Kylie Neira Wins Surprise Bronze In Women's Pole Vault; U.S. Mixed 4x100 Relay Also Finishes With Bronze

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Keith Webber and Tim Healy Photos

INTERVIEWS

EUGENE – The United States won nine medals on Saturday evening at the World Athletics U20 Championships and the most unexpected came in the women’s pole vault final.

Kylie Neira, a freshman at Florida International who didn’t qualify for the NCAA Championships, made a first-attempt clearance at bar 10 centimeters over her personal best and earned a bronze medal at Hayward Field.

Neira went over 13 feet for the first time in February and Saturday she cleared 4.35m (14-3.25). 

"I don't even know how to explain it. I was not expecting that at all," said Neira, who came into the final ranked ninth out of 13 based on personal bests. 

Neira missed twice at 4.25m (13-11.25) before making the bar on her third attempt. She switched to a bigger pole as the bar went up 10 centimeters and made it with room to spare. Her first-attempt clearance paved the way to a medal because Australia's Jamison Harding missed twice at 4.35m before making it. 

While the U.S. was piling up medals in the hurdles and 200 meters, Neira’s pole vault medal and a bronze for the mixed 4x100 relay completed a busy and successful night for the team.

The U.S. now has 18 total medals with one day left. The next team in the medal count is Ethiopia with six.

Sunday's schedule, which runs from Noon to 3 p.m. Pacific, contains 15 finals and at least half a dozen solid medal opportunities for the U.S., which could realistically get to 25 or 26 total medals. 

The last time the meet was held at Hayward Field, in 2014, the U.S. won 21 medals. The all-time record for one county is 22 by the former Soviet Union in 1988. 

The mixed 4x100 relay got things started Friday evening. The brand new event saw the "world record" broken twice in the prelims and then Italy smashed it in the final, winning with 41.21. 

Great Britain finished second in 41.38 seconds. The United States subbed in Ava Kitchings on the anchor leg for Oregonian Aster Jones and the team finished right behind the Brits in 41.39. 

In the men's 400-meter hurdles, Miller Warme and Keenen Davis both advanced to Sunday's final. 

Natalie Dumas was not as lucky in her semifinal. She hit a hurdle coming off the final curve and crashed to the ground, ending her season. Fellow American Tatum Lynn was sixth in her semifinal and did not advance.

In what turned out to be a tactical women's 800 meters final, Ziva Remic of Slovakia controlled the early pace and then cut loose on the last lap and won in 2:03.03, just ahead of Ioulianna Rousseau of Greece (2:03.08) and Shaikira King of Great Britain (2:03.52). 

Union Catholic NJ's Paige Sheppard got boxed in on the second lap and was unable to keep up with the kickers. She finished seventh. 

<< Imad Bouchajda of Morocco outdueled Australia's Daniel Williams over the final 200 meters and won the men's 800 meters in 1:44.64. Williams is soon headed to begin school at Auburn. 

<< Nicole Krutilova of Czechia won the women's pole vault over Ukraine's Olha Belchenko after both made 4.40m (14-5.25).

<< Liam Belo Da Silva of Sweden won the men's decathlon with a world-leading 8,112 points. He was the top scorer in the discus and high jump. Mikai Snoek of The Netherlands took silver with 7,887 points and Adam Julis of Czechia got bronze with 7,877. 

<< Italy's Daniele Leonardo Inzoli won an entertaining men's long jump competition by one centimeter with 7.97m (26-1.75). Australia's Mason McGroder hit his best jump in the sixth round by it came up short with 7.96m. Shahnavaz Khan of India jumped to bronze with 7.84m. American Quincy Isaac was fourth with 7.79m.

<< Younes Ayachi of Algeria (gold), Basant of India (silver) and Otis Poole of Great Britain (bronze) all cleared 2.21m (7-3) in the men's high jump. 

<< In the women's 3,000 meters, Yordanis Tsigab and Shito Gumi gave Ethiopia a 1-2 finish. Tsigab ran a personal best 8:43.65 to win and Gumi was just behind in 8:45.06. Uganda's Charity Cherop, the 5,000-meter gold medalist, took bronze this time in 8:45.59.