Scandinavian stamina prevails in Lima on Thursday but Ed Bird flies to bronze to earn Britain’s first medal of these 2024 under-20 championships
Norway’s status as an endurance sports powerhouse continued in Lima, Peru, this week when Andreas Fjeld Halvorsen won the world under-20 title at 3000m.
The 18-year-old became the first European to win gold in either the men’s 3000m, 5000m or 10,000m in the 38-year history of these global junior championships.
Past winners of these distance running titles include Haile Gebrselassie in 1992 and Daniel Komen in 1994, although the 3000m has only been part of the programme since 2021.
In a month that saw fellow Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen shatter Komen’s world 3000m record with 7:17.55 in Poland, Fjeld Halvorsen looks poised to follow in his footsteps.
At the European Under-18 Championships two years ago he finished runner-up in the 1500m and 3000m to Niels Laros of the Netherlands. But in Lima on Thursday (Aug 29) he ran 8:20.56 to win a slower, tactical race ahead of Denis Kipkoech of Kenya (8:20.79) with Ed Bird of Britain third (8:21.00).
Ed Bird, Andreas Fjeld Halvorsen, Denis Kipkoech (World Athletics)
For Bird it was Britain’s first medal of these 2024 championships as he out-sprinted Ybeltal Gashahun of Ethiopian to snatch a podium place. The 19-year-old Brit had also won bronze at the European Under-18 Champs in the 3000m behind Laros and Fjeld Halvorsen two years earlier.
“I’m getting in the shape of my life now, these last days and weeks were great,” said Fjeld Halvorsen, who turns 19 next month. “I wanted to fight for the gold and that is exactly what I did. I’m grateful for everyone that helped me to do this and the ones that are going to help me get even further.”
Bird said: “It was perfect. I said in my plan I would hang around the back, get that inside lane and chill out. Every time the pace picked up I just found the gap to get through.
“I just kept going and going until we got to two laps to go, picked up got myself back. When the bell went I didn’t surge, I waited, down that back straight I started going and didn’t stop going.”
Lurdes Gloria Manuel (World Athletics)
The women’s 400m title in Lima went to Lurdes Gloria Manuel of Czechia in 51.29 as she convincingly saw off Canada’s Dianna Proctor (51.98) and USA’s Zaya Akins (52.00) as Britain’s Charlotte Henrich, 17, was seventh in 52.71.
Udeme Okon (centre) (World Athletics)
The men’s 400m was won by South Africa’s Udeme Okon in 45.69 as he beat US duo Jayden Davis (46.08) and Sidi Njie (46.29).
Sembo Almayew (World Athletics)
The women’s 3000m steeplechase was introduced into the programme in 2004 and on Thursday Sembo Almayew of Ethiopia beat Celliphine Chespol’s championship record with 9:12.71.
Loice Chekwemoi of Uganda ran 9:18.84 in second with Kenya’s Diana Chepkemoi earning bronze in 9:29.84.
Tom Tersek (World Athletics)
In the field, Tom Tersek of Slovenia, who is only 17, took the gold in the javelin with 76.81m with a final round effort.
Ethan Olivier (World Athletics)
Iosif Kesidis of Cyprus won the men’s hammer with 82.80m, Ethan Olivier of New Zealand took the men’s triple jump with 17.01m and Molly Haywood of the United States won the women’s pole vault with a best of 4.47m.
Molly Haywood (World Athletics)
Check out our new AW podcast here…
» Subscribe to AW magazine here
The post Norway’s Andreas Fjeld Halvorsen wins world junior 3000m gold appeared first on AW.