Adam Gemili of Great Britain wins his Men's 100 metres Final whereas Aaron Ernest (USA) is second, and Odean Skeen (JAM) has the third place on the day two of the 14th IAAF World Junior Championships in Barcelona (© Getty Images)
Adam Gemili with a supercharged midrace burst became the fourth Briton to win a coveted IAAF World Junior Championships 100 metres gold medal on a superb second night's programme in Barcelona's Olympic Stadium.
Gemili at the same venue where one of his idols Linford Christie won the 1992 Games gold medal over the distance, himself did it in magnificent style with a personal best time of 10.05, erasing the Championships record of 10.09 which Trinidad and Tobago's Darrrel Brown achieved in Kingston a decade ago.
The Briton's eyeballs out performance where he really erupted at the 60m point to draw away from the talented field, saw him drag the USA's Aaron Ernest and Odean Skeen of Jamaica, to lifetime best marks of 10.17 and 10.28.
Gemili who only emerged as a top flight sprinter this year after forsaking a football career and came to Catalonia as his country's quickest senior sprinter this year with a time of 10.08, followed in the footsteps of four past Brit gold medallists.
Now having emulated the feats of Christian Malcolm, Mark Lewis-Francis and Harry Aikines-Aryeetey he will be looking forward to reproducing another great race when representing Team GB at the Olympic Games on home territory in London next month.
"I am speechless," said Gemili. "I was really nervous ahead of the final. I never thought that would happen. I have worked very hard with my coach to get here. I am just happy now and the Olympic Games are a big bonus for a great season."
Strachan takes women’s gold for Bahamas
In the women's 100 few would have bet against Anthonique Strachan becoming Bahamas’ first ever 100m gold medallist after she produced an incredible semi-final performance clocking 11.68 into a headwind of -2.6m/s.
Less than an hour later the World leader lived up to everyone's expectations although as in her heat the previous day she had a terrible start and was the last out of the blocks before gaining her equilibrium.
That saw Strachan streak down the home straight and slice 0.02 off the previous fastest World time she set in March this year with a mark of 11.20.
World Number 4 Nimet Karakus from Turkey was a solid runner up in 11.36 while Brazil's Tamiris De Liz who set a PB of 11.42 to win her semi-final was 0.03 slower in taking the bronze medal.
Dezerea Bryant expected to be Strachan's main challenger failed to make the final. The American who was in Strachan's semi-final lost out when placing third in a photofinish with Canada's Khamica Bingham who went on to miss the bronze medal by 0.01 with a PB 11.46.
Decathlon Delight
Gunnar Nixon clinched the Decathlon gold medal after a very tense 1500m contest where he had to defeat Jake Stein by 15 seconds to become the first ever American gold medallist.
Both multi-eventers produced their fastest ever metric mile times but a vastly superior Nixon ran 4:22.36 while his Australian rival more suited to the strength events recorded only 4:46.05 to surrender his lead.
Nixon's USA record score and 2012 World leader saw him total 8018 points while Stein claimed an Australian record with 7951pts and Dutchman Tim Dekker took the bronze medal scoring 7815pts.
The final build up to the grand finale began with the Pole Vault at midday where Nixon thanks to a 4.50m effort went into the overall lead with 6539pts but by only one ahead of Dekker who cleared 4.20m. Stein vaulted only 3.80m for a tally of 6425pts.
In the javelin Stein with a big PB 69.61m - a three metres improvement - was back in the driving seat on 7308pts as Nixon after a 56.25m effort moved on to 7222 pts with Dekker who massively improved his personal best by over seven metres sitting third on 7099pts.
It made for an exciting finish after two days of action where the lead had almost continuously changed. After all the exertions Nixon proved himself on this occasion the better man.
Another gold for Jacko
Jacko Gill duly defended his Shot Put title but the script thanks to an interruption from Krzysztof Brozowski didn't go completely as planned before his victory.
Gill after setting a Championships record of 21.50m in the previous day's qualifier promptly lifted it even further achieving a distance of 21.74m with his very first attempt. But the pendulum quickly swung against him.
Brozowski who had inflicted a rare defeat on the New Zealander at the 2010 Youth Olympics where he set an age best record, responded with a Polish record of 21.78m.
Gill's response was immediate and enormous. The Kiwi put every ounce of effort into his second round throw to raise the event record yet again with the Championships first ever 22 metres plus performance of 22.19 in its history. As Brozowski went off the boil with two no throws, the gold medal forecast was being enacted.
Gill had a further three puts over 22m from Brozowski whose form tapered off while Damien Birkinhead took the bronze medal with an Australian record of 21.14 in the fifth round.
"It is fantastic to win in a row the third time the gold medal," said Gill following his Moncton success and World Youth win in Lille last year. "I tried to break the World record so I am a little disappointed that it did not happen today. My next big goal will be the World Championships in Moscow in 2013."
Impressive Finale in women’s Javelin
Sweden's Sofi Flinck after her great rival Shiying Liu was unable to take her last two attempts in the javelin, produced a blockbursting last round effort of 61.40m to win Sweden's first ever medal in the event.
Flinck was lying behind her Chinese rival who threw 59.20m in the second round and then had two no throws before withdrawing from taking her two last attempts and Serbia's Marija Vucenovic (57.12m), before triumphantly claiming her victory.
"This is amazing," said Flinck who in the prelimary rounds went to World Number2 behind Liu when they threw 58.16 and 58.47. "I did not expect the result to turn out this way. I just tried to concentrate on what I do best."
Sergey Morgunov after his massive World Junior Long Jump record of 8.35m last month duly delivered the goods - and very early in the first round - with a clearance of 8.09m.
With none of his rivals having cleared the eight metres barrier this year, the Russian was never under any pressure which worked in his favour when producing four no jumps before ending the competition with a clearance of 7.93m.
That mark was further than the Danish record of 7.82m which Andreas Trajkovski posted with his final attempt for second spot. The USA's Jarrion Lawson took the bronze medal with 7.64m.
Photo finish in 5000m final
On the track World leader Buze Diriba won the 5000 ahead of fellow Ethiopian Ruti Aga in a race which never developed until just before 3000m after two really slow kilometre splits of 3:18.16 and 3:13.56.
The finish to the race suggested the pair were trying to dead heat but Diriba got her chest ahead on the line to win by 0.01 in 15:32.94 with her team-mate after such a close defeat being rewarded with a personal best by almost half a minute.
Kenya's Agnes Tirop took third place in her fastest ever time of 15:36.74 over a distance where remarkably the highly talented East African nation has never won a gold medal.
In contrast their northerly neighbours provided a sixth champion with Diriba following in the footsteps of Sule Utura and Genzebe Dibaba making it three successive victories for them.
Qualifying rounds…
In the qualifying events the men's 400 semi-finals saw Luguelin Santos of the Dominican Republic the World's third fastest ever performer and this year's global leader with a time of 44.45 back in confident form after surprisingly losing out in his heat to Javier Francis.
Santos demonstrating a no-nonsense approach on this occasion whipped around his one lap of the track to record the second fastest time of the night of 45.98 and dragging Australia's Steven Solomon who clocked 46.07 into the final.
Francis after setting a PB 46.31 when scalping Santos improved even further to 46.06. But although the time identified the Jamaican as a medal prospect in the final he fell to the sword of Aldrich Bailey.
Bailey second behind Santos in the World rankings laid down his claim for the title with an effortless 45.79 and with last year's World Youth champion Arman Hall winning his semi in 46.42, the USA is potentially on course for two podium finishes.
There will be a ninth competitor in the final after Alphas Kishoyian was given a time trial run by race officials. In his semi the starter fired the gun when the Kenyan was not steady in the set position and although there was no protest a re-run was organised.
Kishoyian the World Number 7 this summer didn't disappoint himself or his supporters when beating the time of 46.49 by 0.03 which Russia's Nikita Uglov achieved as the eighth fastest qualifier for the final.
World leader Yordan L.O'Farrill may have ran an almost perfect 110m hurdles semi-final but knows he cannot afford to rest on his laurels particularly with Wilhem Belocian beginning to realise his vast potential.
O'Farrill with a near precision display and only 0.01 shy of the time of the 13.27 he posted in San Salvador 10 days earlier, suggested he can follow in the footsteps of former Cuban champions Reinaldo Quintero, Yoel Hernandez and Yunier Hernandez.
But Belician his tail wagging positively after lowering his personal best to 13.63 in his qualifier, then produced a blistering run and last year's World Youth bronze medallist was rewarded with a new French record of 13.30.
The pair may have stood head and shoulders over the opposition in the semis but Australian Nicholas Hough who won his race in 13.49 and World Number2 James Gladman of Great Britain runner up behind Belocian in 13.37, will almost certainly lift their game.
The men's high jump qualifier went almost as expected with four of the top ranked six making progress although third positioned Venezuelan Eure Yanez (2.14m) and Number 6 Christoffe Bryan (2.10) of Jamaica fell by the wayside.
However the other four World leader Ryan Ingraham from the Bahamas, Belarus’ Andrei Churyla, Dmitry Kroyter of Israel and Russia's Ilya Ivanyuk all progressed with clearances of 2.17m.
David Martin for the IAAF
Gemili at the same venue where one of his idols Linford Christie won the 1992 Games gold medal over the distance, himself did it in magnificent style with a personal best time of 10.05, erasing the Championships record of 10.09 which Trinidad and Tobago's Darrrel Brown achieved in Kingston a decade ago.
The Briton's eyeballs out performance where he really erupted at the 60m point to draw away from the talented field, saw him drag the USA's Aaron Ernest and Odean Skeen of Jamaica, to lifetime best marks of 10.17 and 10.28.
Gemili who only emerged as a top flight sprinter this year after forsaking a football career and came to Catalonia as his country's quickest senior sprinter this year with a time of 10.08, followed in the footsteps of four past Brit gold medallists.
Now having emulated the feats of Christian Malcolm, Mark Lewis-Francis and Harry Aikines-Aryeetey he will be looking forward to reproducing another great race when representing Team GB at the Olympic Games on home territory in London next month.
"I am speechless," said Gemili. "I was really nervous ahead of the final. I never thought that would happen. I have worked very hard with my coach to get here. I am just happy now and the Olympic Games are a big bonus for a great season."
Strachan takes women’s gold for Bahamas
In the women's 100 few would have bet against Anthonique Strachan becoming Bahamas’ first ever 100m gold medallist after she produced an incredible semi-final performance clocking 11.68 into a headwind of -2.6m/s.
Less than an hour later the World leader lived up to everyone's expectations although as in her heat the previous day she had a terrible start and was the last out of the blocks before gaining her equilibrium.
That saw Strachan streak down the home straight and slice 0.02 off the previous fastest World time she set in March this year with a mark of 11.20.
World Number 4 Nimet Karakus from Turkey was a solid runner up in 11.36 while Brazil's Tamiris De Liz who set a PB of 11.42 to win her semi-final was 0.03 slower in taking the bronze medal.
Dezerea Bryant expected to be Strachan's main challenger failed to make the final. The American who was in Strachan's semi-final lost out when placing third in a photofinish with Canada's Khamica Bingham who went on to miss the bronze medal by 0.01 with a PB 11.46.
Decathlon Delight
Gunnar Nixon clinched the Decathlon gold medal after a very tense 1500m contest where he had to defeat Jake Stein by 15 seconds to become the first ever American gold medallist.
Both multi-eventers produced their fastest ever metric mile times but a vastly superior Nixon ran 4:22.36 while his Australian rival more suited to the strength events recorded only 4:46.05 to surrender his lead.
Nixon's USA record score and 2012 World leader saw him total 8018 points while Stein claimed an Australian record with 7951pts and Dutchman Tim Dekker took the bronze medal scoring 7815pts.
The final build up to the grand finale began with the Pole Vault at midday where Nixon thanks to a 4.50m effort went into the overall lead with 6539pts but by only one ahead of Dekker who cleared 4.20m. Stein vaulted only 3.80m for a tally of 6425pts.
In the javelin Stein with a big PB 69.61m - a three metres improvement - was back in the driving seat on 7308pts as Nixon after a 56.25m effort moved on to 7222 pts with Dekker who massively improved his personal best by over seven metres sitting third on 7099pts.
It made for an exciting finish after two days of action where the lead had almost continuously changed. After all the exertions Nixon proved himself on this occasion the better man.
Another gold for Jacko
Jacko Gill duly defended his Shot Put title but the script thanks to an interruption from Krzysztof Brozowski didn't go completely as planned before his victory.
Gill after setting a Championships record of 21.50m in the previous day's qualifier promptly lifted it even further achieving a distance of 21.74m with his very first attempt. But the pendulum quickly swung against him.
Brozowski who had inflicted a rare defeat on the New Zealander at the 2010 Youth Olympics where he set an age best record, responded with a Polish record of 21.78m.
Gill's response was immediate and enormous. The Kiwi put every ounce of effort into his second round throw to raise the event record yet again with the Championships first ever 22 metres plus performance of 22.19 in its history. As Brozowski went off the boil with two no throws, the gold medal forecast was being enacted.
Gill had a further three puts over 22m from Brozowski whose form tapered off while Damien Birkinhead took the bronze medal with an Australian record of 21.14 in the fifth round.
"It is fantastic to win in a row the third time the gold medal," said Gill following his Moncton success and World Youth win in Lille last year. "I tried to break the World record so I am a little disappointed that it did not happen today. My next big goal will be the World Championships in Moscow in 2013."
Impressive Finale in women’s Javelin
Sweden's Sofi Flinck after her great rival Shiying Liu was unable to take her last two attempts in the javelin, produced a blockbursting last round effort of 61.40m to win Sweden's first ever medal in the event.
Flinck was lying behind her Chinese rival who threw 59.20m in the second round and then had two no throws before withdrawing from taking her two last attempts and Serbia's Marija Vucenovic (57.12m), before triumphantly claiming her victory.
"This is amazing," said Flinck who in the prelimary rounds went to World Number2 behind Liu when they threw 58.16 and 58.47. "I did not expect the result to turn out this way. I just tried to concentrate on what I do best."
Sergey Morgunov after his massive World Junior Long Jump record of 8.35m last month duly delivered the goods - and very early in the first round - with a clearance of 8.09m.
With none of his rivals having cleared the eight metres barrier this year, the Russian was never under any pressure which worked in his favour when producing four no jumps before ending the competition with a clearance of 7.93m.
That mark was further than the Danish record of 7.82m which Andreas Trajkovski posted with his final attempt for second spot. The USA's Jarrion Lawson took the bronze medal with 7.64m.
Photo finish in 5000m final
On the track World leader Buze Diriba won the 5000 ahead of fellow Ethiopian Ruti Aga in a race which never developed until just before 3000m after two really slow kilometre splits of 3:18.16 and 3:13.56.
The finish to the race suggested the pair were trying to dead heat but Diriba got her chest ahead on the line to win by 0.01 in 15:32.94 with her team-mate after such a close defeat being rewarded with a personal best by almost half a minute.
Kenya's Agnes Tirop took third place in her fastest ever time of 15:36.74 over a distance where remarkably the highly talented East African nation has never won a gold medal.
In contrast their northerly neighbours provided a sixth champion with Diriba following in the footsteps of Sule Utura and Genzebe Dibaba making it three successive victories for them.
Qualifying rounds…
In the qualifying events the men's 400 semi-finals saw Luguelin Santos of the Dominican Republic the World's third fastest ever performer and this year's global leader with a time of 44.45 back in confident form after surprisingly losing out in his heat to Javier Francis.
Santos demonstrating a no-nonsense approach on this occasion whipped around his one lap of the track to record the second fastest time of the night of 45.98 and dragging Australia's Steven Solomon who clocked 46.07 into the final.
Francis after setting a PB 46.31 when scalping Santos improved even further to 46.06. But although the time identified the Jamaican as a medal prospect in the final he fell to the sword of Aldrich Bailey.
Bailey second behind Santos in the World rankings laid down his claim for the title with an effortless 45.79 and with last year's World Youth champion Arman Hall winning his semi in 46.42, the USA is potentially on course for two podium finishes.
There will be a ninth competitor in the final after Alphas Kishoyian was given a time trial run by race officials. In his semi the starter fired the gun when the Kenyan was not steady in the set position and although there was no protest a re-run was organised.
Kishoyian the World Number 7 this summer didn't disappoint himself or his supporters when beating the time of 46.49 by 0.03 which Russia's Nikita Uglov achieved as the eighth fastest qualifier for the final.
World leader Yordan L.O'Farrill may have ran an almost perfect 110m hurdles semi-final but knows he cannot afford to rest on his laurels particularly with Wilhem Belocian beginning to realise his vast potential.
O'Farrill with a near precision display and only 0.01 shy of the time of the 13.27 he posted in San Salvador 10 days earlier, suggested he can follow in the footsteps of former Cuban champions Reinaldo Quintero, Yoel Hernandez and Yunier Hernandez.
But Belician his tail wagging positively after lowering his personal best to 13.63 in his qualifier, then produced a blistering run and last year's World Youth bronze medallist was rewarded with a new French record of 13.30.
The pair may have stood head and shoulders over the opposition in the semis but Australian Nicholas Hough who won his race in 13.49 and World Number2 James Gladman of Great Britain runner up behind Belocian in 13.37, will almost certainly lift their game.
The men's high jump qualifier went almost as expected with four of the top ranked six making progress although third positioned Venezuelan Eure Yanez (2.14m) and Number 6 Christoffe Bryan (2.10) of Jamaica fell by the wayside.
However the other four World leader Ryan Ingraham from the Bahamas, Belarus’ Andrei Churyla, Dmitry Kroyter of Israel and Russia's Ilya Ivanyuk all progressed with clearances of 2.17m.
David Martin for the IAAF
