Zhoya, Mboma provide sprints masterclass at World Under-20 in Nairobi

NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 22 – Flamboyant, bubbly and charismatic French sprinter Sasha Zhoya produced a show stopping performance on the penultimate day of the World Under-20 Championships in Nairobi, breaking the 110m hurdles men’s record for the second time.

Zhoya didn’t bat an eylid all through the race as he focused his eyes on the finish line and smoothly glided past the hurdles to cross over in a World Under-20 Record of 12.72secs.

He thumped his chest, screamed in the air and bounced all over the track as he celebrated breaking his previous mark of 12.93secs set just a day earlier.

Vashaun Vascianna of Jamaica came home second clocking a personal best of 13.25secs to take silver while Polish athlete Jakub Szymanski took the bronze with a lifetime best of 13.43secs.

“I’m very happy with this time and I’m happy I could show everyone that yesterday wasn’t a fluke, because if you do a 12.93, it’s a very good time but I wanted to make sure people didn’t think it was just a one-time thing and I did that again today,” an excited Zhoya said after the race.

He added; “Now all I need to do is to replicate my junior performance to the senior category as I now focus into transiting into the seniors. Now I am really to tackle all the senior competitions slotted for 2022 including the World Championships in Oregon.”

Meanwhile in the women’s opposite, hot favourite Ditaji Kambundji from Switzerland saw his medal hopes dashed in the most heartbreaking fashion ever, as she clipped one of the hurdles before tripping and ending her race.

“I am so heartbroken but anyway that’s how sport is. It is not the end of the world and these things happen. It doesn’t mean it will not happen again in future. I started out so well and so fast. I had a lot of energy and that’s why I clipped the hurdle,” Kambundji told Capital Sports, tears balancing in her eyes.

World leader Ackera Nugent from Jamaica won the race to clinch gold in 12.95secs as Estonia’s Anna Maria Millend took the silver with 13.45. Hungarian Anna Toth earned bronze in a time of 13.58.

Nugent becomes the first Jamaican woman since Gillian Russel in 1992 to win the 100m hurdles at the World U20 Championships.

At the same time, Olympic silver medalist Christine Mboma continued her immense form with victory in the women’s 200m, leading compatriot Beatrice Masilingi to a Namibian 1-2 finish ahead of Nigeria’s Favour Ofili.

Mboma ran a superb race to crush Masilingi’s one-day old Championship record, clocking 21.84secs ahead of her compatriot who timed a new Personal best of 22.18secs. Ofili set a Nigerian national U20 record after clocking 22.23 to take the bronze.

“It feels amazing to win this just after being at the Olympic Games and winning silver. I am really confident and hopeful that I am able to do even better in future events,” Mboma said after the race.

In the men’s corresponding event, 18-year old Udodi Onwuzurike who is representing Nigeria for the first time in his career clinched gold.

He ran a Nigerian U20 record of 20.21, making him the country’s first 200m gold medalist at the World U20 Championships since 1996 when Francis Obikwelu won the sprint double.

Pre-championship favourite Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo settled for silver with 20.38 as South Africa’s Sinesipho Dambile took the bronze with a season’s best of 20.48.