Nick Vena (Morristown, N.J.) finished fourth in the shot put Wednesday night at the World Juniors championships in Moncton, New Brunswick, missing the medals by about a foot and a half.
The winner, in an upset, was Jacko Gill, a 15-year-old from Takapuna, New Zealand, who put a lifetime-best 68-1.5 with the 6-kilo (13.2 pounds) shot.
“I am thrilled,” Gill said. “I barely qualified for the final, and now I’m going home with the gold.
“I was the young guy coming into the competition and pleased to be able to pull this off since I’m one of the smaller guys in the field. “
Gill’s previous bests were 68-6 with the smaller 5k and 65-4.25 with the 6k, both set at home in March.
Vena put 64-8.5. Third place was 66-1. Athletes from Serbia and China took the silver and bronze.
The big moment for American fans Wednesday night came in the women’s 5,000 meters. While athletes from East Africa swept the medals, Emily Sisson (Millard North HS in Omaha, Neb.) finished sixth in 15:48.91 to break the national high school record. The previous record of 15:52.88 was set by Californian Caitlin Chock six years ago. (Chock went on to a brief and undistinguished college career.) Sisson is entering the University of Wisconsin in the fall.
The race was won by the Ethiopian Genzebe Dibaba, younger sister of world recordholder Tirunesh Dibaba, defeating Kenyan Mercy Cherono, 15:08-15:09. Leading with less than 100 meters to go, Cherono lost her footing and stepped inside the rail as Duibaba swept past.
“It’s not how I wanted to finish,” said Cherono, winner of the 3,000 on Monday. “I stumbled, and it cost me the race.”
The U.S. did not win either 100 final. The men’s race was won by Dexter Lee of Jamaica, the defending champion, over Jimmy Vicaut of France and Charles Silmon of TCU. The women’s was won by Britain’s Jodie Williams, who ran 11.40 into a headwind to defeat Takeia Pinckney of LSU. American Ashton Purvis faded in the second half and finished fourth, running 11.60. For the 16-year-old Williams, it was reported to be her 150th victory in a row.
In qualifying Wednesday evening, both U.S. men’s quartermilers moved on to the final. Josh Mance won his heat in 46.43, and Errol Nolan was second in his in 46.47. Kirani James of Grenada, the favorite, won his heat in 46.27. /JP/