Australia’s first night at the World Athletics U20 Championships ended with a bronze medal and a national record for the 4 x 400m relay team of Dylan Ruming (NSW, Kate Lynch) 16, Xanthee Watts (QLD, Clinton Louis Watts), Fred Hamblin (Rob Marks and Ben Cavan), 18 and Charlotte McAuliffe (SA, Nik Hagicostas), 19, in Eugene, United States.
The bronze was won with a time of 3.18.45, with USA winning with a Championships Record and Czechia coming in second.
It was the second World Athletics U20 Championships medal for McAuliffe, she won a silver in the women’s 4x400m in Peru two years ago.
“We knew what we were capable of in this race, and we just had to execute it and run our best, which we were able to do,” she said.
“To come away with a medal is just really special.”
In the men’s 5000m Lucas Chis (VIC, Ben St Lawrence) 18, couldn’t hide his delight after running a PB by 13 seconds in the men’s 5000m with a time of 13.51.40l to finish 11th.
“I’m speechless,” he said.
“After I finished the race I looked up and smiled, I was so happy.
“I’ve worked so hard these past few months and to see it pay off, I’m just so happy”
Fellow Victorian Charles Barrett (VIC, Charlotte Wilson), 19, finished 22nd with a time of 14: 43.17.
In the women’s pole vault Jamison Harding (VIC, Mark Stewart) 16, qualified in equal second place for the final.
“I came in hoping to make the final and was quite relieved,” he said.
“Not that I’m in it, all I want is a PB, but now hopefully a medal.”
In the 100m semis Zavier Peacock (NSW, Michael Psarakis and David Peacock) 18, and Uwezo Lubenda (QLD, Gary Cairns) in the mens, and Zara Hagan (QLD, Christopher Dale) 19, and Maya Taber (NSW, Pete Galanopoulos), 17, all failed to qualify for the final in what was very tough competition.
Peacock, who finished sixth in his semi final with a time of 10.36, said the experience has made him hungry for more international success.
Lubenda finished 8th, Hagan 9th and Taber 6th in their semi finals.
“There are a lot of boys I competed with today that are running faster than me, so I need to go back to Australia and work on my craft a bit more,” he said.
“It’s really good to be out with these boys, they are all pro athletes, some of them are Olympic
athletes, so it’s just good to run with them and next time try to beat them.”
In what were tough conditions in Eugene, in the women’s 5000m Libby Mantay (QLD,Sharon Iselin), 17 and Imogen Baker (VIC, Peter Schuwalow) came in 25th and 26th respectively.
In the 3000m steeplechase Tessa Ebert (SA, Matthew Clarke ), 18, came 12th.
While in the field events in the discus Chelsy Wayne ( NSW Rowan Vergano) 18, and Riley-Jay Henry Purcell (QLD, Lucas Cannon) 18, didn’t qualify for the final.
Our other pole vaulter in the women’s pole vault Khushnoor Rangi (VIC, Bill Georgantas), 19 also came up short and didn’t make the final.
In the morning session all four of our 800m runners Daniel Williams (NSW, Andrew Rollings) 19, Harry Hallen (NSW, Gary Howard), Ivy Boothroyd (NSW) 19, and Emma Fryga (NSW, Roy Rankin) 17, all made it through to the semi-finals.
In by far the fastest head Williams came second with a time of 1.47.47, while Hallen also finished second to qualify with a time of 1.52.24.
“It was quicker than I expected, these first rounds are never as easy as you would imagine them to be,” he said.
“It was definitely a good shake up.”
Boothyroyd was elated at getting through to the semis.
“The stressful one for me was the heat and moving forward, now I can relax a bit more and enjoy the semi final,” she said.
“I’ve been working really hard for this, so I’m really excited for the next two nights.”
In the men’s hammer throw, Connor Hopgood (QLD, Matthew Symonds) 18 finished 18th in a field of 24 in the qualifying with a throw of 68.60m, while Xavier Leauma (TAS, Rachel Hosie) qualified sixth for the final with a throw of 71.77m.
That throw puts Leauma second on the all time U20 Australian list, and he thinks he can throw the hammer even further in the final.
“I felt a little nervous coming in, I had a few fouls in the warm up and then I put it all together in the end,” he said.
By Luke Dennehy, Australian Athletics,
Posted 6/8/2026
