Australia to Double Down on Day Two | PREVIEW World Under 20 Championships

A golden start to the 2024 World Under 20 Championships in Lima has Australia’s premier athletics prospects dialed in for Day Two, where Aleksandra Stoilova joins an exclusive club as a 100m finalist, while thrower Marley Raikiwasa and heptathlete Mia Scerri prepare to pounce on the podium.

Stoilova (NSW, Tevin Hester) shifted through the field late in yesterday’s semi-finals to secure her lane in the final by 0.01-seocnds, clocking 11.58 (-0.3). Becoming the first Australian woman to achieve the feat since Sally Pearson in 2004, the Clemson University product  is ready and raring to burn down the straight against the world’s fastest junior athletes.

The finals action flows into the field with Raikiwasa (SA, Patrick Ebel) and long jumper Amidzovski (NSW, Becky Amidzovski & Roger Farbi), who will light up the afternoon session alongside Stoilova.

Raikiwasa was prominent in yesterday’s Discus Throw Qualification, securing the fourth farthest distance with 52.47m ahead of the final, while Amidzovski qualified sixth in the long jump with a 6.09m effort in the third round.

Also set to contest the 100m Hurdles later in the program, Amidzovski is locked in on the runway for now:

“I expected to make the final, I was looking at the results from the last few years. We have been working on my explosiveness towards the board, my plan is to get that right first jump of the final and we will go from there,” Amidzovski said.

Heptathlete Mia Scerri (VIC, Rob Stevens & Ralph Newton) reflected positively on her opening day performance when nailing the first four of seven events to land in the bronze medal position on  3385 points, now hoping to solidify that on her preferred second day of the event - featuring the Long Jump, Javelin Throw and 800m.

“Day one is all about focussing on how many points I can get and getting as close to my seasons bests as possible. Day two is about starting fresh because anything can happen, it’s time to start from scratch,” Scerri said.

Leading the first-round action is teenage sensation Cameron Myers (ACT, Dick Telford) who makes his long-awaited Australian debut and will race to book a date with the 1500m Final, leading an Australian middle-distance onslaught which also features heats for Ada Rand (NSW, Ben Liddy, 1500m), Cleo Richardson (VIC, Gavin Burren, 1500m) and Toby Chippendale (QLD, Ben Norton, 3000m Steeplechase).

Ranked second in the 1500m as a 3:33.26 man and world Under 18 best holder, Myers will be joined by 17-year-old Daniel Williams (NSW, Andrew Rowlings) as the duo do battle for finals berths in what will be high stakes heats – with no semi-finals on the program as 43 is reduced to 15.

In the field, 2022 World Under 20 Championships bronze medallist in the triple jump Tiana Boras (VIC, Alwyn Jones) will look to make it back-to-back finals appearances, while the high-flying Mitchell Hatfield (NSW, Leanne Pejkovic) will be out to emulate his 2.13m personal best in the High Jump Qualification.

Buoyed by Australia’s world title in the Mixed 4x400m Relay on Day One, the quarter mile action rolls on with four athletes taking on the individual 400m, while a further three will contest the 400m Hurdles. Leading the charge over the flat are Terrell Thorne (QLD, Chris Dale) and Jemma Pollard (NSW, Tim Eschebach) who own personal bests of 46.80 and 52.97 respectively, set to be accompanied by Jett Grundy (QLD, Teague Peck) and Amelia Rowe (WA, Brian Pozzi).

Rolling over the sticks will be Alesha Bennetts (ACT, Matt Beckenham) and Siena Farrell (VIC, Daniel Martin) who should both give a strong account in the race for semi-finals berths, while Matthew Hunt (NSW, Ron Bendall) is well placed to replicate that feat for the men.

Australian viewers can tune in via World Athletics Inside Track Platform from August 27-31, with the livestream, timetable and live results available HERE.

By Lachlan Moorhouse, Athletics Australia
Posted 28/08/2024