Steven Downes for IAAF
19 October 2000 – There was double delight for Sweden at the World Junior
Championships on Thursday, when Susanna Kallur won the 100 metres hurdles final here in an
outstanding 13.03sec.
It was Sweden’s first gold at this level since 1992, but was rendered more remarkable because Kallur’s twin, Jenny, also made the final, placing sixth in 13.30.
Ahead of the second Swede was a pair of French sprint hurdlers, Fanny Gerance and Adrianna Lamalle, who took silver and bronze medals respectively in 13.21 and 13.27.
Yet Susanna Kallur’s performance put everything else in the shade on a broiling hot day at the foot of the Andes.
The daughters of Anders Kallur, a former professional ice hockey player, the twins were born in New York 19 years ago when their father was playing in the NHL.
Based in Falun, Sweden, for the past four years, Susanna first took up gymnastics before turning to the track, and after setting the fastest time by a junior for three years in the final here, equalling her semi-final performance, she seems certain to return to the United States now for her college career.
The day also saw India’s first ever global athletics medal at this level, when Seema Antil set a national junior record to win gold in the women’s discus with 55.27 metres with her last throw of the competition.
But on a day taken up mainly with preliminaries, the performances of three women gearing themselves up for formidable doubles caught the eye.
The Australian pair of Georgie Clarke (800m, which has its final on Friday, and 1500, with its final on Saturday) and Jana Pittman (400m hurdles on Saturday and 400m on Friday) both have chances of medal doubles.
But surely neither will be able to match the impressive form of Veronica Campbell.
The Jamaican 18-year-old, already the winner of the 100 metres gold here on Wednesday, stormed through her 200m quarter-final in 23.69sec, and could match her double gold haul from last year’s world youth championships if she manages to overcome the threat of Germany’s Sina Schielke in Saturday’s final showdown
