Alexandria Anderson (USA) in the heats of the women's 100m (© Getty Images)
The first session of the 11th IAAF World Junior Championships spun to a world class start this morning in hot and sunny conditions in the Chaoyang Sport Centre in the Chinese capital, when 19-year-old Estonian Margus Hunt in round one of the men’s Discus Throw (1.750kg) qualification (Group A) launched his implement to 66.35m, a World Junior record*.
The Estonian’s release obliterated the standing mark of Egypt’s Omar El-Ghazaly (65.88m, 7 July 2003).
Hunt, who celebrated his 19th birthday on 14 July this year, won the 2005 European Junior (62.19m) title last year in Kaunus and ended that season with a personal best and national junior record of 62.21m. He had previously twice improved his national junior record this year, and coming into these championships had a career best with the 1.750kg Discus of 64.32m (Tallinn on 6 July) with which he won his national junior championships.
“I didn’t expect a World record today,” confirmed an elated Hunt who was a sixth place finisher at these championships in 2004. “I am surprised it came so early. I hope I can do the same tomorrow (in the final).”
It would be a real surprise if Hunt’s hope is not fulfilled as the nearest qualifier to him today, also in Group “A” was Russia’s Nikolay Sedyuk with 60.43m. Heading qualifying group “B” was Romania’s Mihai Grasu with 58.38m.
Women’s Shot - All the top names through
Topping out the women’s Shot Put was another European medal hope, The Netherlands’ Melissa Boekelman with a release of 16.47m but this event is not so clear cut with all the rest of the major players from this year’s world season list including the three girls ahead of her this summer - German Denise Hinrichs (16.10m) and the Chinese Yingpan Liu (16.35m) and Li Li (15.69m) – all qualified. Also in the hunt for gold in tonight’s final will be World Youth champion Simoné Du Toit of South Africa (15.46m) who was the last of the automatic qualifiers (those over 15.40m).
British sprinters firing on all cylinders
Its very early in the men’s and women’s 100m sprints, with the semi-final stage coming this evening, Great Britain’s Wade Bennett-Jackson running a PB of 10.33 seconds in heat four of this morning’s ten first round races was the fastest qualifier. His compatriot the World Youth champion Harry Aikines-Aryeetey was the fourth quickest of the morning (10.45). Incidentally, Bennett-Jackson's great aunt is Olympic sprint medallist Grace Jackson.
Jamaica’s in form Remaldo Rose, the second fastest this summer (10.29) was also the second quickest here with a 10.40 clocking, while Australia’s Aaron Rouge-Serret was the real surprise speeding to the third fastest time of 10.43, which demolished his personal best of 10.60, and his 2006 fastest of 10.71. World season’s leader Willie Perry of the USA was well back in terms of overall time but was a comfortable winner of heat 7 in 10.58. Wind readings for the 10 heats were all assisting ranging form +0.1 m/s to +1.5m/s.
Anderson on course for title
USA’s Alexandria Anderson, Perry’s compatriot and the fastest junior women’s sprinter this year, by contrast matched her position in the opening round of the 100m. Anderson who has a personal best of 11.12 for this summer, sped to 11.35 win in heat 1, though was pressed hard home by Jamaica’s Carrie Russell (11.36 PB). The heat 5, heat 6, and heat 4 winners respectively Tezdzhan Naimova of Bulgaria (11.43), USA’s Gabby Mayo (11.43) and Lithuania's Lina Grincikaite (11.45 PB) were the next fastest overall.
Long Jump – firm Chinese gold medal hopes
A national junior record for Ecuador’s Hugo Chila (7.63m) was the fourth best mark of the men’s Long Jump qualification but as with the women’s dash the leading qualifier was this season’s best athlete, in this case China’s Xiaoyi Zhang. This 17-year-old marvel who leapt to an Area record of 8.17m on 23 April in Chongqing, and last month won the Asian Junior title, today flew to a 7.83m best. His nearest challenger for tomorrow night’s final would seem to be USA’s Antone Belt who jumped 7.73m this morning, and has a best of 7.85m this year. However, Australia’s Robert Crowther, who with a 7.99m PB is this year’s second best junior, was a confident automatic qualifier with 7.61m.
Another 17-year-old top qualfier today was Sudan’s World Youth champion Nawal El-Jack whose 52.49 run to head the women’s 400m first round qualifiers was impressive. But this is by no means a definitive indication of where the gold is heading this week. Also running with relative ease in the scorching sunshine was Jamaica’s Sonita Sutherland, the year’s quickest (51.13 PB), who was the only other runner under 53 seconds this morning with a time of 52.88.
45.91 wows
Trinidad and Tobago’s Renny Ouow of course wowed with his 45.91 in the men’s 400m which took the first heat victory and pulled second placed Julius Kirwa of Kenya to a 46.23 personal best but while marginally slower all the other heat winners also looked comfortable. Great Britain’s Martyn Rooney, the year’s fastest (45.35 PB) was the third quickest overall of the eight heats, when winning heat 3 in 46.25. Also looking relaxed was USA’s Justin Oliver whose 46.86 took the last heat.
The women’s Hammer Throw seems to be going to form like so many events on the first morning. The season’s two best athletes Russia’s Anna Bulgakova (67.79m) and Romania’s Bianca Perie (66.65m), respectively topped Groups “A” and “B” of the qualification round with 60.49m and 63.16m efforts. The top-two Chinese are also among the 12 qualified for the final Zheng Wang (59.28m) and Shuai Hao (60.79m), with Moldavia’s Zalina Marghiev (59.71m) throwing well.
Collins beaten but qualified
USA junior champ and fastest in the world this year Nicole Leach (55.35) won the third of four qualifying heats of the women’s 400m Hurdles in 57.27, but it was Nigeria’s Ajoke Odumosu who was the overall quickest topping out the fourth and final heat in 57.11, beating World Youth champion Ebony Collins (USA) into second place (57.35), who was also a qualifier. Jamaica’s Kaliese Spencer set the pace for the day winning the first heat in 57.49. Her compatriot Sherene Pinnock was the winner of the second qualifying race (57.39).
Chris Turner for the IAAF
Photographs from the morning session will follow when they become available.
NOTE
*pending ratification
