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Nairobi, Sunday

Even before the final competition session yesterday, the World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi earned a  place in history books with two world U20 records, 11 Championship records, 7 Area U20 records, 49 national U20 records and 9 national senior records.

World Athletics chief executive Jon Ridgeon hailed the athletes, teams and organisers for their dedication and determination to make this a successful event despite the logistical challenges created by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“These championships have not just taken place, they have been highly successful,’’ Ridgeon said.

“We have all been so impressed with the range and depth of talent we have seen from these young athletes.

“The last World U20 championships (in Tampere in 2018) featured names like Armand Duplantis, Jakob Ingebrigtsen  and Peruth Chemutai among others, all Olympic champions just  three years later.

So it’s reasonable to think we’ve seen some of the Paris 2024 champions-to-be In Nairobi.”

“The next four years offers unprecedented opportunities for these future champions to move onto the senior World Championships  and Olympic Stages.

I’m really looking forward  to seeing many of these young champions rising through the senior ranks.”

Many of the younger athletes who have featured in Nairobi will also have the chance to compete at the next World Athletics U20 Championships, being held in Cali, Colombia next year.