Almost 1000 athletes representing 119 teams will be in action when the&nbsp;World Athletics U20 Championships Nairobi 21 takes place in Kenya from 17-22 August.
The opening ceremony will take place on 17 August ahead of the first day of competition on 18 August.
Here we take a look ahead to the women's sprints and hurdles events.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s 100m</h2>
Although Jamaica's Briana Williams is the fastest U20 woman this year and double gold medallist in the 100m and 200m from the 2018 World U20 Championships in Tampere, Finland, she&rsquo;s handed the baton to her compatriots Tina Clayton, Serena Cole and Kerrica&nbsp;Hill who will be representing the Caribbean nation in the women&rsquo;s 100m in Nairobi.
With Ackera Nugent, who is second to Williams on the U20 standings (11.09) penciled for the 100m hurdles, Clayton has been saddled with the task of retaining the women&rsquo;s 100m gold for Jamaica. That does not come across as a tall order for the teenager, going by her exploits at last month&rsquo;s NACAC U18 Championships in San Jose where she raced to an impressive world U18 lead and personal best of 11.17 to win the 100m. Considering that she turns 17 on the first day of the championships in Nairobi, finishing on the podium will no doubt serve as the perfect birthday gift for the rising star.
She will find formidable competition in Bahamian sprinter Camille Rutherford, who clocked a personal best of 11.32 back in March and won the NACAC U20 title in 11.36, while Serbia&rsquo;s&nbsp;European U20 silver medallist Ivana Ilic is also one to watch out for, having clocked a personal best and national U20 record of 11.38 en route to winning the Serbian Championships in June.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s 200m</h2>
Following her performance at the Tokyo Olympics where she broke the African record twice to win the silver medal in the women&rsquo;s 200m, clocking a world U20 record of 21.81 in the process, Namibia&rsquo;s Christine Mboma is the woman to beat in the event and will be joined by her teammate Beatrice Masilingi, who finished sixth in Tokyo with a lifetime best of 22.28.
Nigeria&rsquo;s Favour Ofili, who is the African indoor record-holder over 200m, missed the opportunity of competing in Tokyo and she will be hoping for a podium finish in Nairobi, having narrowly missed out on a medal at the NCAA Championships where she placed fourth in the women&rsquo;s 200m final. Ofili is third on the U20 top list this season with a personal best of 22.30 and she will be joined by compatriot Anita Taviore (23.18). Jamaica&rsquo;s Brianna Lyston follows with her time of 23.28.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s 400m</h2>
It is turning out to be a remarkable season for Imaobong Nse Uko, who only started representing Nigeria this year despite having dominated the women&rsquo;s 400m on the domestic scene for the last three years. Her first two outings for the country have been in the relays, with the most recent one being the Tokyo Olympics where she was part of the quartet that ran an African record of 3:13.60 in the mixed 4x400m.
Uko will be hoping to give a good account of herself as she competes in the individual 400m and comes with the fastest time in the field, 51.70, which she ran to win the National Sports Festival in April.
Polish sprinter Kornelia Lesiewicz is her country&rsquo;s sole entrant in the women&rsquo;s 400m and appears to be equal to the task, going by her impressive form this year which has seen her racing to a lifetime best of 52.02 to win the Polish U20 title and several other medals including gold in the 400m at the European U20 Championships, gold in the 4x400m at the European Team Championships and silver in the 4x400m at the World Relays.
The Jamaican pair of Dejanea Oakley (52.51) and Oneika Mcannuff (52.54) who finished 1-2 at the ISSA/Grace Kennedy Boys and Girls Champs in Kingston, will also hope to impress.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s 100m hurdles</h2>
World U18 100m hurdles record-holder Ackera Nugent will be making her second appearance at the World U20 Championships and unlike in 2018 when she was disqualified in the 4x100m with the Jamaican team, the 19-year-old comes to Nairobi as the world U20 leader in her event with a personal best of 12.76 which she set in May to win the NCAA Preliminary West Round.
It&rsquo;s been an extremely busy season for the Jamaican hurdler who equalled the women&rsquo;s world U20 60m hurdles record of 7.91 earlier in the year and also set a personal best of 11.09 in the 100m. Nugent appears to still have a lot more in the tank and will be hoping to inspire a 1-2 for Jamaica along with Kerrica Hill who comes with a lifetime best of 13.21.
However, they will have to contend with Switzerland&rsquo;s Ditaji Kambundji, who is the European U20 champion in the event and ranked second on the world toplist with her time of 12.94 which is the Swiss U20 record. Norway&rsquo;s Andrea Rooth is also in the mix with her time of 13.11, as well as Spain&rsquo;s Aitana Radsma and Polish athlete Marika Majewska who have identical times of 13.39.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s 400m hurdles</h2>
Garriel White has raced six times over the 400m hurdles outdoors and she&rsquo;s triumphed in every single one. The icing on the cake was setting a personal best of 57.28 to win the Jamaican U20 Championships two months ago, and the 18-year-old will be hoping to maintain her winning streak at the World U20 Championships in Kenya.
Canadian athlete Savannah Sutherland has also remained unbeaten in her races over the same distance and set her lifetime best of 57.87 nearly a month ago but she will face the daunting task of running faster than White who has been signed by LSU for the fall of 2021.
Denmark&rsquo;s Martha Rasmussen, who is the European U20 Championships bronze medallist, and Ludivine Aubert of France will both hope to break the 58-second barrier as they each contend for a medal.
Yemi Olus&nbsp;for World Athletics

Ones to watch in the sprints and hurdles events

World U20 Championships previews: women's sprints and hurdles

Almost 1000 athletes representing 119 teams will be in action when the&nbsp;World Athletics U20 Championships Nairobi 21 takes place in Kenya from 17-22 August.
The opening ceremony will take place on 17 August ahead of the first day of competition on 18 August.
Here we take a look ahead to the men's sprints and hurdles events.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s 100m</h2>
The last time Nigeria produced a champion in the men&rsquo;s 100m at the World U20 Championships was in 1996 when Francis Obikwelu won the sprint double, so the pair of Godson Brume and Favour Ashe will be gunning for a historic outing when they compete at the Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi.
Brume, who is the younger brother of African long jump record-holder Ese Brume, will be hoping to toe the path of his sister who recently won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics. He stormed to a personal best of 10.13 to finish fourth at the Nigerian Championships back in June and will be hoping to improve on his times in Nairobi. For teammate Ashe, whose coach Deji Aliu won the 100m title at the 1994 edition of the World U20 Championships, a lot is at stake as he aims to replicate the same feat, coming with a personal best of 10.17 set in June.
South African U20 champion Benjamin Richardson also has an identical lifetime best of 10.17, and other contenders include Botswana&rsquo;s U20 record-holder Letsile Tebogo, who holds a personal best of 10.24, as well as Jamaica&rsquo;s Bryan Levell, who has run 10.21 this season. 
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s 200m</h2>
Going by the line-up, the men's 200m is certainly one to watch out for, and headlining the event is&nbsp;Botswana&rsquo;s Letsile Tebogo who is the quickest in the field with his personal best of 20.36 set in April while competing at the BAA Series Meet in Gaborone.
Not too far off is Denmark&rsquo;s&nbsp;Tazana Kamanga-Dyrbak,&nbsp;who gained valuable experience competing for his country in the men&rsquo;s 4x100m at the World Athletics Relays in Silesia and the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Having set a national U20 100m record of 10.33, he went on to set a senior Danish record of 20.48 over 200m and can be regarded as one of the favourites for gold in Nairobi.
The 2019 African U18 gold medallist Sinesipho Dambile of&nbsp;South Africa cannot be ruled out with his season&rsquo;s best of 20.56 and following closely are Jamaican sprinter Bryan Levell (20.60), Bahamian Wendell Miller (20.61) and South Africa's Benjamin Richardson (20.63).
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s 400m</h2>
Two years ago, Lythe Pillay emerged as African U18 champion in the men&rsquo;s 400m in his first ever competition outside South Africa, and he will be hoping to extend his dominance to the global stage when he gets on the track in Nairobi.
The youngster will no doubt be buoyed by the experience he has garnered as a member of South Africa&rsquo;s 4x400m senior team which saw him competing at the World Relays in Silesia and Olympic Games in Tokyo. Pillay&rsquo;s personal best of 45.53 set in March ranks him as the fastest entrant in the men&rsquo;s 400m field in Nairobi.
Next to the 17-year-old on the toplists is Wendell Miller of the Bahamas who clocked a lifetime best of 45.81 while racing to a second-place finish behind World and Olympic champion Steven Gardiner at the Bahamian Championships. This is no mean feat for the 18-year-old who has a personal best of 20.61 over 200m and will face the likes of Jamaica&rsquo;s Jeremy Bembridge (45.94) and Anthony Pesela of Botswana (46.10) when the men&rsquo;s 400m takes off.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s 110m hurdles</h2>
The 2021 European U20 gold medallist Sasha Zhoya is set to make his second appearance for France, and he will be hoping to do so in style. The 19-year-old, who was born in Australia to a French mother and Zimbabwean father, opted to compete for France in 2020 and represented the European nation for the first time last month when he won the European U20 title in Estonia with an impressive time of 13.05. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60f49eb9266c3837b3d98f19.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />
 He is certainly the man to beat in Nairobi as he tops the world U20 standings heading into the competition. The multi-talented sprinter turned jumper, who had previously set world U18 bests in the pole vault and 110m hurdles, returned a time of 13.02 back in June en route his victory at the French U20 Championships. In fact, he ran an amazing wind-assisted time of 12.98 (2.4m/s) in Estonia and it remains to be seen if he can legally break the 13-second barrier.
He will face 2021 Italian indoor champion at both junior and senior level, Lorenzo Simonelli, whom he beat into third place at the European U20 Championships, and Jamaica&rsquo;s Vashaun Vascianna, who comes with a season&rsquo;s best of 13.44, as against Simonelli&rsquo;s 13.34. John Adesola will be making his debut appearance for South Africa and is another athlete to watch out for with his personal best of 13.54 which he ran to win the South African U20 Championships.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s 400m hurdles</h2>
Berke Akcam is the reigning European U20 champion and Turkish U20 record-holder in this event, having posted a time of 49.78 last year, while his season&rsquo;s best of 49.89 was set at the Turkish Championships in June. On paper, he is favoured to win the event, but Jamaica&rsquo;s Devontie Archer is expected to put up a stiff competition, coming with a personal best of 50.43, while fellow Jamaican Roshawn Clarke&rsquo;s fastest time this year is 50.93.
Qatar&rsquo;s Amar Ebed Ebed, who has returned a PB time of 50.75 this season, will be competing at a global championship for the first time in his career and will hope to hold his own when his event gets under way. &nbsp;
Yemi Olus&nbsp;for World Athletics

World U20 Championships previews: men's sprints and hurdles

Almost 1000 athletes representing 119 teams will be in action when the&nbsp;World Athletics U20 Championships Nairobi 21 takes place in Kenya from 17-22 August.
The opening ceremony will take place on 17 August ahead of the first day of competition on 18 August.
Here we take a look ahead to the women's distances and race walks.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s 800m</h2>
South Africa&rsquo;s Prudence Sekgodiso catapulted herself into contention for the world U20 title with a breakthrough performance in Heusden, Belgium, last month, the 19-year-old clocking 2:01.40. That makes her the fastest in the field this year, though she will face stiff competition from Switzerland&rsquo;s Valentina Rosamilia who took bronze at the European U20 Championships last month, the 18-year-old holding a best of 2:02.38.
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Mebriht Mekonen is also sure to feature, the 16-year-old a name for the future given she ran 2:03.61 already this year, along with her compatriot Ayal Dagnachew, who has run 2:05.53. The host nation&rsquo;s charge is led by Sheila Chepkosgei, the Kenyan holding a best of 2:03.76 this year.
Ukraine&rsquo;s Svitlana Zhulzhyk, Spain&rsquo;s Marina Martinez, Greece&rsquo;s Elli Eftychia Deligianni, Belgium&rsquo;s Annelies Nijssen and Mexico&rsquo;s Lorena Randel Batres are others to keep an eye on &ndash; all five have run below 2:05 this season.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s 1500m</h2>
Ethiopia has won this title at the past three editions of the World U20 Championships and in Diribe Welteji, they have an athlete who looks capable of making it four in a row. The 19-year-old is the standout athlete by some distance, at least on paper. She won the world U20 800m title in 2018 and clocked a superb 3:58.93 at the Ethiopian Olympic Trials in Hengelo back in June. She finished 12th in her heat at the Olympics in Tokyo but looks a class apart if she is back to her best since.
Ethiopia went 1-2 at the 2016 and 2014 editions of the World U20 Championships and could do so again here with Welteji backed up by Hiwot Mehari, a 4:08.32 performer this year. Kenya&rsquo;s charge is led by Purity Chepkirui, who clocked 4:10.39 this year, while her teammate Winnie Jemutai should also be capable of rewriting her PB of 4:17.55 on home turf. The quickest European is Spain&rsquo;s Mireya Arnedillo, who ran 4:12.24 this year, while Romania&rsquo;s Maria-Talida Sfargiu, a 4:14.22 runner, should also feature.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s 3000m</h2>
Two athletes have dipped below the nine-minute barrier in the women&rsquo;s 3000m field, both of them Kenyan, so there&rsquo;s a good chance the hosts will have a gold to celebrate here via either Teresia Muthoni Gateri or Zenah Chemutai Yego. Gateri is the quickest with the 8:51.69 she ran in Nairobi in early July and she also has good 5000m form in the book this year, clocking 15:06.76. Yego has run 8:55.75 this year.
Their biggest challenge will likely come from their East African rivals, Uganda, who are represented here by Prisca Chesang, a 9:04.15 performer this season. South Africa&rsquo;s Carmie Prinsloo shouldn&rsquo;t be far away from the medals, along with Finland&rsquo;s Ilona Mononen, Burundi&rsquo;s Jeanine Kezimana and Poland&rsquo;s Olimpia Breza, who have all gone below 9:20 this year.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s 5000m</h2>
Ethiopia has traditionally had a strong hold in this event but they surrendered a winning streak at the last edition in 2018 as Kenya&rsquo;s Beatrice Chebet took gold. However, it will come as a surprise if they don&rsquo;t reclaim the title here, with Mizan Alem and Medina Eisa looking the class of the field. Alem clocked a world U20 lead of 14:46.20 to finish eighth at the Ethiopian Olympic Trials in Hengelo in June, while Eisa wasn&rsquo;t far behind that day, finishing 10th in 14:59.53.
Their biggest challenge will likely come from Kenyan duo Zenah Cheptoo and Maurine Cherotich, along with Ugandan Olympian Prisca Chesang, who&rsquo;s run 15:05.39 this year. Cheptoo ran 15:46.2 at the Kenyan U20 Trials, which was won by Cherotich in 15:44.0. The European challenge is led by Spain&rsquo;s Carla Dominguez and Poland&rsquo;s Oliwia Wawrzyniak.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s 3000m steeplechase</h2>
The growing strength of Ethiopian steeplechasing should once again be on full display here as Zerfe Wondemagegn heads the field, the 18-year-old holding a best of 9:16.41, which she ran to finish eighth in the Olympic final earlier this month.
She will take some stopping if showing up in the same form though Kenyan duo Jackline Chepkoech and Faith Cherotich should keep her on her toes, Chepkoech winning their national U20 trials in 9:32.99 to Cherotich&rsquo;s 9:33.02. Hungary&rsquo;s Greta Varga will lead the European charge, the 17-year-old a silver medallist at the European U20 Championships last month who has a best of 9:50.63.
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Emebet Kebede and Morocco&rsquo;s Soukaina Elhaji should also be in the shake-up for minor medals.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s 10,000m race walk</h2>
A strong field of 36 athletes will face a tough test in the thin air of Nairobi during the women&rsquo;s 10,000m race walk, with authorised neutral athletes Anastasiya Kolchina and Yelena Sborets leading the field on personal bests.
Kolchina is just 16 but is clearly a huge talent, clocking a world U18 lead of 44:41 when winning the Russian title in Cheboksary in May. Her biggest challenge may come from Sborets, who finished third in 45:22 that same day.
Czech Republic&rsquo;s Eliska Martinkova was a silver medallist at the recent European U20 Championships and the 19-year-old will be hoping for a similar showing here, her PB of 45:46 putting her quite close to the two favourites on paper.
Ukraine&rsquo;s Valeriya Sholomitska has clocked 46:09 this year, while Yekaterina Petrova, an authorised neutral athlete, has clocked 46:43.85. French duo Maele Bire-Heslouis and Elvina Carre also should be in contention, with respective bests of 47:05 and 47:13 this year, along with Portugal&rsquo;s Adriana Ornelas who has clocked 47:01.
Cathal Dennehy for World Athletics

Ones to watch in the distances and race walks

World U20 Championships previews: women's distances and race walks

Almost 1000 athletes representing 119 teams will be in action when the&nbsp;World Athletics U20 Championships Nairobi 21 takes place in Kenya from 17-22 August.
The opening ceremony will take place on 17 August ahead of the first day of competition on 18 August.
Here we take a look ahead to the men's distances and race walks.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s 800m</h2>
Poland&rsquo;s Krzysztof Roznicki has already won one major championship title this summer &ndash; the European U20 Championships &ndash; and in Nairobi the 17-year-old looks capable of making it a double. He&rsquo;s the fastest in the field on paper, having run a blazing 1:44.51 on home turf in Chorzow back in June.
However, in Nairobi he will face a considerable task in toppling Kenya&rsquo;s Noah Kibet, who ran 1:45.11 in May. Kibet&rsquo;s compatriot Emmanuel Wanyoni should also be in the medal hunt, holding a best of 1:45.81 this year, as will Algeria&rsquo;s Mohamed Ali Gouaned, who has run 1:45.47.
South Africa&rsquo;s Renier de Villiers (1:45.95), Canada&rsquo;s Abdullahi Hassan (1:46.16) and Poland&rsquo;s Kacper Lewalski (1:46.72) also hold the credentials to contend for the top places. The South American challenge is led by Brazil&rsquo;s Leonardo Santos, who has run 1:46.97 this year.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s 1500m</h2>
Kenya&rsquo;s Kamar Etiang might have missed out on the Olympic Games but the 18-year-old has a big chance here to put that disappointment behind him by winning gold on home turf. Etiang ran superbly to finish second at the Kenyan Olympic Trials back in June, clocking 3:33.02, and while he hasn&rsquo;t raced since, a reproduction of that level of form should be good enough for gold.
He&rsquo;ll need to be at his best, however, given the presence of Ethiopian duo Melkeneh Azeze and Wegene Addisu, who have run 3:33.74 and 3:34.21 respectively this year.
Azeze finished a close fifth at the Ethiopian Olympic Trials with Addisu one place behind. Vincent Kibet Keter of Kenya should also be in the medal hunt, with a best of 3:35.21 this year, while the strongest European on paper is Spain&rsquo;s Pol Oriach, who has run 3:37.67. Eritrea&rsquo;s Abderezak Mehamed Osman is next quickest with 3:39.48.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s 3000m</h2>
A new event on the men&rsquo;s side at this championships which should, if form is reliable, come down to a Kenyan and Ethiopian battle for supremacy. It&rsquo;s the latter which appears to have the strongest hand, with 19-year-old Tadese Worku already an established performer at senior level. The world U20 cross-country silver medallist lowered his PB to 7:34.74 in Szekesfehervar in July which stands alone in this company, though his compatriot Ali Abdulmena shouldn&rsquo;t be far away either.
The Kenyan duo of Benard Kibet Yegon, who&rsquo;s run 7:55.01 this year, and Daniel Kinyanjui, who&rsquo;s run 7:55.96, should also mount a strong challenge. Morocco&rsquo;s Yassine Laarj, an 8:02.83 performer this year, is next fastest, while the European challenge is led by Slovenia&rsquo;s Vid Botolin who has clocked 8:04.23. Ugandan duo Dismas Yeko and Dan Kibet, who have both run 8:06 this year, could also spring a surprise.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s 5000m</h2>
The presence of a sub-13-minute man at any U20 event means he occupies rarefied air, and that&rsquo;s certainly the case here as Ethiopia&rsquo;s Addisu Yihune goes into the final ranked 25 seconds clear of his nearest rival based on personal bests. The 18-year-old narrowly missed Olympic qualification when finishing a close fourth at the Ethiopian Trials in Hengelo in June, clocking 12:58.99.
The next quickest in the field is Eritrea&rsquo;s Habtom Keleta, who clocked 13:23.15 this year, while Kenya&rsquo;s Levi Kibet (13:26.11) and Benson Kiplangat (13:40.41) are likely capable of much swifter times, as is Ethiopia&rsquo;s Mebrahtu Werkineh, who has a best of 13:41.92.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s 3000m steeplechase</h2>
An event traditionally dominated by Kenya saw a changing of the guard at the last edition of this championships in 2018, where Takele Nigate took gold for Ethiopia, and they are capable of continuing their steeplechase takeover here through Bikila Tadese Takele, who has run 8:09.37 this year. He ran that to take victory at the Ethiopian Olympic Trials in Hengelo in June but was well below his best in Tokyo itself, finishing eighth in his heat in 8:24.69 and bowing out.
If the 19-year-old is at his best he&rsquo;ll be tough to stop, though either way Kenyan duo Simon Kiprop Koech and Amos Serem will mount a strong challenge, holding respective bests of 8:18.43 and 8:20.26. Ethiopia&rsquo;s Samuel Firewu, an 8:20.27 performer this year, and Uganda&rsquo;s Leonard Chemutai, an 8:40.88 athlete, are next best on paper. The European challenge is led by Italy&rsquo;s Cesare Caiani and France&rsquo;s Baptiste Cartieaux, who finished third and fourth respectively at the European U20 Championships in Tallinn, Estonia, last month.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s 10,000m race walk</h2>
As is the case in the women&rsquo;s race walk, a pair of authorised neutral athletes appear to hold all the aces in the men&rsquo;s event, and it will be a surprise if neither Maksim Pyanzin or Dmitriy Gramachkov take gold. Pyanzin walked a world U20 lead of 38:48 to win the Russian title in Cheboksary in May but he finished 10th at the European U20 Championships last month. Gramachkov finished second to him in Cheboksary in 39:47 and took bronze in Tallinn last month, with Spain&rsquo;s Paul McGrath taking gold in 42:32.19.
McGrath will try to make it a championship double in Nairobi, where he will be backed up by compatriot Joe Luis Hidalgo, who has clocked 41:35 this year. India&rsquo;s Amit Khatri opened his season with a national U20 record of 40:40.97 in January and a reproduction of that in Nairobi should be enough to get the 17-year-old a medal. The African challenge will be led by Algerian pair Sohail Abderahmane Aloui and Abdenour Ameur, who both clocked 41:47 this year.
Cathal Dennehy for World Athletics

World U20 Championships previews: men's distances and race walks

Almost 1000 athletes representing 119 teams will be in action when the&nbsp;World Athletics U20 Championships Nairobi 21 takes place in Kenya from 17-22 August.
The opening ceremony will take place on 17 August ahead of the first day of competition on 18 August.
Here we take a look ahead to the women's jumps and throws.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s high jump</h2>
The entry list features five athletes who have soared over 1.90m, led by Belgian 16-year-old Merel Maes and Laureen Maxwell of France who have both cleared 1.91m in 2021. For Maes, that performance secured her a second national title as she added indoor gold to her win outdoors last summer, her 1.91m improving the national U20 record. The youngest entry for the European Indoor Championships in Torun in March, Maes has an outdoor best of 1.88m and will be looking to bounce back after the disappointment of being unable to clear her opening height at the European U20 competition in Tallinn.
Maxwell&rsquo;s clearance also gained her national senior gold in a year where she has improved her high jump best by 9cm and has also taken her 100m hurdles PB to 13.61. Authorised neutral athletes Natalya Spiridonova, who claimed European U20 silver in July, and Adelina Khalikov, plus Italy&rsquo;s Idea Pieroni, have all gone over 1.90m in the past couple of years.
Serbia&rsquo;s Angelina Topic has cleared a PB of 1.88m this year and will hope to follow in the footsteps of her father Dragutin Topic, who won the 1990 world U20 title with a 2.37m clearance which still stands as the world U20 record today.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s pole vault</h2>
Having recently claimed European U20 silver to go with her medal of the same colour from the European U18 Championships in 2018, 19-year-old Emma Brentel of France will be looking to add a global medal to her collection and she leads the entries with her 4.30m PB clearance from June. Eight of the nine athletes on the entry list have all achieved their lifetime bests this year, including Canada&rsquo;s Heather Abadie &ndash; daughter of Olympic hurdler Donalda Duprey-Abadie &ndash; who has cleared 4.25m both indoors and outdoors.
Brentel&rsquo;s 17-year-old teammate Elise Russis has improved her best to 4.21m in 2021 and finished sixth at the European U20 Championships, while Petra Garamvolgyi cleared a national U20 record of 4.20m to finish second at the Hungarian Championships.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s long jump</h2>
Sweden&rsquo;s 18-year-old Maja Askag achieved a horizontal jumps double at last month&rsquo;s European U20 Championships in Tallinn, improving her PBs in both the long jump and triple jump to win her two titles. In the long jump her series included a legal PB of 6.45m, which improved on her previous best of 6.38m, and a marginally wind-assisted 6.80m (2.2m/s), which secured her the title ahead of Spain&rsquo;s Tessy Ebosele, whose 6.63m is the leading legal mark among the entries for Nairobi.
Italy&rsquo;s Arianna Battistella has also improved to 6.55m this season, while another seven athletes &ndash; Poland&rsquo;s Anna Matuszewicz (6.49m), Ukraine&rsquo;s Mariia Horielova (6.49m), India&rsquo;s U20 record-holder Shaili Singh (6.48m), Brazil&rsquo;s Lissandra Maysa Campos (6.45m), Jamaica&rsquo;s Shantae Foreman (6.43m), Nigeria&rsquo;s Ruth Agadama (6.42m) and Poland&rsquo;s Roksana Jedraszak &ndash; have gone beyond 6.40m this season. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/611a3b56b72b1fe3985f1f05.jpeg" alt="" width="100%" /> Indian long jumper Shaili Singh (&copy; Athletics Federation of India)
 Italy&rsquo;s Larissa Iapichino, the daughter of Olympic and world medallist Fiona May, broke the world under-20 indoor record with 6.91m in February but will miss the World U20 Championships due to the foot injury which also prevented her from competing at the Olympics.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s triple jump</h2>
Two days before her European U20 long jump success, Maja Askag leapt a Swedish U20 triple jump record of 14.05m (0.8m/s) to win the competition by 40cm. That&rsquo;s also how much she leads the Nairobi entry list by, with the top three in Tallinn all competing again. Authorised neutral athlete Valeriya Volovlikova claimed European U20 silver (13.65m), with Latvian U20 record-holder Darja Sopova third (13.62m), and they lead the entry list again for the global competition in Nairobi along with Sohane Aucagos of France (13.65m).
Like Askag, Spain&rsquo;s Tessy Ebosele is another athlete doubling up with the long jump and she set a PB of 13.54m indoors in February. Two other athletes &ndash; Italy&rsquo;s Greta Brugnolo (13.49m) and Jamaica&rsquo;s Ackelia Smith (13.47m) &ndash; have also gone beyond 13.40m this year.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s shot put</h2>
Turkey&rsquo;s 17-year-old Pinar Akyol has finished in the top three in all 15 of the finals she has contested in 2021, with her wins including victory at the European U20 Championships and in the European Throwing Cup U23 competition, where she threw her world U20-leading PB of 17.65m. South African champion and national U20 record-holder Min&eacute; De Klerk has a best just 10cm off that mark, setting up an exciting head-to-head.
They top the field by more than a metre, with De Klerk&rsquo;s teammate Dane Roets, the 2018 African Youth Games champion, closest with her 16.12m PB from May. Authorised neutral athlete Daria Shinkevich and Czech Republic&rsquo;s Katrin Brzyszkowska are also in their best-ever form this year and have thrown 15.79m and 15.74m respectively.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s discus</h2>
Authorised neutral athlete Violetta Ignatyeva is the 2018 European U18 and 2021 European U20 champion and now, with a PB of 62.54m, she is the big favourite to gain global gold in Nairobi. That mark set in Sochi in April improved the 40-year-old Russian U20 record by 26cm and is more than six metres further than any other athlete in the 14-strong field has ever recorded.
In Tallinn her winning throw for the European U20 title was 58.65m, with Alina Nikitsenka of Belarus claiming bronze thanks to a best of 55.04m.
Despoina Areti Filippidou of Greece is the third athlete on the entry list to have surpassed 55 metres this year (55.12m), while Jamaica&rsquo;s Cedricka Williams (53.42m) and South Africa&rsquo;s Min&eacute; De Klerk &ndash; who is doubling up with the shot put &ndash; are the two other 53 metre-plus throwers in the field.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s hammer</h2>
Silja Kosonen was one of the 13 athletes who competed at the Olympic Games en route to the World U20 Championships and there the Finnish rising hammer star threw 70.49m to place 14th in qualifying. After improving to 71.34m as a 17-year-old in 2020, Kosonen opened her 2021 summer season with a senior national record and European U20 record of 72.44m. She then went even further, throwing 73.43m in June to break the 16-year-old world U20 record. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6112f32c9e3a9341a6fd27d5.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />
 Kosonen looks favourite to add the world title to her European U20 gold and could set another record with the championship best being 70.62m achieved by Alexandra Tavernier in 2012. Looking to challenge her will be French thrower Rose Loga who set a national U20 record of 71.09m in January and secured silver behind Kosonen in Tallinn. There could be a repeat of that podium, with bronze medallist Maryola Bukel of Belarus also in action and with a 67.54m PB to her name from April.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s javelin</h2>
The women&rsquo;s javelin looks set to be a high-quality affair, with three athletes having thrown over 60 metres this year, the list topped by Elina Tzengko of Greece. The 18-year-old threw 63.96m in August 2020, a mark which beat the world U20 record of 63.86m, and although it could not be ratified as an official record, Tzengko will surely have her eye on that mark again as she goes for gold in Nairobi. She has a best so far this year of 61.42m and threw 61.18m to win the European U20 title. There Serbia&rsquo;s 17-year-old Adriana Vilagos secured silver thanks to a 60.44m throw, which came after her national U20 record of 60.94m in June.
The World U20 Championships looks set to be Yiselena Ballar Rojas&rsquo; first ever competition outside of Cuba, with the 18-year-old having improved to 60.84m in May and backed that up with a throw of 60.73m in June, also in Havana. Success would see her claim Cuba&rsquo;s fourth gold in this event, with former winners including Osleidys Menendez (1998 and 2000) who went on to break the world record and become Olympic champion. Finland&rsquo;s Anni-Linnea Alanen and Croatia&rsquo;s Veronika Sokota could also contend for medals.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics

Ones to watch in the jumps and throws

World U20 Championships previews: women's jumps and throws

Almost 1000 athletes representing 119 teams will be in action when the&nbsp;World Athletics U20 Championships Nairobi 21 takes place in Kenya from 17-22 August.
The opening ceremony will take place on 17 August ahead of the first day of competition on 18 August.
Here we take a look ahead to the men's jumps and throws.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s high jump</h2>
Jonathan Kapitolnik made history last month in Tallinn when he became Israel's first ever European U20 champion and now he will be looking to achieve a similar feat on the global stage. Niki Palli&rsquo;s high jump silver from 2006 is the nation&rsquo;s best result at the World U20 Championships so far and Kapitolnik proved last month that he has the potential to emulate that. Keeping his cool after two failed attempts at 2.21m, the 18-year-old decided to skip straight to a PB height of 2.25m and soared clear to get the gold.
Second on that day with a 2.23m clearance was Poland&rsquo;s Mateusz Kolodziejski and the pair will go head-to-head again in Nairobi as they top the entry list. Joining them on the medal hunt will be three 2.20m jumpers in Nigerian U20 record-holder Omamuyovwi Best Erhire, South African 17-year-old Brian Raats and authorised neutral athlete Matvey Tychinkin, plus Canada&rsquo;s Aiden Grout who set a PB of 2.19m at the start of this month.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s pole vault</h2>
Another athlete seeking more success after a win at the European U20 Championships is French vaulter Anthony Ammirati, who cleared 5.64m to triumph in Tallinn. That performance came after a national U20 record clearance of 5.72m in June and he tops the entry list by 12 centimetres. As in the high jump, the top two from the European U20s both compete, with Ammirati joined by Belarusian 17-year-old Matvei Volkov, who set a world U18 best of 5.60m in February.
The field features another record-holder in South Africa&rsquo;s Kyle Rademeyer, who cleared 5.55m for an African U20 record last November and achieved the same feat indoors when soaring over 5.53m in February. Authorised neutral athlete Aleksandr Solovyov with an indoor best of 5.45m, and Oleksandr Onufriyev of Ukraine with a 5.44m PB, will also be looking to challenge for medals.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s long jump</h2>
After European U18 bronze in 2018 and European U20 silver last month, Bryan Mucret will be looking for world gold to complete his medal set. The French 19-year-old jumped 7.93m in Tallinn for a mark which puts him top of the entry list as he looks to claim his nation&rsquo;s first medal in this event. It&rsquo;s close at the top, however, and Erwan Konate doubles those medal chances for France as his best, also set this year, is just 2cm off his teammate&rsquo;s and he joined Mucret on the European U20 podium with that performance to claim bronze.
Brazil&rsquo;s Gabriel Luiz Boza will also be looking to become his nation&rsquo;s first long jump medallist following his PB of 7.90m set in May, while Jamaica&rsquo;s Jordan Turner and Kavian Kerr have achieved 7.80m jumps this season.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s triple jump</h2>
Sweden&rsquo;s Gabriel Wallmark is another athlete heading to Nairobi as the newly crowned European U20 champion and he is one of two 16m-plus athletes on the entry list. The 19-year-old set a national U20 record of 16.39m to win in Tallinn, adding more than a metre to his pre-2021 best to beat Bulgaria&rsquo;s Dimitar Tashev, who leapt a wind-assisted 16.18m (3.5m/s) and joins him in Nairobi, with a legal best of 15.78m.
Jamaican 16-year-old Jaydon Hibbert has also soared 16 metres this year, jumping 16.02m to win at the NACAC U18 Championships, where he also claimed long jump silver. Austria&rsquo;s Endiorass Kingley and Simon Gore of France had respective bests of 15.84m and 15.80m set this year.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s shot put</h2>
Never before had an athlete from Kosovo claimed European gold in any event across all the age groups but in Tallinn Muhamet Ramadani had the competition of his life to take the U20 title. Improving his pre-season outdoor best by more than a metre, any of his valid throws would have been enough to win, his best being his last round national U20 record throw of 19.92m. The 19-year-old, who also holds the senior national shot put and discus records, will be hoping to pick up from where he left off when he returns to the circle in Nairobi.
Cuba&rsquo;s 2019 Pan American U20 bronze medallist Juan Carley Vazquez Gomez is the sole 20 metre-plus thrower among the entries thanks to his national U20 record-equalling 20.32m achieved last year. In 2021 his best is 19.78m which should see him challenge for the medals. Top of the entry list is Turkey&rsquo;s Savas Parlak who threw 19.96m in June and will be looking to bounce back after his 10th-place finish at the European U20 Championships.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s discus</h2>
Going by his recent performances, Lithuania&rsquo;s Mykolas Alekna looks set to follow in his father&rsquo;s footsteps and become a global champion. The son of 2000 and 2004 Olympic gold medallist Virgilijus, Mykolas has thrown 69.77m this year, a mark which puts him second on the world U20 all-time list behind Ukraine&rsquo;s Mykyta Nesterenko with 70.13m set in 2008, and he won the European U20 title by more than six metres with a best of 68.00m.
Looking to challenge him will be Jamaica&rsquo;s Ralford Mullings, who threw 66.61m in June and will be hoping to join his compatriot Fedrick Dacres, the world senior silver medallist, in claiming world U20 gold. Iran&rsquo;s two medals at the World U20 Championships have come in the men&rsquo;s discus &ndash; via 2012 Olympic silver medallist Ehsan Hadadi and Mahmoud Samimi &ndash; and Sadegh Samimishalamzari, following his PB of 62.09m in June, will hope to become the third on that list. Uladzislau Puchko of Belarus is also back in action after claiming bronze in the European U20 final won by Mykolas Alekna.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s hammer</h2>
Continuing the strength in Polish hammer throwing is Dawid Pilat, who saved his best until last to win the European U20 title in Tallinn, breaking the national U20 record in the process. With 79.59m he got the gold ahead of Germany&rsquo;s world leader Merlin Hummel, who will not be competing in Nairobi. Third on that day was Jean Baptiste Bruxelle of France, who threw 77.90m in Tallinn but improved his PB to 80.94m last month and leads the entries. He also threw 80.63m in May. Orestis Ntousakis of Greece has a best of 78.07m, while Canadian U20 record-holder Ethan Katzberg (77.97m) and Cuba&rsquo;s Ronald Mencia Zayas (77.20m) have both also surpassed 77 metres.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s javelin</h2>
Five years on from his world U20 title win, Neeraj Chopra became the Olympic champion, claiming India&rsquo;s first ever Olympic athletics gold medal in Tokyo. The field in Nairobi includes two of the nation&rsquo;s rising athletics stars who will no doubt be among those left inspired by Chopra&rsquo;s feat.
Kunwer Ajai Raj Singh Rana won the Indian U20 Championships with a PB throw of 74.75m at the start of this month, while Jay Kumar was second on that occasion and has a best of 72.29m. The world leader is Ukraine&rsquo;s Artur Felfner, who launched the javelin 78.41m to win the European U20 title by more than five metres and leads the entries for Nairobi by more than three metres ahead of Poland&rsquo;s Eryk Kołodziejczak with 74.77m from May. Finland&rsquo;s Janne Laspa was sixth in Tallinn but set a PB of 73.97m last month, while Italy&rsquo;s Giovanni Frattini (73.78m PB) and Nigeria&rsquo;s Nnamdi Chinecherem (73.45m PB) are also among those who could challenge for medals.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics

World U20 Championships previews: men's jumps and throws

Almost 1000 athletes representing 119 teams will be in action when the&nbsp;World Athletics U20 Championships Nairobi 21 takes place in Kenya from 17-22 August.
The opening ceremony will take place on 17 August ahead of the first day of competition on 18 August.
Here we take a look ahead to the combined events and relays.
&nbsp;
<h2>Heptathlon</h2>
Saga Vanninen could land her second major title in as many months when she lines up for the heptathlon in Nairobi. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/611527e81776e07c8b9c8c1a.jpg" alt="" width="100%" /> Saga Vanninen (&copy; Getty Images)
 The 18-year-old from Finland produced the series of her life to dominate the competition at the European U20 Championships in Tallin last month, setting a national U20 record of 6271. She now sits at ninth on the world U20 all-time list, one place above world champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson.
Vanninen, who will still be an U20 next year, was at or close to her best in all seven disciplines in Tallinn, but Nairobi will be another opportunity for the all-round talent to excel.
Three Finnish heptathletes have reached the podium at previous editions of the World U20 Championships, but none have yet won gold.
Estonia&rsquo;s Pippi Lotta Enok and Vanninen&rsquo;s teammate Neea Kayhko, who finished fifth and sixth respectively in Tallinn, should also be in medal contention in Nairobi.
Croatian 16-year-old Klara Koscak will be one of the youngest in the field, but after competing in the 60m hurdles at this year&rsquo;s European Indoor Championships in Torun, she won&rsquo;t be overawed by competing at an U20 level championship.
Austria&rsquo;s Sophie Kreiner will relish the opportunity for redemption after being disqualified in the opening heptathlon discipline at the European U20 Championships.
&nbsp;
<h2>Decathlon</h2>
Like heptathlon contender Saga Vanninen, Jente Hauttekeete heads to Nairobi as the newly crowned European U20 champion.
The Belgian made a significant breakthrough earlier this year when setting a world U20 indoor heptathlon record of 6062. More recently, he produced a lifetime best of 8150 at the European U20 Championships in Tallinn, putting him fourth on the world U20 all-time list behind the likes of world champion Niklas Kaul and Olympic bronze medallist Ashley Moloney.
Should he make it on to the podium in Nairobi, Hauttekeete would become the first Belgian man to win a decathlon medal at the World U20 Championships.
Frantisek Doubek of the Czech Republic would have been a medal contender in Tallinn, were it not for the fact he was disqualified from the decathlon 400m. If he is able to reproduce his 7821 shape from the Czech U20 Championships, Doubek could contend for a podium place in Nairobi.
Finland&rsquo;s Ville Toivonen and Italy&rsquo;s Alessandro Sion, who placed fifth and eighth respectively in Tallinn, should also be in medal contention.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s 4x100m</h2>
If this was based on pure speed, Jamaica would start as favourites. But relays, of course, are much more than that.
The likes of Serena Cole, Kerrica Hill and identical twins Tina and Tia Clayton will be hoping for some watertight baton-passing as they aim to secure Jamaica&rsquo;s first victory in this event since 2002.
It&rsquo;s been even longer since Nigeria last made it on to the women&rsquo;s 4x100m podium at the World U20 Championships, but they have the strength and depth this year to contend for a medal in Nairobi.
Namibia may not have the same depth as other teams, but Olympic 200m silver medallist Christine Mboma and Olympic 200m finalist Beatrice Masilingi will guarantee top speed on two of the four legs.&nbsp;
Poland took bronze in this event at the recent European U20 Championships so their quartet will be keen to at least match that finish in Nairobi. The Czech Republic and Italy could also feature.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s 4x100m</h2>
The last time a Nigerian quartet made it on to the men&rsquo;s 4x100m podium at the World U20 Championships was back in 1992 when they took bronze.
But Godson Oke Oghenebrume, Favour Oghenetejiri Ashe, Udodi Chudi Onwuzurike and Adekalu Nicholas Fakorede are among the fastest Nairobi-bound sprinters in individual events, so will give Nigeria a great chance of becoming the first African nation to win a relay title at the World U20 Championships.
Jamaica narrowly missed out on gold in this event three years ago, so they will be fired up to go one better in Nairobi. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/61152a001776e07c8b9c8c20.jpg" alt="" width="100%" /> Jamaica's 2018 silver medal-winning men's 4x100m team&nbsp;(&copy; Getty Images)
 Italy claimed bronze in this event at the recent European U20 Championships, clocking a season&rsquo;s best of 39.81 in the heats. And Italy&rsquo;s success in this event at the Olympic Games will provide plenty of inspiration for their young squad in Nairobi.
Colombia, Poland, Brazil and South Africa should also be a factor in this event &ndash; provided, of course, they get the baton around safely.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s 4x400m</h2>
USA&rsquo;s winning streak in this event, which spans nine editions between 2002 and 2018, will end in Nairobi as the sprints powerhouse won&rsquo;t be sending a team to this year&rsquo;s event.
In their absence, Jamaica &ndash; a regular medallist in this event at senior and U20 level &ndash; will start as slight favourites ahead of Nigeria.
Led by national U18 champion Dejanea Oakley, Jamaica have three sub-53-second runners on their squad, but Nigeria will be tough to beat with the likes of Favour Ofili &ndash; a 22.30 200m performer &ndash; and Imeobong Nse Uko on their team.
Italy claimed bronze at the European U20 Championships and could once again make their way on to the podium in the Kenyan capital.
South Africa has never previously won a medal in the women&rsquo;s 4x400m at the World U20 Championships, but they could be in contention in Nairobi. So too could India, Canada and the Czech Republic.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men&rsquo;s 4x400m</h2>
Three years after their memorable victory in the men&rsquo;s 4x400m at the last World U20 Championships, Italy will be hoping for a repeat win in Nairobi.
Their quartet claimed silver at the recent European U20 Championships. And while their time in Tallinn was a few seconds shy of the European U20 record they produced to win in Tampere in 2018, they will be buoyed by Italy&rsquo;s incredible success at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
They will need to be at their best, though, if they are to compete with the likes of South Africa, Jamaica and Nigeria.
Lythe Pillay, who competed in the 4x400m at this year&rsquo;s World Relays and Olympic Games, leads a strong South African squad. But Jamaica has impressive depth too with four sub-47-second runners.
Nigeria&rsquo;s team is similarly strong, while hosts Kenya should also be in the medal hunt.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h2>Mixed 4x400m</h2>
Having proven a popular addition to U18 and senior championships in recent years, the mixed 4x400m will make its World U20 Championships debut in Nairobi.
The heats will be held on day one and the final will be held on the evening of day two, but the heats of the individual men&rsquo;s 400m will be held on the morning of day two, so some teams may be hesitant to draft their best male runners into the relay team.
Nevertheless, the likes of Jamaica, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and Poland should have enough depth to field competitive teams for all relays as well as the individual 400m events.
Jamaica and South Africa took silver and bronze respectively at the 2017 World U18 Championships, also held in Nairobi. Poland, meanwhile, won the inaugural mixed relay at the recent Olympic Games, which could provide inspiration for the younger counterparts. Kenya has also often performed above expectation in mixed relay events in recent years.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

Ones to watch in the combined events and relays.

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