Host nation win men’s 5000m and women’s 3000m titles on day two of the World Under-20 Championships in Nairobi, while 100m golds go to Botswana and Jamaica

There was barely any crowd to roar them home, but nevertheless Kenyan athletes put in inspired performances in the distance running finals on Thursday (Aug 19) at the World Under-20 Championships.

Benson Kiplangat took men’s 5000m gold for the host nation as he kicked past Ethiopian Tadese Worku on the last lap.

Worku had won the 3000m title the previous day and was not due to run the 5000m but he made a late decision to contest it after one of his team-mates withdrew.

Kiplangat clocked 13:20.37 ahead of Worku’s 13:20.65 as another Kenyan, Levy Kibet, was third in 13:26.01 – the three athletes battling it out for the medals in the closing stages after having earlier broken away from the rest of the field.

The women’s 3000m saw a similar East African battle with Teresiah Muthoni Gateri of Kenya producing a powerful finish to see off the challenge of Ethiopian Melknat Wudu to win in 8:57.78. On the last lap Wudu was passed by Zenah Jemutai Yego as well which made it a Kenyan one-two.

The second day of the championships saw the 100m finals too and Botswana took its first 100m medal of any kind at a global championship when Letsile Tebogo won the men’s gold with a strong finish.

The teenager clocked 10.19 (0.2) to beat Benjamin Richardson of South Africa (10.28) and Shainer Rengifo Montoya of Cuba (10.32).

Two days after celebrating her 17th birthday, Tina Clayton of Jamaica was an emphatic winner of the women’s 100m in 11.09 (-0.6).

Runner-up Beatrice Masilingi of Namibia, who reached the Olympic 200m final in Tokyo earlier this month, took silver in 11.39 as Switzerland’s Melissa Gutschmidt earned bronze in 11.51, marginally ahead of Praise Ofoku of Nigeria.

It was a difficult day for field eventers in particular after heavy rain caused the championships to be delayed mid-session.

Saga Vanninen led the heptathlon overnight and she sealed victory on Thursday with 5997 points. The Finnish athlete finished comfortably ahead of runner Pippi Lotti Lenok of Estonia (5746) and Szabina Szucs of Hungary (5674).

The 18-year-old added the world title to the European crown she won in Tallinn in July. Her second day performances included 49.22m in the javelin and 5.98m in the long jump.

Another 17-year-old won the women’s javelin title. Adriana Vilagos threw 61.46m in the first round which was enough to take gold by almost two metres from Elina Tzengko of Greece.

The men’s shot put, however, was won in the last round when Juan Carley Vazquez Gomez of Cuba threw 19.73m to take the title.