Udeme Okon wins 400m to give South Africa gold No 2 at U20 world champs

Udeme Okon stunned the field as he overhauled two front-running Americans to win the 400m at the under-20 world championships in Lima, Peru on Thursday night (Friday morning SA time).

The 18-year-old grade 11 pupil from Florida Park High School in Johannesburg crossed the line in 45.69sec ahead of Jayden Davis (46.08) and Sidi Njie (46.29) to keep the title in South African hands after Lythe Pillay’s triumph in Colombia two years ago.

After three days of action South Africa was lying second on the medals table behind Ethiopia with two gold, one silver and a bronze.

Bayanda Walaza, the 100m king in Peru, will attempt to give the country a monopoly on the men’s sprint golds when he bids to win the 100-200 double on Friday night (1.47am Saturday morning).

Walaza, also 18, was the quickest in the semifinals on Thursday night (Friday morning SA time), winning his heat in 21.00sec, ahead of American Jaden Wiley in 21.04.

Third-fastest overall over Australian Gout Gout in 21.07.

Both Gout and Wiley had dipped under 21 in the morning heats, where the South African won his heat in 21.16.

The last time a sprinter won the men’s 100m and 200m crowns at the junior showpiece was at Annecy 1998, achieved by Christian Malcolm of Great Britain, who as a senior won a few world championship relay medals.

Nigerian Francis Obikwelu did the double at Sydney 1996 and Ato Boldon of Trinidad and Tobago at Seoul 1992.

In other action Temoso Masikane delivered the second-best effort in the long-jump qualifying round, landing on 7.87m to book his spot in Friday’s final.

The championships end on Saturday night.