2018 IAAF U20 World Championships

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2018 IAAF U20 World Championships tampere, finland

LSU had three representatives win world titles at the 2018 IAAF U20 World Championships. Damion Thomas (Jamaica/110m Hurdles), Jake Norris (Great Britain/Hammer Throw) and Mondo Duplantis (Sweden/Pole Vault) were the three world champions.

Thomas, the co-world record holder in the 110 meter hurdles at the 39-inch junior height with a 12.99, entered the meet as the favorite to claim gold. After easily qualifying in the preliminary rounds, Thomas clocked a time of 13.16 to claim his first-career world title in stunning fashion. He distanced himself from the field and ran to a 1-2 finish with his Jamaican teammate, Orlando Bennett (13.33).

Serving as a team captain for Great Britain, Norris bested his own national record with a personal-best heave of 80.65 meters (264-7) with the six-kilogram implement to claim Great Britain's first-ever male gold medal on the U20 level in the hammer throw.

The heavy favorite to win the pole vault competition, Duplantis only had to clear three heights to win his second-career world title with a meet-record clearance of 5.82 meters (19-1.00). It was Sweden's first ever male pole vault gold medal at the meet.

Photos courtesy of Felix Larsen.

Photos courtesy of Felix Larsen.

Photo on the left courtesy of Felix Larsen.

Lisa Gunnarsson (pole vault/Sweden) and JuVaughn Blake (high jump/USA) earned medals at the U20 meet in Finland. Gunnarsson, an incoming transfer from Virginia Tech, garnered silver with a clearance of 4.35 meters (14-3.25), and Blake registered the third-best clearance in LSU history with a final mark of 2.23 meters (7-3.75) to earn bronze in the high jump.

Soon to be a sophomore, Jurnee Woodward represented Team USA on the world stage in the 400 meter hurdles. A native a Vacaville, California, the hurdler advanced to the semifinal round and placed 12th overall. Katy-Ann McDonald, an incoming freshman and representative of Great Britain, made it through to the finals of the 800 meter run and finished sixth overall with a time of 2:04.28.

Four Nations Represented

Three U20 World Titles

Five Total Medals

Seven Representatives

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