Masilingi clinches silver
…Mboma in action today
Going into yesterday’s thrilling women’s 100m final of the ongoing World Athletics U/20 Championships in Kenya, Namibians were assured of scooping a medal and had no worry what colour it would be – and the country’s sprint sensation Beatrice Masilingi superbly got the job done.
It was a rain-soaked final in Kenya’s capital Nairobi when the crème de la crème of the world’s junior sprinters lined up for a stake at the podium, and a well-composed Masilingi endured it all to clinch a silver medal in a time of 11.39 seconds.
She finished 30 nanoseconds behind winner Tina Clayton of Jamaica, who powered to the finish line in an astonishing new personal best time of 11.09 seconds, while Switzerland’s Melissa Gutschmidt rounded off the podium places with her time of 11.51 seconds.
Namibia’s young sprint ace on Wednesday clocked a superb and much-faster 11.35 seconds to win the second semi-final to advance to yesterday’s final, which again saw her stamp her authority on the international athletics course.
Masilingi was the most impressive in her heat when she stormed to victory in a new national U/20 record time of 11.20 seconds.
She will again be back in action today in the women’s 200m heats, alongside teammate and the country’s Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Christine Mboma, while Namibia’s women 4x100m relay team will be in action tomorrow.
Masilingi will be running in heat 2, and Mboma will kickstart her campaign in heat 1.
The two are still fresh from their Tokyo
Olympics exploits, which saw the nimble- footed Mboma tearing through a cluster of seasoned campaigners to cross the line in a remarkable time of 21.81 seconds to scoop silver in the women’s 200m final and end Namibia’s 25-year medal drought at the Olympics. Masilingi equally gave a good account of herself to finish sixth overall in that final with a new personal best of 22.28
seconds.
Team Namibia is being represented at the ongoing U/20 World Championships by Ndawana Haitembu and Carien Oosthuizen in the 4x100m relay, along with Masilingi and Mboma, and Elvis Gaseb, who did not advance past the men’s 100m heats on
Wednesday.