Qatar’s Abdalelah Haroun, a World Indoor silver medallist, won the 400m with a season’s best timing of 44.81 at the IAAF World Under-20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland, on Friday. It was a great run from the 19-year-old Qatari, who pushed US’ Will London and Karabo Sibanda of Botswana to second and third positions, respectively.
India’s Neeraj Chopra won the javelin throw gold with a new world record (U-20 category) of 86.48m.
South African Johan Grobler (80.59m) took the silver and Anderson Peters (79.65m) of Granada the bronze.
Neeraj began the proceedings with an effort of 79.66m that put him second place after the first round behind Grobler who had touched 80.59m with his opening effort. The Indian came up with his massive throw on his second attempt that measured a new world record distance. The previous record of 84.69m was set by Latvia’s Zigismunds Sirmais in 2011.
The Indian thrower then came up with another impressive effort that measured 78.36m while his fourth and last attempt ended in a foul.
Hailing from the country’s northern state of Haryana, Neeraj had served notice of his prowess in December last year when he set a world leading distance of 81.04m to win the Inter-Varsity Championship gold in Patiala. After narrowly missing the Olympic qualification mark by 77 cm, Neeraj has now made amends with his sensational feat.
Chopra’s mark added nearly two metres to the previous record of 84.69m. It also smashed his own senior Indian record.
“I was hoping to improve, but I never expected to throw over 86 metres and break the world U20 record,” said Chopra. “My ultimate target this year was to qualify for the Olympics, but I didn’t make it. My other goal was to win at the World U20 Championships.”
With two men beyond 80 metres and all three medallists beyond 79m, it was the best quality podium finish ever in this discipline at the IAAF World U20 Championships, which concluded yesterday.
In the 400m, it was the start that helped the talented Qatari to take a winning lead, and he never let that advantage go.
“It’s the first time I started a race so fast. I almost killed myself in this race but now I’m very happy,” said Haroun.
He was given a good challenge by Sibanda, who was drawn one lane inside Haroun in the final.
The Qatari began quickly as he tends to do. Sibanda kept pace with Haroun and was neck-and-neck with the 19-year-old heading into the home straight but then he began to toil.
“I went all out in the first 200m and in the last straight I felt dizzy. I couldn’t see anything in the last 50 metres,” said Sibanda, who faded back into third in 45.45.
US junior champion London ran the most even-paced race of the three medallists, picking off Sibanda in the closing metres to claim the silver
medal in 45.27.