There was no golden hat-trick for Jake Heyward this summer as he battled to finish just outside the medals in the 1500 metres final at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Tampere.
The Cardiff University student had hoped to follow up his European Youth U18 title for the metric mile in 2016, and his Euro Junior success last year in Grosseto, with a third medal in Finland, but in a stacked race he had to settle for fourth place in 3.43.76 – the fourth fastest time of his career.
“Everyone will know I’m gutted right now,” said 19-year-old Heyward. “Going in there I knew the field would be stacked.
“There’s the World Indoor Champion and age group champions and national record holders and I believed I could be up there it just didn’t quite come together in the end.
“I made one mistake before the bell and I just couldn’t get that ground back. I kept fighting until the end and all I could do was give it everything.
“Overall I’m very happy with how I ran. Sometimes it works out and other times it doesn’t that’s just the nature of the sport.
“It means the world to be here. When you see the start lists and the calibre of athletes that win medals here and go on to do well in their senior careers, it’s a huge stage. I’m someone who runs a race to win it but I haven’t managed to do that today.”
This event has been dominated by the African nations since the championships began in Athens in 1986 and it was no surprise to see Kenya carry off the gold to make it 16 out of 17 titles for African athletes.
Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen ran a brilliant race to split the two Kenyans, the champion George Manangoi and bronze medallist Justus Soget, and Heyward battled down the home straight to pick off the world indoor champion, Samuel Tefera, on the line.
With a best time of 3.31.63 this year, the Ethiopian athlete went into the final as one of the red hot favourites and, on paper at least, three seconds faster than any of his rivals. He won his heat in 3.44.48 and led at 700 and 1100 metres.
But when the race for the medals began to heat up at the bell he found the two Kenyans and Ingebrigtsen forging past him. Heyward had run intelligently up to that point, hugging the inside line and staying in touch with the leaders, but found himself vulnerable as the big guns mounted their challenge coming into the final lap.
As the Kenyans hit the front, only the Norwegian was able to keep pace with them and Heyward had to try to close the gap from behind. Manangoi won the World Youths U18 title last year and showed a fine turn of speed in the home straight to add another gold to his collection.
Hiis older brother Elijah, now 24, has been one of the world’s best 1500 runners since 2015 and won a silver medal at the 2015 World Championships. Now he will need to keep a close eye behind him on his sibling.
Ingebrigtsen managed to split the Kenyans with a brilliant finish and became the first European athlete to win a medal in this event since Germany’s Wolfram Muller struck silver in 2000. As for Heyward, his was the best finish at the championships by a British athlete since Johan Boakes won the bronze medal 32 years ago.
World Junior Championships 1500 metres Final
1 George MANANGOI KEN 3:41.71
2 Jakob INGEBRIGTSEN NOR 3:41.89
3 Justus SOGET KEN 3:42.14
4 Jake HEYWARD GBR 3:43.76
5 Samuel TEFERA ETH 3:43.91
6 Elzan BIBIC SRB 3:44.65
7 Oussama CHERRAD ALG 3:45.17
8 Sondre JUVEN NOR 3:45.40
9 Birhanu SORSA ETH 3:45.47
10 Cooper TEARE USA 3:46.18
11 Callum DAVIES AUS 3:46.35
12 Robin VAN RIEL NED 3:48.65