Ethan Dewhirst takes fifth in 400m hurdles final at World U20 Championships
Ethan Dewhirst finished in fifth place in the final of the 400m Hurdles at the World U20 Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon on Sunday.
The Tír Chonaill athlete was in lane one after being ninth fastest through the semi-finals and was seventh over the third-to-last hurdle coming around the bend, but had a strong finish to make it up into fifth down the straight and cross the line in 51.05.
Czech runner Michal Rada won the event in 48.59, with Japan’s Taiju Goto second in 49.23, as Matodzi Ndou of South Africa finished in 49.90 for third.
USA’s Miller Warme was ahead of the 19-year-old Irish man in 50.06 for fourth.
On Saturday evening, Dewhirst was third in his semi-final with a time of 50.53, just off his Personal Best of 50.51, to clinch the final qualifying spot ahead of British athlete Rayhan Mourtada.
Rada won that race in 49.67, while Lesibe Dikgale from South Africa was just ahead of Dewhirst in second with a time of 50.50.
At the Hayward Field, Dewhirst had a strong finish to get into the top three, and despite clipping the final hurdle and losing momentum, he hung on for the top-three finish.
Dewhirst came through the heats with a 50.73, finishing second to Warme on Thursday.