The 17th edition of the biennial World U20 Athletics Championships has concluded in Tampere, Finland.
The 54-strong Australian Team had a fantastic championships, topped off with a silver medal in the women’s 4x400m relay in the final session on Sundaynight.
Australia finished with five medals, two gold and three silver, to be placed seventh on the medal table. Kenya topped the medal table with six gold and 11 medals in total.
On the Championships placing table, which shows the depth of a nation’s results by awarding 8 points for 1st place and 1 point for 8th, Australia finished on 71 points, ranked eighth.
The placing table confirms this is the best performance by an Australian World U20s Team since 1996, when Australia hosted the event in Sydney.
Australian medallists:
GOLD – Ashley Moloney (QLD) – decathlon
3:23:53 – final event of Decathlon, Moloney crowned official winner by commentator, 3:32:00 – final results displayed)
GOLD – Nash Lowis (QLD) – men’s javelin
(https://www.youtube.com/watch
SILVER – Gary Haasbroek (VIC) – decathlon
SILVER – Carley Thomas (NSW) – women’s 800m
SILVER – Ella Connolly (QLD), Cara Jardine (QLD), Jemima Russell (VIC), Carley Thomas (NSW) – women’s 4x400m relay
This was the first time Australia has gone 1-2 in the same event at a major championship since the Mexico 1968 Olympic Games. It is also the first gold medal in the decathlon and men’s javelin at a World U20s.
Some of these athletes will now look to senior teams for the 2019 or 2021 World Championships, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022.
