Akpe-Moses looks for positives

GINA AKPE-MOSES was the star performer for the Irish on the third day of action at the World U20 Championships in Tampere yesterday, the Dundalk sprinter finishing eighth in the women’s

100m final in 11.64, a race won by Jamaica’s Briana Williams in 11.16, WRITES CATHAL DENNEHY.

Earlier in the day, Akpe-Moses (right) had earned her spot with an 11.51 clocking to finish third in the semi-final, but she couldn’t quite reproduce that in the final.

“It was probably the worst one yet, I over-thought it and let it get to my head,” she said. “I know I’m good enough to be at worlds so I’ll take that as a positive and go from here.”

Ciara Neville bowed out of the 100m after finishing fifth in her semi-final in

11.70, and she will now join Akpe-Moses along with U-18 sprinters Rhasidat Adeleke and Patience Jumbo-Gula in the

4x100m heats this evening.

Aaron Sexton produced a breakthrough performance in the men’s 200m heats, the 17-year-old clocking a lifetime best of 21.06 to advance in fourth place. However, he couldn’t quite reproduce that in the semi-final, where he was drawn in the outside lane, and he was eliminated after running 21.33 for fifth.

“In lane eight I was running blind so I had to give it my all,” he said. “It wasn’t my best start and having two races in one day, I felt it a little towards the end. It’s not what I wanted, but I’m happy with the PB anyway.”