Silver, Bronze and 36 lifetime bests by the Australian Spark

Cassie Purdon (Qld) equalled her lifetime best of 1.85m with an impressive equal-fifth place in the high jump on the sixth and final day of the IAAF World Junior Championships, to cap one of our most successful ever team performances.

Purdon had briefly led the competition with first time clearances at earlier heights through to and including 1.85m before missing three times at 1.88m.

In the final events of the six-day program, the women’s 4 x 400m of Emily Lawson (VIC), Georgia Wassall (NSW), Georgia Griffith (VIC) and Samantha Lind (TAS), placed seventh in a time of 3.39.65, while the men’s team of James Kermond (NSW), Sam Reiser (Vic), Joshua Robinson (Qld), and Dan Forsyth (NSW) was sixth with 3.06.80.

Australia finished the championships with two medals, Cedric Dubler (Qld) won silver in the decathlon and the bronze of Georgia Wassall (NSW) in the 800m, but it was the depth that was impressive.

Twenty lifetime bests were set by the Australian teenagers over the six-days of competition. A further 16 personal bests were set by mutli-eventers in their individual events, as the team finished in 10th place overall, thanks to sixteen top 8 finishes.

Nina Kennedy (WA) equalled the Australian Under 20 and Under 18 records of 4.40m when placing fourth in the pole vault.

The overall placing performance was equal to our third-best ever, behind the teams of 1990, where the medallists included Catherine Freeman and Tim Forsyth, and the 1996 edition held in Sydney.

The US was outstanding as they scored twenty-one medals and 39 top eight placings, highlighted by wins in all four relays over the final two days.

Full session report of Day 6 and flash quotes

With thanks to Pat Birgan in Eugene