Jelena Stina will never lift her arms before crossing the finishing line ever again.
The Latvian had launched a brave burst for golden glory with 250 metres remaining of the women’s 1500 metres final, and had left her African rivals for dead.
But as Stina started to gasp for breath in the final 50 metres, so Alem Techale, of Ethiopia, and Kenya’s Joyce Jepkosgei Musungu began closing on her, stride by stride.
Stina still had not been passed a metre before the line, and she started to raise her arms in celebration. But it turned to a gesture of despair as Techale sneaked through on her inside to take the title by just 0.02sec, in 4:17.41, a personal best.
Musungu, in third, also set a personal best with 4:17.65, as did a third east African, Lemlem Bereket, from Eritrea, who had been left short of speed in the final sprint to the finish.
Naomi Kipkemboi, the other Kenyan in the final, had set the early pace, through 400 in an unreasonably quick 64.73 and 800 in 2:17.61, reaching the bell in 3:11.30 to set up the thrilling last lap.
But if the World Youth Championships are about anything, they are there to teach the most talented athletes fundamental lessons in competition. Ask Jelena Stina.
