World U20 100m champion, Bayanda Walaza clinched victory in the men’s 200m final on Friday, complementing his 100m title from earlier in the week, at the World Athletics U20 Championships Lima 24.
The South African sprint prodigy exceptional start propelled him from the blocks, ensuring an unassailable lead as he crossed the finish line in 20.52 (-0.7m/s).
Australia’s Gout Gout mounted a valiant challenge, surging towards the end to secure silver with a personal best of 20.60. The 16-year-old’s performance shattered his own area U18 record and national U18 benchmark. Great Britain’s Jake Odey-Jordan claimed bronze, clocking 20.81.
Walaza had previously contributed to South Africa’s silver medal-winning 4x100m relay team at the Paris Olympics earlier this month.
In the women’s 800m final, Kenya’s Sarah Moraa dominated from the outset, maintaining her lead to win with an impressive time of 2:00.36.
This victory caps a remarkable season for Moraa, who secured third place at the Kenyan Olympic Trials in June. Notably, Moraa is the cousin of world 800m champion Mary Moraa, who was fifth at the 2018 World U20 Championships.
Ethiopia’s General Berhanu Ayansa clinched victory in the men’s 800m final with a time of 1:46.86. Despite entering the competition with only the fourth-fastest personal best (1:45.45), Ayansa executed a perfectly timed finish to secure the gold medal.
Australia’s Peyton Craig finished in second in 1:46.95, while Japan’s Ko Ochiai, the Asian U20 champion and national U20 record-holder, was third in 1:47.03.
Ethiopia’s Aleshign Baweke triumphed in the women’s 3000m with a time of 8:50.32. Although Ethiopia had not won this event at the U20 Championships since 2016, their athletes were expected to excel in Lima, given their superior personal and season’s best times.
Kenya’s Marion Jepnegetich, who led for much of the race, was surpassed by Baweke in the final 200 metres. Baweke’s decisive move secured her the gold, while Jepnegetich earned the silver with a time of 8:52.37.
Marta Alemayo of Ethiopia claimed the bronze with a time of 8:53.64, ensuring a double podium finish for Ethiopia in this event and boosting the nation’s standing to second in the overall medal table.
