Spikes14 Jul 2017


The Nairobi Wrap I

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Kenyan fan IAAF World U18 Championships Nairobi 2017 (© Getty)

We're past the halfway mark of the IAAF World U18 Championships Nairobi 2017 and so far, it's been a cracker. Five sessions down, four to go, and we've had as many tears falling in the Kasarani Stadium as we've had raindrops. Here's what has the Kenyan crowds screaming for more. 

 Sealed with a kiss

  

Kenyans love their distance running, and so the women's 3000m final on Wednesday night was a race they badly wanted to win. With 100m to run, it looked like they were about to be granted their wish, with their leading lady Emmaculate Chepkirui holding the lead. But she had company, unwanted company, in the form of Ethiopia's Abersh Minsewo, who drew alongside in a party-pooping manner of police showing up to a 21st birthday party.

Arrested by fatigue, Chepkirui could offer nothing in response over the final metres, and the Ethiopian forged her way past for a memorable victory in 9:24.62, just 0.07 ahead of Chepkirui. Afterwards she knelt to kiss the track, a loving thank you for her finest hour. 

Cuban masterclass

 

Newsflash! The earth is round, the pope is catholic, and Cubans are still rather good at the long jump.

On Thursday night in Nairobi, their two-pronged assault on the boys' long jump final was carried off without a hitch, pre-event favourite Maikel Vidal soaring out to 7.88m to take gold. His younger teammate, Lester Lecay (above) – who is still only 15 – added a huge chunk to his lifetime best to take second with 7.79m. 

The 800m freestyle

 

The rain in Nairobi falls mostly on... the athletes. On Wednesday night the heavens opened and the Kasarani Stadium was subjected to an apocalyptic, save-me-I'm-drowning kind of downpour over the space of two hours.

Field event action was quickly postponed, but unfortunately for the 800m boys, they had to grin and bear it as they braved the elements on the two-lap tango. What followed was more akin to a swimming race than a track race, the blue surface in the Kasarani looking more like a pool than a track. It made for some great photos, though.

Timo time 

 

There's only one competition of Timo Northoff's entire career when his father, Tilman, was not in attendance. Turns out it was his best one.

The German 17-year-old was a class apart in the boys' shot put final on Thursday night, throwing a whopping lifetime best of 20.72m. He quickly gave credit to his old man, who first coaxed him into the sport at the age of 13 and has coached him ever since. His dad is a 19-metre thrower at his best (using the heavier senior shot), and still competes in club competitions in Germany, though it seems the family may now have a new alpha male. 

Cry me a river

 

Athletes love a good cry. Whether in victory or defeat, joy or sorry, nothing beats finally letting the dam burst on the emotions that have been bottling up for months as they chase their goals.

For Poland's Magdalena Stefanowicz, the tears of joy arrived despite defeat after she finished second by millimetres in the girls' 100m on Thursday night, breaking her PB with 11.62. She was beaten to gold by Turkey's Mizgin Ay, who also clocked 11.62, with Jamaican favourite Kevona Davis, who had been widely expected to take gold, having to settle for bronze after injuring her hamstring close to home. 

 Clinched it

 

Not to put any pressure on the young shoulders of Steven Fauvel Clinch, but the last French boy to win this title was Kevin Mayer, who went on to win an Olympic silver medal last year. Fauvel Clinch, it seems, has equally vast potential after turning in a commanding display over the two-day, 10-event competition.

His final tally of 7559 points was achieved despite just about every weather condition in history hitting the athletes during Wednesday and Thursday, and a re-shuffle of the timetable due to the downpours in the Kasarani. Magnifique.

 Sky rockets in flight 

 

Few sights in athletics compare to the simple, supreme power of a top javelin thrower unleashing a spear further than any of us can really comprehend, and on Thursday night the crowd were treated to another awesome exhibition.

China's Liu Zhekai took victory with a personal best of 77.54m, though he had it all to do to hold off Johannes Schlebusch of South Africa, who took silver with 75.68m. As for Latvia's Krisjanis Suntazs (above), he finished eighth with a best of 66.90m, but he did make for one of the best pictures of the week so far in Nairobi.