World U20 Championships: Day 2 Kitching, Bond & Lightfoot star Again

3 August 2022

World U20 Championships: Day 2 Kitching, Bond & Lightfoot star Again

Two stunning PBs highlighted five tremendous performances by NSW athletes on day two at the World U20 Championships being held in Colombia.

In good form indicated by her terrific heat run, Hayley Kitching rose to a new level in her 800m semi-final destroying her previous best and progressing to the final. Running in heat one, she was in a good position most of the race, ensuring she was not boxed in and in a position to finish in the top-2 for automatic progression. She eventually was third, but her time was very quick and she qualified for the final. Hayley clocked 2:02.12, a 1.75 seconds PB and makes her now the number 7 Australian junior of all-time. It was also the second fastest time by an Aussie at the championship, noting we have previously won three medals. She races in the final at 9:10 am Thursday AEST.

After a late call up to run the individual 100m, Connor Bond has made the most of his opportunity to shine. In the semi-final he smashed his PB of 10.40, clocking 10.30. He very narrowly missed a place in the final by just 0.01 seconds, however the time was by far the fastest recorded by a Aussie at the junior championships and elevated him to number 6 Australia U20 all-time. It also just missed Matt Shirvington’s NSW U20 record of 10.29. He next races in the men’s 4x100m relay – where the team is a genuine medal prospect.

After coasting in the heat, Mitchell Lightfoot ended up in a very tough semi-final, where he placed third and had to wait on news if he was the fastest to qualify for the final. The good news was, his time of 13.57 was incredibly the fourth fastest and he gets another opportunity in the final. There is just hundredths’ of second separating fourth to seventh so anything could happen in this unpredictable event. The final is 9:25 am Thursday AEST.

In the 400m hurdles, Bella Guthrie smoothly progressed to the semi-finals winning her heat in a terrific time of 58.89. The semis will be tough with just one second separating second to 13th place as they all battle for the top-8.

Her sister Jasmin Guthrie was just as smoothly into the next round of the 400m clocking a comfortable 54.02 in the heat. She is ranked 14th overall which won’t mean much when they all line up even for the semis on Thursday morning.

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW

Image: Connor Bond (image courtesy of Getty images for Athletics Australia)