Taylor Campbell claims Britain’s first athletics medal in Naples with hammer bronze

Day two of the athletics at the World University Games belonged to fast starters in Naples as Dutee Chand and Paulo André Camilo were uncatchable right from the blocks in the 100m.

Camilo, who was part of the Brazilian 4x100m team which took gold at the IAAF World Relays in Yokohama in May, stormed to a time of 10.09 to win the men’s title by a clear margin.

South African Chederick Van Wyk’s fast finish showed he may be a serious contender for the 200m title later in the week as he ran 10.23 to take the silver while Camilo’s Yokohama team mate, Rodrigo Do Nascimento, took the bronze in 10.32.

Indian No.1 Chand was able to hold off fastest qualifier, Swiss athlete Ajla Del Ponte (11.33), and Germany’s European bronze relay medallist Lisa Kwayie (11.39), to take the women’s title in 11.32.

In the men’s 10,000m, South African Milton Mokofane Kekana negotiated hot conditions to break away over the last 500m from race favourite Hiroki Abe of Japan, winning in 29:29.43 to 29:30.01. Adriaan Wildschutt added another medal to South Africa’s tally, finishing third in 29:36.39.

In the field events, Ukranian Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk won the women’s long jump with a 6.84m leap ahead of Portugal’s Evelise Tavares Da Veiga with 6.61m and Romania’s Florentina Iusco with 6.55m, while Italian Daisy Osakue won the women’s discus with a personal best throw of 61.69m.

Taylor Campbell won Britain’s first athletics medal at this year’s Games, throwing a personal best of 73.86m to take bronze in the men’s hammer behind Turkish athlete Ozkan Baltaci with 75.98m and Ukranian Serhii Reheda with 74.27m.

Thank you ?? proudest moment of my life ? pic.twitter.com/b1ltYNaYyA

— Taylor Campbell (@TaylorLC1996) July 9, 2019

Campbell’s team-mate Mari Smith missed out on the 800m final by just two hundredths of a second.

German athlete Christina Hering finished strongly round the last bend to win the second semi-final in 2:03.36 ahead of Canadian Jenna Westaway’s 2:03.42 to deny the 2018 BUCS champion a place in the final as she ran 2:03.44 in third.

Results can be found here.

A day one athletics report is here.