The five-day IAAF World Youth Championships will come to climax on Saturday at Olimpiyskyi Regional Sports Complex in the Ukrainian city of Donetsk. But team Uganda will return home medal less. The country’s hopes of earning a podium finish ended as early as Friday.
Triple jumper Felix Watmon leaped over a distance of 14.46m and finished a distant 12th position in Group One hence failing to make the final which was due Saturday. There was no African jumper who made the final 12-man list.
USA’s Keandre Bates jumped furthest, a distance of 15.7m while Cuban Lázaro Martinez (15.48m) and homeboy Pavlo Beznis (15.37m) qualified in second and third position.
The 16-year-old Watmon, also the Rwenzori-USPA personality of March after having won a silver medal at the inaugural African Youth Track And Field Championships held in Nigeria, was Uganda’s last athlete taking part at the event.
Stella Chesang had earlier finished fourth in the 3000m final while Racheal Chebet failed to make the 1500m finals on tournament day one.
8th IAAF World Youth Athletics Championships – Ukraine
Triple Jump – Group 1 Results
1. Keandre Bates (USA) 15.70m
2. Lázaro Martinez (CUB) 15.48m
3. Pavlo Beznis (UKR) 15.37m
12. Felix Watmon (UGA) 14.66m