated like their fellow elite athletes, and we will maximise their presence by offering them ambassadorial opportunities to promote the sport and share its impact on their lives. All expenses to our World Athletics Series events will be covered by World Athletics.

“World Athletics will serve as the team’s member federation, and the team will compete under the Athlete Refugee Team flag.”

Ugandan runner faces provisional suspension by AIU for for the presence/use of a prohibited substance (Furosemide).

World U20 5000m bronze medalist Prisca Chesang has found herself in hot water with the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU).

The 20-year-old Ugandan has been provisionally suspended by AIU for the Presence/Use of a Prohibited Substance (Furosemide), a clear violation of the World Anti-Doping rules.

Chesang, who made headlines as the fourth female Ugandan athlete to secure a medal at the junior championship, finds herself facing charges under Article 2.1 and Article 2.2 of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

Chesang's remarkable journey began at the 2021 World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya, and continued in Cali, Colombia last year, where she clinched the bronze medal.

She joined the ranks of Peruth Chemutai (2018), Annet Negesa (2010), and Dorcus Inzikuru (2000) as one of the few female Ugandan runners to achieve such a feat at the junior level.

"The AIU has provisionally suspended Prisca Chesang (Uganda) for the Presence/Use of a Prohibited Substance (Furosemide)," the AIU confirmed.

Chesang's suspension echoes a somber note in Ugandan running history, following the suspension and three-year ban of Janat Chemusto in November.

Prisca Chesang had been making remarkable strides in the senior division as well, finishing 7th overall at the World Cross Country Championships held in Bathurst, Australia, earlier this year.

However, it was her astonishing performance in the 10km race and her ranking at the World Cross Country Championships in 2023 that truly had the athletics world taking notice.

On New Year's Eve in 2022, Chesang emerged as the champion of the Madrid 10km with an incredible time of 30:19.

This achievement unofficially crowned her as the fastest junior athlete ever over the 10km distance.

Her exceptional performance ranked her 6th on the Senior World List for 2022 and placed her among the top 20 on the World All-Time list for the same distance. 

The 2022 World Under 20 silver medalist Brenda Chebet has pledged to storm the final of the 1500m race at World Athletics Championships in Budapest on her debut in the senior ranks.

Chebet, 19, was enlisted on the Kenyan continent for the premier annual global showpiece at the eleventh hour to replace Purity Chepkirui Thursday who withdrew from the team last week. 

Speaking before departing for the championships, Chebet thanked Athletics Kenya for allowing her to compete for the nation in the Hungarian capital, saying she will not disappoint.

"I feel great having graduated to the senior's stage and received an invitation to compete in the World Championships," Chebet said.

She predicted abrasive competition from a rich field of rivals including her compatriots. 

"It won't be easy because we have some very gifted runners in the race such as Faith Kipyegon and the Ethiopians, who are known to pose a great challenge. I'll do my best in the race and wait to see how things will turn out," she said.

The diminutive runner said she feels privileged to be on the same team as Kenyan track queen Kipyegon, who boasts a world record over the distance.

 "Competing against Kipyegon means a lot to me because this will be the first time we shall be competing in the same event. She is a celebrated runner and any athlete would be proud to be in the same race with her," said Chebet. 

"Let's hope I'll make it to the final and then we can see what to do next."

She heads into the race buoyed by a sterling performance in Bathurst, Australia in February, where she and teammates Emmanuel Wanyonyi, Miriam Cherop, and Kyumbe Munguti delivered a gold medal in the mixed relay at the World Cross Country Championships.

The four wrapped up the race in 23:14 minutes ahead of bitter rivals Ethiopia's Adehera Kasaye, Hawi Abera, Getnet Wale, and Birke Haylom (23:21).

 Chebet also won the silver medal in the 1500m at the 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships in Cali, Colombia, running a personal best time of 4:04.64, behind Haylom.

In June 2022 Chebet finished fourth in her specialty at the African Championship in Saint Pierre, Mauritius. She followed that with a sixth place finish in the women's 800m final. 

The Ukrainian athletics team will gather in Slovakia this week for a final training camp before travelling to Hungary for the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23, starting in less than three weeks (August 19).

World Athletics’ Ukraine Fund and the International Olympic Committee’s Solidarity Fund have combined to provide training camp accommodation for 40 athletes and officials in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia, which will allow Ukraine’s top athletes to complete their final preparations for their most important competition of the year.

World Athletics has provided additional accommodation for three athletes and their families for an extended period in Bankska Bystrica, from 1 June to 30 September.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said: “We understand how important and inspirational Ukraine’s athletes are to their country at this terrible time and we want to give them every opportunity to compete and excel, despite the great hardship being visited on them and their communities by this horrific war. They have lost so much and the least we can do is help them to keep their athletics dreams alive. I am full of admiration for their fortitude and resilience and I am looking forward to welcoming the Ukrainian team to the National Athletics Centre in Budapest in the coming weeks.”

The general secretary of the Ukrainian Athletic Association Iolanta Khropach offered her “heartfelt thanks” for the “important financial assistance provided during this terrible war in our country”.

“Your unwavering belief in us has made a profound impact on the life of our team and the opportunities to prepare for world-class competitions,” she said. “Thanks to your support, we have been able to provide the best athletes of the Ukrainian team with the necessary conditions on the final stage of the preparation to the World Athletic Championships in Budapest to achieve their sports goals. We are happy to see your willingness to lend a helping hand in difficult times for us during the war.”

World Athletics and the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee funded a similar programme to help the Ukrainian team prepare for the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 last year, where two athletes emerged as medallists. World indoor champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh won the silver medal in the women’s high jump and Andriy Protsenko won bronze in the men’s high jump.

The IOC contributed an additional US$20,000 to support the Ukrainian team at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Cali last year.

Through its Ukraine Fund, World Athletics distributed more than US$220,000 last year to support Ukrainian athletes preparing for the World Championships and the World Athletics U20 Championships in response to the crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and is distributing a further US$190,000 this year to support Ukrainian athletes preparing for Budapest.

This fund was launched by World Athletics, the Member Meetings of Diamond League Association and the International Athletics Foundation in April 2022 with the purpose of assisting professional athletes, immediate family members and their support personnel affected by Russia’s invasion of their home country.

This is in addition to the Solidarity Fund of US$7.5 million established by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in February 2022 to support Ukrainian athletes and the Ukrainian Olympic community.

African 800 meters champion Jarinter Mwasya and World Under-20 3,000m silver medalist Zena Jemutai are among 20 athletes suspended by the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) as the crisis in the country deepens.

Top sprinter Samuel Imeta is also among the list after allegedly testing positive for banned anabolic steroids in a meeting at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on February 24.

In that event in the 100m, he had clocked a surprising 9.94sec to finish second behind team-mate and African champion Ferdinand Omanyala.

World Athletics did not ratify the times in the race due to technical problems, but Imeta’s performance seemed to suggest Kenya had found another top sprinter after Omanyala.

It represented a major step up in form for Imeta, an officer in the Kenyan Army, after being knocked out in the semi-finals of the 100m at last year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

He was a part of the Kenyan 4x100m quartet that clocked a national record of 38.26 at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event in Botswana’s capital Gaborone, which qualified them for this year’s World Championships in Budapest.

That performance will be wiped out if Imeta is found guilty of doping.

The samples of the 26-year-old Mwasya, winner of the 800m at last year's African Championships in Saint Pierre in Mauritius, tested positive for several banned substances, including blood boosting drug erythropoietin.

Mwasya also competed for Kenya at last year's World Athletics Championships in Eugene and the Commonwealth Games, but failed to reach the final at either event.

Jemutai tested positive for the prohibited substance triamcinolone acetonide, a synthetic corticosteroid medication.

The 20-year-old had finished second at the 2021 World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi.

In March, she ran 31min 03sec for 10 kilometres to win the Villa de Laredo event in Spain. 

Others facing bans are Hannah Mwangi, winner of the 400m hurdles at the Kip Keino Classic, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting, and distance runner Agnes Mumbua, who finished first in the 15 kilometres du Puy en Velay in France in February.

The latest revelations again illustrate the depth of the doping problem in Kenya and casts doubts over the performances of other athletes from the country.

Last year, the country narrowly avoided a ban from international athletics after vowing to tackle the problem.

David Howman, chair of the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), claimed they are committed to working with Kenya to ensure that happens.

Last month, the AIU held a strategy meeting in Nairobi with ADAK and Athletics Kenya, while also running an online education seminar for athletes from the country.

Athletics Kenya have pledged to being committed to the war against doping and are working with the AIU to launch an operation involving criminal investigators and medical authorities to identify and prosecute anyone involved.

The Kenyan Government has also provided $5 million (£4 million/€4.6 million) worth of funding as part of the country's commitment to cracking down on drug cheats.

While winning a global gold medal might be the pinnacle of the year – if not career – for many athletes, Beatrice Chebet remains motivated for another title to add to her ever-expanding CV.

The world 5000m silver medallist became the world cross country champion in February, winning the senior women’s race and leading the Kenyan squad to the team title at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships Bathurst 23. Now the 23-year-old has turned her attention back to the track as she plots her path to the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 in August.

Chebet started her season on a high note, winning the 5000m at the Kip Keino Classic, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting, in Nairobi, Kenya, on 13 May.

Her victory in front of a home crowd at the Moi International Sports Centre in Kasarani was a good indication that her training is going well, and on the right course, for her next big goal: to win the world 5000m title in Budapest.

“I will be happy if I place on the podium this year in Budapest, although my main aim – which I know should be the same for all the runners who will be running at the World Championships – is the gold medal,” Chebet says. “However, I will be thankful for any medal I get there.”

On the morning of 23 August, Chebet – who already has a wild card place to run in Budapest after winning the 2022 Wanda Diamond League title, subject to selection by her national federation – will be standing at the start line for the heats of the women’s 5000m at the National Athletics Centre to begin her quest for the world title. But, with all the best runners in the world yearning for gold, she knows it won’t be easy.

From her experiences during past battles on the world stage, Chebet believes that the Ethiopian runners and some of her Kenyan compatriots are likely to be her main rivals. The defending champion, who won the 5000m title in a close race ahead of Chebet in Oregon, for example, is Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay. Another Ethiopian athlete, Letesenbet Gidey, is the world record-holder who had looked on course to beat Chebet to the world cross country title in Bathurst before she fell in the closing stages.

Chebet had similar encounters when winning her world U20 5000m title and world U20 cross country gold in 2019. In the latter, she won in a photo finish ahead of Ethiopia’s Alemitu Tariku and Tsigie Gebreselama as they all clocked 20:50 for the 6km race.

“I talked with Gidey some time after the incident in Bathurst, and she was doing well, health wise, and looking forward to coming back strong,” Chebet says.

Their rivalry is a friendly one. When asked whether she thinks Gidey will be looking forward to revenge in their next competition, Chebet replies: “We didn’t talk about competing against each other. It was to check up on her.”

While the rest of her 2023 racing calendar is yet to be confirmed, Chebet – who has a 5000m PB of 14:34.55 that she ran at the Oslo Diamond League in 2021 – will be hoping to remain a strong presence in the 12-and-a-half lap discipline this year.

“My training is going on well,” she says. “I am working hard and praying to God for good health and that everything else goes well. In my races this year, I will watch and hope to see continuous progress. I know all will go well with good training.”

Chebet currently trains in Kericho, on the undulating and beautiful landscapes of Kenyan tea plantations, under coach Gabriel Kiptanui as part of the Kericho Athletics Club.

Being part of the same training group and working with the same coach that guided her during her great 2022 season seems to be a good forecast of what Chebet’s season could look like this year.

“I hope I have another good year, like last year,” she adds.

So far, her career highlight was when, at the age of 18, she won her first gold medal at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Tampere, Finland. It was a tough battle in the final 400m of the race between Chebet and Ethiopia’s Ejgayehu Taye, who Chebet edged at the finish line by a mere 0.10. Taye’s compatriot, Girmawit Gebrzihair, completed the podium.

“Of all the medals and titles that I have ever won, the one that I cherish the most is the world U20 gold medal that I won at the Ratina Stadium in Tampere in 2018,” Chebet says of the 5000m victory that ended a 10-year winning streak by Ethiopian athletes. “It was my first big victory, so I will not forget it.”

Since then, Chebet has remained a force to be reckoned with in the women’s 5000m event. She won the African U20 title in 2019 and the African senior title last year in Mauritius, before she claimed her silver medal at the World Championships in Oregon and gold at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Can she emulate her 2022 success this year? It looks good so far, and a world title in Budapest would be the icing on the cake.

Joshua Cheptegei admits to adoring the subject of literature during days in school. And that little element always manifests.

Cheptegei is relatively a more composed individual during his post-race interviews ever since he broke onto the scene with the 10000m gold medal at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Oregon, USA.

This long-distance runner’s love for education has never withered. From his savings after claiming the 10000m title at the Doha World Championships in Qatar five years ago, he amplified the Joshua Cheptegei Development Foundation (Jocdef).

That as well intensified his ambitions to impact his community in the Sebei region of eastern Uganda by acquiring the Kapchorwa Mountain Primary School.

It has since changed name to the Joshua Cheptegei Junior School and on Wednesday, the school officially opened a new two-storeyed multi-purpose hall and library worth about Shs450m.

This structure was built by Jocdef in partnership with the Embassy of Japan in Uganda. And understandably, Japanese Ambassador to Uganda HE Hidemoto Fukuzawa unveiled the building.

$120,000 school library

This is a big expression of the fruits of Cheptegei’s triumph over the 5000m and a 10000m bronze medal from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics two years ago.

“This project happened two years ago. It was about handing over the Olympic torch to him. After shooting the promotional video for the Tokyo Olympics, Joshua came to me and said ‘I have a dream’ and this is his dream,” said Fukuzawa.

The Japanese Embassy contributed $92000 (Shs345m) from the programme called the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) for communities.

“Every year we receive more than 400 applications to assist them in schools, blocks, picking seven projects is not easy. Selecting is a process. Not because it is Joshua Cheptegei but he went through,” admitted Fukuzawa. 

With every opportunity Cheptegei gets, he is hoping to not inspire but also work to change his community. Jocdef itself put together Shs106m to complete the building.

“This gift is a testament to the strong and enduring friendship between our two nations, and we are deeply grateful for the support and generosity of the Japanese people,” said Cheptegei, much to the delight of the school administration and pupils.

According to Kapchorwa district authorities, this is the first-ever library at a primary school and Cheptegei believes the building is already a source of pride and an inspiration for future generations.

Skilling the community

“With a capacity of up to 700 students, the hall will be a focal point for events and activities that promote cultural exchange, learning, and dialogue. The library, on the other hand, will provide a wealth of resources and knowledge to students and researchers alike, helping to advance our mission of promoting academic excellence and lifelong learning,” he added.

Jocdef is already providing scholarships to the needy, orphans and talented runners, a total of about 45 at the school while six are in secondary school and one has joined university.

A part of the building will be used to help young girls and women in hand skills like tailoring and in the future, men will be taught skills like plumbing, mechanics and driving.

Building the next Cheptegei

But, Jocdef’s impact is not only in education. The Jocdef athletics has partnered with Cheptegei’s Dutch management Global Sports Communication (GSC) to build future stars.

A bunch of teenagers have since represented Uganda at the recent World Athletics U20 Championships in Cali, Colombia last year, the World Cross-country Championships in Bathurst, Australia in February and the ongoing Africa U18/U20 Athletics Championships in Zambia.

Jocdef has registered about 72 junior runners, some of whom are in a camp set up by Cheptegei in Teryet. “We are still at grass-root level so want to build the young athletes,” Jocdef's programmes director Abraham Kiplimo said.

Community outreach

The camp has two houses which can accommodate 30 athletes such as marathoners Stephen Kissa, Commonwealth champion Victor Kiplangat and Stella Chesang and has space for physiotherapy and gym and next to it is a murram running track with a football pitch.

In healthcare, they recently supplied a commercial washing machine to the Kapchorwa main hospital in 2021. Cheptegei hopes to build a health facility to aid mothers in the future.

Kiplimo is working on a plan to do garbage and plastic waste collection and encourage tree planting in communities across the three Sebei districts; Kapchorwa, Kween and Bukwo in partnership with TotalEnergies.

Eliud Kipchoge’s 2:01:09 marathon world record, along with world U20 records set last year by 100m sprinter Letsile Tebogo and Jamaica’s 4x100m team, have been ratified.

Double Olympic champion Kipchoge won the Berlin Marathon last year, taking 30 seconds off the marathon world record he had set in the same city on 16 September 2018.

The 38-year-old Kenyan went out hard, passing through 5km in 14:14 and 10km in 28:22 – not just comfortably inside world record pace, but also well inside a projected two-hour finish.

He maintained that pace through half way, which was reached in 59:50 – identical to his half-way split when he produced a sub-two-hour run in an unofficial orchestrated race in Vienna three years ago. His pace started to drop slightly from then on, but he was still comfortably inside world record pace.

Ethiopia’s Andamlak Belihu had been level with Kipchoge up until that point, but the Kenyan superstar then gradually pulled clear and was out on his own. He passed through 30km in 1:25:40, then reached 35km in 1:40:10.

By the time he passed through 40km in 1:54:53, his lead had grown to move than four minutes. Kipchoge went on to cross the line in 2:01:09, making this the eighth consecutive men’s marathon world record to be set in Berlin.

“I am overjoyed to have broken the world record,” said Kipchoge. “I wanted to run the first half so fast. After 38km I knew I would be capable of breaking the world record. The circumstances were great, and so was the organisation.”

Botswana’s Tebogo successfully defended his 100m title at the World Athletics U20 Championships Cali 22. He had broken the championship record in his heat with 10.00, then won his semifinal in 10.14 before going on to dominate the final in 9.91 (0.8m/s).

His winning time took 0.03 off the world U20 record he had set in Eugene on 15 July in the heats of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22.

“When the gun went off, I had to make sure I made the best start of my life – and it was the best start of my life,” said Tebogo. “As soon as I took my first step, I knew the title was mine. I didn’t worry about the time. I didn’t look.”

Just three days later, another world U20 record fell, this time in the women’s 4x100m. The Jamaican quartet of Serena Cole, Tina Clayton, Kerrica Hill and Tia Clayton teamed up to take the title in 42.59, taking 0.35 off the previous record that the same team had achieved on August 22, 2021 at the previous World U20 Championships in Nairobi.

A similar quartet — but with Brianna Lyston on third leg instead of Hill — had clocked a marginally quicker 42.58 at the Carifta Games earlier in 2022, but it could not be ratified as a record.

Records Ratified

Men’s world marathon record: 2:01:09 Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) Berlin, September 25, 2022 

Men’s world U20 100m record: 9.91 (0.8m/s) Letsile Tebogo (BOT) Cali, August 2, 2022

Women’s world U20 4x100m record: 42.59 Jamaica (Serena Cole, Tina Clayton, Kerrica Hill, Tia Clayton) Cali, August 5, 2022

Bryce Hoppel and Noah Kibet will renew their rivalry at the Millrose Games, the fourth Gold level meeting in this season’s World Athletics Indoor Tour, in New York on February 11.

Hoppel is back to defend his Millrose Games 800m title, now as a world indoor bronze medallist. The 25-year-old, who won US titles indoors and outdoors in 2022, claimed the first global medal of his career in Belgrade, where he clocked 1:46.51 to finish third in a race won by Spain’s Mariano Garcia.

Second in that Belgrade final was Kibet, who at the age of 17 became the youngest ever track medallist in World Indoor Championships history. Now aged 18, the Kenyan seeks further indoor success in New York. Kibet ran 1:46.35 to win his world indoor medal and also claimed bronze at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi in 2021.

Looking to challenge them both will be Clayton Murphy, the 2016 Olympic bronze medallist and fourth-fastest US athlete in the history of the event. Murphy made a second Olympic final in Tokyo and is also a six-time national champion.

Lining up alongside them will be Isaiah Harris, who finished runner-up behind Hoppel at last year’s US Indoor Championships, and Kyle Langford, Britain’s 2018 Commonwealth silver medallist.

Also in the field are Mexican record-holder Jesus Tonatiu Lopez, Irish record-holder Mark English and USA’s Cade Flatt.

Already announced for the meeting are showdowns in the pole vault between Katie Moon, Sandi Morris and Katerina Stefanidi, and in the shot put between Ryan Crouser and Joe Kovacs. The women's 300m will feature Abby Steiner, Jenna Prandini and Brittany Brown, while the women’s 3000m will star Konstanze Klosterhalfen and Alicia Monson. Two-time world 200m champion Noah Lyles will race for more sprint success in the 60m and Laura Muir will race the Rudin Women’s Wanamaker Mile.

The first group of Ukrainian athletes and coaches depart today (Thursday) for the USA ahead of next month’s World Athletics Championships Oregon22.

World Athletics is distributing more than US$220,000 to support Ukrainian athletes preparing for the World Championships and the World Athletics U20 Championships Cali 22 in response to the crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

World Athletics, the Member Meetings of Diamond League Association and the International Athletics Foundation launched a Ukraine Fund in April with the purpose of assisting professional athletes, immediate family members and their support personnel affected by Russia’s invasion of their home country.

This was in addition to a Solidarity Fund established by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in February, which has already allocated about US$2.5 million to the Ukrainian Olympic Community and sports movement.

Both funds have enabled the Ukrainian Federation to pay a significant portion of the cost of training camps and competition across Europe for athletes preparing for these major events while a number of European National Olympic Committees, in coordination with the IOC, have provided support too.

The Athletics Ukraine Fund is now being used to fund the entire Ukrainian delegation’s attendance in Oregon.

So far 53 athletes, 25 coaches and officials, and 18 family members including children have received assistance from the Fund.

With the support of the IOC, the Fund will also ensure the Ukrainian team’s attendance at the World U20 Championships in Cali in August.

The IOC and European Athletics also assisted with training camps in Europe while the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee is providing additional support for athletes attending a training camp in California leading into the World Championships.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said: ”I am grateful and proud of the way the athletics community and the Olympic community have come together to support the Ukrainian Federation as they try to keep as many athletes as they can in training and competition. My thanks go to everyone involved for their support as these athletes prepare to represent their country while the war continues.”

Iolanta Khropach, General Secretary of the Ukrainian Athletic Association, said the federation was extremely grateful for the support of the combined athletics organisations and the IOC who came immediately to their aid after the invasion.

“They help our athletes to train and compete,” she said. “Without this support, it just would not be possible. This is more than just having good facilities and possibility to perform at World Championships and other events. World Athletics and European Athletics have helped to save the lives of our athletes.

“Many Ukrainian athletes now defend our country with weapons in their hands. Our sports infrastructure is destroyed. World Athletics was one of the first sports organisations in the world that banned Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials. We appreciate it so much and believe in World Athletics' strong position in the future.

“We are grateful to World Athletics and the IOC, as well as to every federation, LOC, other organisations, and individuals supporting us during these challenging times. Now we feel like never before that we are a true athletics family.”

World Athletics would like to thank all those organisations who have made generous contributions to the Ukraine Fund, including Members of the Diamond League Association, the International Athletics Foundation, the IOC, USOPC and PWC France Sport Challenge.

The fund can receive additional contributions at any time until fund closure which is set for 31 December 2023. Funding per beneficiary will be allocated on a needs-basis.

Potential donors to the fund should contact UKRFund@worldathetics.org. 

World Athletics is coordinating with the International Olympic Committee’s Solidarity Fund for the Ukrainian Olympic Community to prevent any duplication of efforts.

Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica and Karsten Warholm of Norway have been named the World Athletes of the Year at the World Athletics Awards 2021, a ceremony held virtually on Wednesday (1).

Thompson-Herah produced one of the finest sprint seasons in history this year, retaining her Olympic 100m and 200m titles in Tokyo and adding a third gold medal in the 4x100m relay. On top of her Olympic triple, she also clocked world-leading times of 10.54 and 21.53 over 100m and 200m respectively, moving to second on the world all-time lists and coming within touching distance of the long-standing world records.

“I just take it year by year,” said Thompson-Herah. “I went very close to the world record so you know, anything is possible. No spikes hanging up any time soon!

“The World Championships in Oregon is most definitely my next big target,” she added. “It is close to home, I hope friends and family can come out and watch. I hope I get some crowd as well. That couldn’t happen in Tokyo but hopefully in Eugene I can get my friends and family to come and cheer me on.”

Warholm uncorked one of the most remarkable performances in athletics history when he stormed to gold in the 400m hurdles at the Tokyo Olympics. Having already broken the world record with 46.70 in Oslo in the lead-up to the Games, Warholm exceeded all expectations in the Japanese capital to claim gold in a stunning world record of 45.94. In a race of incredible depth, the top three athletes finished inside the pre-2021 world record.

“I’m so happy for this,” said Warholm. “First when I saw the time (in Tokyo), I was like, ‘This must be a mistake!’ Because I didn’t see that one coming. And I didn’t see the victory coming before crossing the finish line.

“It was a very intense race, I knew the American and the Brazilian and all the other guys were really chasing me. I always go out hard and I never know what is going on behind me. I was just fighting all the way to the finish line. When I realised 45.94 was the reality, I was thinking: ‘This is not too bad. I’ll take it!’"

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe congratulated all of tonight’s winners and finalists on their extraordinary achievements this year.

"We have this year celebrated some jaw-dropping performances in Tokyo, at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi and through our one-day meeting circuits – the Wanda Diamond League and the Continental Tour. So we’re delighted to recognise some of our stars at tonight’s awards.

"As a sport, we are in an incredibly strong position. 2021 has been an excellent year. We cemented our position as the number 1 Olympic sport coming out of Tokyo, we have the most God given talented athletes on the planet and our sport is the most accessible of all sports. Thank you to all our athletes around the world. I am looking forward to watching what you can all do in 2022."

The other award winners were:

Female Rising Star

Athing Mu

The US teenager was undefeated at 800m all year, winning Olympic gold at the distance following a long but successful collegiate season. She broke the senior US 800m record with her triumph in Tokyo and then improved it to 1:55.04 just a few weeks later. She also excelled at 400m, clocking a North American U20 record of 49.57 for the distance.

“It means the world to know that my support goes beyond friends and families and extends worldwide,” said Mu. “This award shows all young girls that your dreams can, indeed, come true."

Male Rising Star

Erriyon Knighton

Throughout 2021 the 17-year-old took down several marks that had belonged to sprint legend Usain Bolt. Knighton first set world U18 bests of 20.11 and 20.04 over 200m, but his rapid rise continued and he broke Bolt’s world U20 record for the distance with 19.88 and 19.84. He went on to finish fourth in the Olympic final with 19.93.

“I’m really thankful for this award,” said Knighton. “One of my most memorable moments of this year was making it to the Olympic final in Tokyo and finishing fourth at the age of 17.”

Member Federations Award

Federacion Costarricense de Atletismo (Costa Rica)

In recognition for their outstanding training, competition and development programme roll-out over the past 12 months, for their consultative work on the World Athletics Kids’ Athletics programme, and for successfully staging a host of international events over the past year.

Inspiration Award

Mutaz Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi

The shared high jump victory between Qatar’s Mutaz Barshim and Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi became one of the biggest talking points of the Olympic Games – not only for everything it represented in their own individual careers, having both battled serious injuries since the last Games, but mainly for the act of respect and sportsmanship between two friends.

“It is just crazy if I think about this story,” said Tamberi. “Thank you very much for this trophy.

“I now call Mutaz like five times a week because I need to speak with him. I feel that now we are not just friends, we are really like blood brothers.”

Barshim added: “I hope to inspire more people to love our sport and maybe share a gold one day!”

President’s Award

Peter Diamond, Executive Vice President of NBC Olympic programming

“Athletics owes Peter a massive debt of gratitude,” said World Athletics President Sebastian Coe. “Peter has worked alongside us for effectively 40 years and has been a constant source of great advice and wise counsel, and occasional humour that has softened the edges of any particular situation. And he has made athletics a lot better.”

Coaching Achievement Award

Bobby Kersee

The US coach has guided the careers of many legendary athletes over the years, but this year two of his charges made history. Allyson Felix became the most decorated female track and field Olympian in history after winning her 10th and 11th Olympic gold medals in Tokyo, while training partner Sydney McLaughlin broke two world records in the 400m hurdles and claimed Olympic gold in the discipline.

Woman of the Year Award

Anju Bobby George

The former international long jump star from India is still actively involved in the sport. In 2016 she opened a training academy for young girls, which has already helped to produce a world U20 medallist. A constant voice for gender equality in her role as Senior Vice President of the Indian Athletics Federation, Bobby George also mentors schoolgirls for future leadership positions within the sport.

Jean-Pierre Durand World Athletics Photograph of the Year

Ryan Pierse’s photograph of the women’s high jump qualifying at the Tokyo Olympic Games

This year’s award is dedicated to the memory of Jean-Pierre Durand, one of the sport’s most prolific photographers and photo chief for a number of World Athletics Series events, who died in October.

“This winning image was taken on one of the morning sessions in Tokyo and it was a hot one,” said Pierse, who is from Australia. “I wanted to illustrate the heat and how it was affecting the athletes. It is a picture that I worked on for a while, and it all came together. I am really happy with it.

“I think it’s incredibly fitting that this award is named in memory of Jean-Pierre Durand,” added Pierse. “I had the pleasure of working alongside him, most recently at the Tokyo Olympics.”

The World Athletics Council has today (1) agreed on the host cities of two future World Athletics Series events at their meeting in Monaco.

The 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships will be held in Glasgow, United Kingdom, and the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships will be held in Lima, Peru.

Glasgow successfully hosted the European Indoor Championships in 2019, and World Athletics will now take its 2024 championships to the same arena.

The First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, hailed the decision.

“I’m delighted that Glasgow has been chosen to host the prestigious World Athletics Indoor Championships in 2024,” she said. “This will underline Scotland’s global reputation as the perfect stage for events and is welcome news as we look to recover from the pandemic.”

Councillor David McDonald, Chair of Glasgow Life and Deputy Leader of Glasgow City Council, added: “Today’s announcement by World Athletics recognises Glasgow’s global reputation as a first choice host for major sporting events and as a city with a track record of delivering world-class event experiences. It’s a privilege to be bringing the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships to the Emirates Arena, which is widely regarded as one of the best athletics venues in the world.”

Ian Beattie, Chair of UK Athletics, was also delighted that his federation will have the opportunity to host this event.

“World Athletics has demonstrated their confidence in the UK to host global athletics championships once again, and history has shown time and time again our ability to deliver amazing events,” he said. “We’re thrilled with the outcome and look forward to a successful championships working alongside our partners that will truly give all athletes a fantastic stage upon which to perform.”

The dates of the event have yet to be finalised, but are expected to be in March 2024.

Peru to host first World Athletics Series event in 2024

Lima will become the first city in Peru to host a World Athletics Series event when it welcomes the world’s best junior athletes in mid-2024.

The President of the Peruvian Athletics Federation, Javier Chirinos Hoyos, said this was a big moment for athletics in Peru.

“We are very happy and proud to have been chosen for the first time ever, to host the 2024 World U20 Championships,” he said. “Rest assured that we will organise the best event of this category in history. We have the experience and a great team to give the best in Lima in 2024. Thanks all and we will be waiting with open arms for all of you in Lima."

The general director of the Local Organising Committee, Luis Condeso Ocampo, added: “We are very happy and grateful to World Athletics for trusting us to host the World Athletics U20 Championships in 2024. We assume this designation with great responsibility, and be sure that the Peruvian Athletics Federation, with all the support of the Peruvian Sports Institute, the Municipality of Lima, and all sportspeople in Peru, we will make the World U20 Championships in Lima an unforgettable experience for all participants.”

Ahead of next month’s World Athletics Awards 2021, World Athletics is delighted to announce the five nominees for the 2021 Male Rising Star Award to recognise this year's best U20 athlete.

The nominations reflect the many incredible performances that the sport has witnessed this year, at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi, Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and other events around the world.

The winner of the 2021 Male Rising Star Award will be selected by an international panel of experts and be announced live at the World Athletics Awards 2021 on December 1.

The nominees are:

Sean Burrell, USA

- World U20 400m hurdles record

- NCAA 400m hurdles champion

- Sixth on world U20 indoor 400m list 

Erriyon Knighton, USA

- Olympic 200m fourth place

- World U20 200m record

- World U18 200m best 

Emmanuel Wanyonyi, KEN

- World U20 800m champion

- World U20 leading time

- National U18 800m record 

Tadese Worku, ETH

- World U20 3000m champion and 5000m silver medalist

- World U20 leading times at 3000m, 10,000m and 10km

- Senior Ethiopian 10km record Sasha Zhoya, FRA 

- World U20 110m hurdles champion

- European U20 110m hurdles champion

- World U20 110m hurdles record 

Further information about the World Athletics Awards 2021 will be announced in the weeks leading up to the event.

For what she is doing for young runners and the community, Janeth Jepkosgei remains a heroine even after changing her career from an athlete to a coach and mentor.

“I am doing this because of the love I have for running and for the athletes. Running changed my life in a big way. I find great joy in nurturing and guiding young runners and in seeing them begin to excel in their careers as well,” said 2007 world 800m champion Jepkosgei, referring to the numerous selfless contributions she has made to support young runners from different levels and backgrounds and the training camps she has set up to do so.

“For me to become a successful runner, I had to go through a number of good people in my life that helped me, including some of my relatives, my first coach Paul Ereng and later on, coach Claudio Berardelli. I want to be able to give out the same help I received and change lives as well.”

Jepkosgei recalled one incident that moved her to tears, when a young talented runner they had identified attended camp with hardly any belongings.

“The runner came into the camp with one half of an old blanket that she had cut in two pieces and left the other half for her mother to use at home. Eunice Sum (the 2013 world 800m champion) immediately rushed to town and came back with some new bedding for the young runner,” she said.

Around two and half kilometres along the Kapsabet to Nandi Hills road lies some of the most prime lands surrounded by beautiful and evergreen landscapes. Land here could easily be turned into a tea farm, a real estate, a big hotel, a hospital, or anything, given its proximity to town and other social amenities in the area. This is where Jepkosgei’s camp is situated.

Arriving at the camp, which features a big house on the green and a serene environment that Jepkosgei has given out freely to 20 young runners to use for their accommodation, plus a van that takes them to the track facilities and on some of their long runs, there arose a burning question: Why did she decide to establish a free camp for the young runners?

From the way she interacted with the runners, who were clearly elated to see her arrive, one could have easily mistaken her for being just another random runner in the camp as they exchanged a few greetings and some light moments.

Besides this camp, Jepkosgei is also involved with other runners of different levels in different places, including a school holiday camp that hosts and trains around 86 runners when schools close. There are a number of senior runners who went through her hands to the level they are now, and who are still closely connected with her in their training and in guiding the young runners. They include Sum, 2019 world 5000m silver medallist Margaret Kipkemboi and 2013 world 5000m silver medallist Mercy Cherono, among others.

The results from the recent World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi were great news and a great motivation for Jepkosgei and the young runners in the camp to aim for better things in the future. Four runners in the camp qualified for the event and three of them won medals. Emmanuel Wanyonyi won gold in the men’s 800m, Sylvia Chelangat claimed bronze in the women’s 400m and Levy Kibet achieved another bronze in the men’s 5000m. If the camp had entered itself as an individual country, it would have placed joint 15th out of the 114 teams that participated.

Jepkosgei, however, is not letting the one-time victories distract them from focusing on the future. She likes to see patience, long-term continuous progress and success in her runners.

Wanyonyi, who ran an impressive 800m race in Kasarani last month to register a championship record and personal best of 1:43.76, is clearly already a good student of Jepkosgei and he explained how his main focus now is on winning the Olympic title at the Paris Games in 2024.

“Both Wanyonyi and Chelangat seem to have great mindsets that will take them far. Despite not coming from a family or a region that has a history in running, Wanyonyi is already special in showing that talents don’t have to come from a particular region or tribe. Chelangat on her part is specialising in the 400m, which is not a common event among the Kenyan stars,” Jepkosgei said.

While focusing more on coaching the young runners, Jepkosgei still works closely with her former coach, Berardelli, in exchanging notes on how best to guide them. She also has an assistant coach, Hillary Lelei, who is usually stationed at the camp.

“With my past experience as a runner and the working relationship I still have with my former coach, I believe I have what it takes to guide these runners to reach their full potential. But it still is a continuous learning experience. I am learning that it is not obvious that whatever worked for me will work for others, that different training methods may apply differently to different runners,” she said.

“I believe that we need more female coaches in Kenya who can understand and handle young girls well. There are some issues that the girls may feel more comfortable sharing with a female coach than with a male coach.”

Athletes from at least 28 countries are expected to compete when the final meeting of this year’s Continental Tour Gold series is held at the Kasarani Stadium, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting, in Nairobi, Kenya, on September 18, which recently hosted the World Athletics U20 Championships.

After winning her second Olympic 1500m title and then claiming the series crown at the Wanda Diamond League final in Zurich, Kenya’s Kipyegon will make her Kip Keino Classic debut. Uganda’s Olympic 3000m steeplechase champion Chemutai, meanwhile, returns to the event after her sixth-place finish in the inaugural edition of the meeting last year.

Both Olympic steeplechase champions will be competing, with Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco having already been announced for the men’s race. He is set to be joined on the start line by Kenya's world U20 champion Amos Serem.

Like Kipyegon, USA’s Fred Kerley claimed a Diamond Trophy in Zurich, becoming the first athlete to ever win top series honours in both the 100m and 400m. Three years after his 400m success, Kerley won the 100m in 9.87 in Zurich and the Olympic 100m silver medallist is now set to race in Nairobi.

In men's 100m action will be the USA’s world leader Trayvon Bromell, Kenyan record-holder Ferdinand Omanyala and the USA’s Justin Gatlin, while Botswana’s Isaac Makwala has been announced for the 400m.

Namibia's Christine Mboma improved her world U20 record and African record to 21.78 to win the 200m Diamond Trophy in Zurich and the Olympic silver medallist returns to Nairobi, where the 18-year-old won the world U20 title last month.

The men’s hammer competition will also feature an Olympic champion, with Poland's Wojciech Nowicki among those who will be seeking more success when they compete in Kenya.

Ukraine’s world finalist Iryna Klymets will compete in the women’s event.

Tulu has accused Ethiopian runners of chasing “quick money” and turning to performance-enhancing drugs to help them.

Ethiopia are one of seven countries currently listed as a category A nation by the Athletics Integrity Unit, meaning they considered more at risk at doping that others.

Restoring their reputation is seen as one of Tulu’s main tasks following her election as permanent President of the Ethiopian Athletics Federation (EAF) last December.

Tulu, the first black African woman to win an Olympic gold medal when she triumphed at Barcelona 1992, had been serving in the role since November 2018 following the resignation of fellow distance runner Haile Gebrselassie.

Doping products are reportedly easily available in Addis Ababa, World Athletics has warned.

Following their inclusion on the category A list, the EAF launched a major education programme among young athletes to warn them of the dangers of doping.

"In our time, we used to compete clean," Tulu told The Daily Nation in Kenya during the recent World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi.

"Sheer talent drove us to victory, and it was healthy competition but today the desire for quick money is pushing athletes to use drugs.

"That is why you see some athlete doing well for a short time before disappearing after few years."

Tulu’s first Olympic victory in Barcelona entered Games legend when she beat Elena Meyer in an iconic race at South Africa's first Games appearance since the end of apartheid.

Then, eight years later in Sydney, Tulu won her second 10,000m title before returning at Athens 2004 to win a bronze medal.

Tulu's victory at Barcelona 1992 saw Ethiopia win their first Olympic gold medal for 12 years.

Since then, they have won at least one gold medal in every Olympic Games.

Their best performance came at Beijing 2008 when they won a total of seven medals - four gold, two silver and a bronze.

Ethiopia only won one gold medal at Tokyo 2020 - Selemon Barega in the men’s 10,000m – along with a silver and two bronze, their worst performance since Barcelona 1992.

"Athletics is changing, and we need to change with time," Tulu told The Daily Nation.

"Many countries are coming up fast.

"We witnessed this during the 2020 Olympic Games.

"Competition has become tougher, but we are constantly trying to nurture new talents."

Reigning world half-marathon champion Jacob Kiplimo from Uganda will be in the spotlight at the 64th edition of the Campaccio in San Giorgio su Legnano when the first leg of the World Athletics Cross Country Permit series takes place on Sunday (21).

The popular Northern Italian cross-country race was originally scheduled for its traditional 6 January date, but it was postponed until the end of March due to the global Covid-19 pandemic. For the first time in its long history, the Campaccio will be held in spring.

Kiplimo won the world half-marathon title in Gdynia in 58:49 last October and ran the second-fastest time in history over the 21.1km distance with 57:37 in Valencia last December. The 20-year-old also set PBs on the track last year, clocking 7:26.64 in the 3000m in Rome and 12:48.63 in the 5000m in Ostrava. In 2019 he won the world cross-country silver medal in Aarhus. In the build-up to the Campaccio, Kiplimo dominated the men’s race at the Italian Cross Country Club Championships in Campi Bisenzio near Florence in rainy conditions.

Kiplimo will race against his younger brother Oscar Chelimo, who won the BOclassic 5km World Athletics Label road race in Bolzano last December. In 2018 Chelimo finished seventh in the 5000m at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Tampere and won the 3000m at the Olympic Youth Games in Buenos Aires. One year later, the 19-year-old won the world under-20 cross-country bronze medal in Aarhus and finished fifth in the 5000m at the African Games in Rabat. 

Another Ugandan runner in the line-up is 2017 and 2018 world mountain running silver medallist Joel Ayeko.

Last year’s surprise Campaccio winner Mogos Tuemay will return to San Giorgio su Legnano to defend his title. The Ethiopian runner set his 10,000m PB in Hengelo in 2019 with 27:23.49 and finished 18th at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Aarhus in 2019.

The top Italian runner is Eyob Faniel, who broke Stefano Baldini’s national marathon record with 2:07:19 in Seville last year. Faniel improved Rachid Berradi’s long-standing Italian half-marathon record with 1:00:07 at the Tuscany Camp Half Marathon in Siena at the end of February. Faniel also won the 2019 BOclassic road race and equalled Daniele Meucci’s 10km national record with 28:08 at the San Silvestre Vallecana in Madrid last December.

“I have always used cross-country competitions as preparation for the marathon,” said Faniel. “I finished ninth in 2017 and 10th in 2018 in my previous two appearances at the Campaccio. This year I am in different form, as I trained for shorter distances to prepare for the half-marathon. The turning point in my career was my win at the Boclassic in Bolzano in 2019.”

Faniel will battle for top place among Italian runners against Iliass Aouani, who won the national individual cross country title in Campi Bisenzio last week. Aouani, who graduated in engineering at the Syracuse University in New York, finished fourth at the 2019 World University Games in Naples in the 10,000m and equalled the national indoor mile record with 4:00.07 last year in Boston. 

Other Italian runners to watch out for are Yohanes Chiappinelli, who won the European bronze medal in the 3000m steeplechase in Berlin in 2018, plus 2017 European indoor 3000m finalist Yassin Bouih, 2019 world mountain running silver medallist Cesare Maestri and 2017 world mountain running gold medallist Francesco Puppi.

In the women’s race, Lilian Kasait Rengeruk from Kenya will be bidding to win the Campaccio title for the second time, three years after her triumph in 2018. Rengeruk won the world cross country bronze medal in 2017 and finished fifth in the 5000m at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha with her PB of 14:36.05. 

Rengeruk will take on Winfred Mutile Yavi, who finished fourth in the 3000m steeplechase in Doha and won the past two editions of the Cinque Mulini Cross Country Permit race in San Vittore Olona in 2019 and 2020. Yavi clocked a world all-time best in the indoor 2000m steeplechase with 5:45.09 in Lievin last February. 

The line-up also features Ethiopia’s Tsehay Gemechu, who finished sixth at the 2019 World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Aarhus. 

Nadia Battocletti leads the Italian contingent. Battocletti won two consecutive European under-20 cross-country gold medals and the European under-20 silver medal in the 5000m in 2019. The daughter of former Italian cross-country star Giuliano Battocletti finished sixth in last year’s edition of the Campaccio. She won her first national senior cross-country title in Campi Bisenzio last weekend after being sidelined by an injury problem at the end of January.

The other top Italian runners are Ludovica Cavalli, who won the Italian under-23 titles in the 1500m and 5000m last year and in the 3000m indoors in 2021, plus 3000m steeplechase specialist Martina Merlo (PB 9:41.06).

“Despite the restrictions due to the global pandemic, we managed to put together a world-class field. We are proud to announce that the special guest will be fresh European 60m champion Marcell Jacobs, who will offer his support for all athletes,” said Campaccio Technical Director Marcello Magnani.

Claudio Pastori, President of the local Unione Sportiva Sangiorgese, said: “We are determined to organise the Campaccio race this year. It is important to give a message of hope to the younger generation in this difficult period.”

Reigning world half-marathon champion Jacob Kiplimo from Uganda will be in the spotlight at the 64th edition of the Campaccio in San Giorgio su Legnano when the first leg of the World Athletics Cross Country Permit series takes place on Sunday.

The popular Northern Italian cross-country race was originally scheduled for its traditional 6 January date, but it was postponed until the end of March due to the global Covid-19 pandemic. For the first time in its long history, the Campaccio will be held in spring.

Kiplimo won the world half-marathon title in Gdynia in 58:49 last October and ran the second-fastest time in history over the 21.1km distance with 57:37 in Valencia last December. The 20-year-old also set PBs on the track last year, clocking 7:26.64 in the 3000m in Rome and 12:48.63 in the 5000m in Ostrava. In 2019 he won the world cross-country silver medal in Aarhus. In the build-up to the Campaccio, Kiplimo dominated the men’s race at the Italian Cross Country Club Championships in Campi Bisenzio near Florence in rainy conditions.

Kiplimo will race against his younger brother Oscar Chelimo, who won the BOclassic 5km World Athletics Label road race in Bolzano last December. In 2018 Chelimo finished seventh in the 5000m at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Tampere and won the 3000m at the Olympic Youth Games in Buenos Aires. One year later, the 19-year-old won the world under-20 cross-country bronze medal in Aarhus and finished fifth in the 5000m at the African Games in Rabat. 

Another Ugandan runner in the line-up is 2017 and 2018 world mountain running silver medallist Joel Ayeko.

Last year’s surprise Campaccio winner Mogos Tuemay will return to San Giorgio su Legnano to defend his title. The Ethiopian runner set his 10,000m PB in Hengelo in 2019 with 27:23.49 and finished 18th at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Aarhus in 2019.

The top Italian runner is Eyob Faniel, who broke Stefano Baldini’s national marathon record with 2:07:19 in Seville last year. Faniel improved Rachid Berradi’s long-standing Italian half-marathon record with 1:00:07 at the Tuscany Camp Half Marathon in Siena at the end of February. Faniel also won the 2019 BOclassic road race and equalled Daniele Meucci’s 10km national record with 28:08 at the San Silvestre Vallecana in Madrid last December.

“I have always used cross-country competitions as preparation for the marathon,” said Faniel. “I finished ninth in 2017 and 10th in 2018 in my previous two appearances at the Campaccio. This year I am in different form, as I trained for shorter distances to prepare for the half-marathon. The turning point in my career was my win at the Boclassic in Bolzano in 2019.”

Faniel will battle for top place among Italian runners against Iliass Aouani, who won the national individual cross country title in Campi Bisenzio last week. Aouani, who graduated in engineering at the Syracuse University in New York, finished fourth at the 2019 World University Games in Naples in the 10,000m and equalled the national indoor mile record with 4:00.07 last year in Boston. 

Other Italian runners to watch out for are Yohanes Chiappinelli, who won the European bronze medal in the 3000m steeplechase in Berlin in 2018, plus 2017 European indoor 3000m finalist Yassin Bouih, 2019 world mountain running silver medallist Cesare Maestri and 2017 world mountain running gold medallist Francesco Puppi.

The strong international interest in hosting this new event, which will combine elite and mass races in a unique format, is a ringing endorsement of a festival concept designed to unite the international road running community. 

The creation of the World Athletics Road Running Championships, incorporating the World Half Marathon Championships, was approved by the Council in December, and cities around the world were asked to indicate their interest in hosting the event.

The 2023 event will include elite races over both 5km and the half marathon, accompanying mass races, and a week-long festival of supporting events, including parkrun events across the host city, a global running conference, health and fitness expos and clinics.

Potential hosts will have to submit formal bids by 1 June and the World Athletics Council will select the host city in July.

World Athletics Continental Tour

The World Athletics Council has approved a greatly expanded Continental Tour calendar for 2021, including 85 Gold, Silver and Bronze meetings, after the new international series was launched successfully last year.

Despite the challenges created by the pandemic, 29 Continental Tour meetings were held last year, including seven Gold meetings (of the 10 that were originally scheduled).

This year’s calendar includes 15 Gold meetings, with two in Africa following the addition of a second meeting to join Nairobi, and three Gold meetings to be held in the United States. The venues for the new meetings will be confirmed shortly.

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe welcomed the commitment of meeting directors and Member Federations across the six continental Areas to create new competition opportunities for the athletes.  

“We wouldn’t have chosen to launch a new global athletics tour on the eve of a pandemic, but the Continental Tour proved to be such a strong concept that it thrived even in these adverse circumstances,’’ he said.

“The tour has expanded substantially in 2021, and we’re delighted that it has been embraced so enthusiastically across the world. I’m particularly pleased to see that the US has stepped up to stage three Gold meetings as well as at least nine other Silver and Bronze meetings. These will provide new and vital competition opportunities and prize money for athletes and strengthen our sport both in the USA and internationally. We see the expanded US calendar as an early legacy of the decision to take our flagship event, the World Athletics Championships, to Oregon in 2022.

“We will continue to drive innovation and boost the competition opportunities available to our athletes around the world, with our immediate focus on the World Athletics Relays Silesia 2021, to be held in Poland in just six weeks’ time.”  

Competition dates

The Council confirmed the dates for the 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships, which will be held in Cali, Colombia from 2-7 August, 2022, and the 2023 World Athletics Indoor Championships, which will be held in Nanjing, China from 17-19 March, 2023. 

The World Athletics Council has approved the qualification systems for the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 and the World Athletics U20 Championships Nairobi 2021.

As was the case in 2019, athletes will be able to qualify for the World Championships by achieving an entry standard or through their placing on the world rankings.

In line with the recommendation from the Race Walking Committee, approved by the Council last year and confirmed again last week, the World Championships will feature 20km and 35km race walking events for men and women in Oregon.

The qualification period for the marathon and 35km race walk opened on 30 November 2020 and ends on 29 May 2022. For the 10,000m, 20km race walk, relays and combined events, the window runs from 27 December 2020 until 26 June 2022. For all other disciplines, the qualification period is 27 June 2021 to 26 June 2022.

Defending world champions will be offered a wild card entry, as will the winners of the 2021 Diamond League, Race Walk Challenge, Combined Events Challenge and the leading hammer performers on the Continental Tour. Area champions in selected disciplines and top-10 finishers at Platinum Label marathons during the qualification period shall also be considered as having achieved the entry standard.

The target number of athletes for each discipline is the same as in 2019, with one exception: there will be 60 places available in both the men’s and women’s 35km race walks; an increase on the 50 places for men and 30 places for women in the 50km race walk in 2019.

With the World U20 Championships in Nairobi having been postponed from its original dates in 2020, the qualification period has been updated. The new qualification windows are: 1 October 2019 to 5 April 2020 and 1 December 2020 to 8 August 2021.

World Athletics

The World Athletics U20 Championships Nairobi 2020 will be the first global track and field championships where air quality will be measured and analysed.

As part of World Athletics’ continued pilot programme to measure air quality at sporting venues around the world, a Kunak air quality monitor was recently installed at the Kenyan capital’s Kasarani Stadium, the venue for this year’s World U20 Championships.

With the support of the local organising committee, World Athletics’ health and science department will measure both clinical and environmental data. The Kenya Urban Road Authority and Nairobi City Council have also shown interest in how the data is collected and analysed.

“We are happy that World Athletics has installed the air quality monitor in Nairobi,” said Lt General Jackson Tuwei, Athletics Kenya President and Chairman of the World U20 Championships organising committee. “The equipment will not only help in the area of sports, but also the city of Nairobi and other Government of Kenya agencies involved in environmental issues.”

“We are delighted that World Athletics has installed the first air-quality equipment in a sports facility in Kenya,” added Michael Rabar, CEO of the World U20 Championships Nairobi 2020. “The equipment will help measure and enable assessment of the air quality and be able to determine the effects on the residents of the city of Nairobi. It will be a great study to help sensitise all parties on the importance of clean air and be part of the event legacy.”

It is the second air quality monitor installed in Africa by World Athletics, following the installation of a monitor in Addis Ababa at the end of 2018.

“Our pilot programme was mostly a feasibility study to better understand the possible challenges of installing and maintaining high-end air quality devices in remote places and countries,” said World Athletics Health & Science Department Director Stéphane Bermon. “We are also keen to draw the attention of some of our member federations and competition organisers on the growing importance of air quality for people who exercise, both mass and elite.

“In addition, we want to fine-tune our air quality network prior to and during World Athletics Series events,” added Bermon. “In Nairobi we’ll replicate the study we conducted in Yokohama correlating air quality, performance and respiratory symptoms.”

An air quality monitor was installed in Yokohama ahead of last year’s World Relays. The data collected from there has recently led to a peer-reviewed scientific publication.

Air quality will be monitored at all future World Athletics Series events, including this year’s World Athletics Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia and the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships in Minsk. A device will also soon be installed in Oregon ahead of next year’s World Athletics Championships.

The data collection and analysis will help event organisers to design safer timetables, while also providing insights to the ongoing research into the correlation between air quality and the performance of athletes.

World Athletics is also developing a customised service for organisers of road races, offering a portable air quality device that can be installed a couple of days before the race or fitted to a bike or electric car. The set-up enables World Athletics to produce an air quality map with high temporal and spatial resolution while also providing race organisers with advice and recommendations on how to mitigate the air pollution risks.