It was a massive day and night at the IAAF World U20 championships with nine Australian women on the track and field for Day 3 of competition.
Heptathletes Camryn Newton-Smith and Celeste Mucci had a busy day and evening with four events. They got the heptathlon underway with the 100m hurdles.
Newton-Smith was in the lead before she crashed the final hurdle with her trail leg and while she was able to stay on her feet, it cost her as she finished in sixth with 14.21 seconds, for 949 points.
Mucci won her heat in a time of 13.29 seconds and set the fastest time to lead the competition with 1081 points. It was also only 0.1 slower than her personal best time set at the Commonwealth Games in April.
WATCH - Events 1 and 2 in the Heptathlon
— IAAF (@iaaforg) July 12, 2018
Celeste Mucci of @AthsAust takes the 100m hurdles@niamhemerson of GBR tops the high jump
More to come #IAAFworlds pic.twitter.com/xmhsTZ6TXf
Then came the high jump where Mucci jumped to a personal best of 1.77m for 941 points while Newton-Smith was close to her best with a clearance of 1.65m.
The pair had to wait for the evening session before their next two events which were the shot put and 200m.
Mucci threw below her best in the shot put for 11.12 metres and ran 24.88 seconds for the 200m, to round out her day. Newton-Smith threw 11.34 in the shot put before finishing the day with a 25.59 second run in the 200m.
Mucci is in fourth place after day one of the heptathlon with 3523 points with fellow Australian sits in 20th with 3195 points.
“I was happy with my second fastest time for the hurdles and a PB in the high jump so they were the highlights of the day,” Mucci told Athletics Australia.
‘I got my second fastest time in hurdles and PB’d in high jump, so they were my two highlights for today,’ says Celeste Mucci of day one of the heptathlon here at World U20s #Tempere2018 pic.twitter.com/nKd4XUgvOB
— Athletics Australia (@AthsAust) July 12, 2018
“I had a rough afternoon session so I have to pick up a few points tomorrow where I can,” she said.
“I almost had a tumble in the hurdles, I can laugh about it now, but everything is a little off my best but I’m here and having a good time," Newton-Smith said.
“Hoping for a better day tomorrow and looking for a PB in the 800m.”
The heptathletes will contest the long jump, javelin and 800m in their final day of competition.
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