Molly Haywood became the first under-20 athlete from the United States to win gold on Thursday at the World U20 Championships in Lima, Peru, scoring the top mark in the women's pole vault with a result of 4.47 meters. 

That performance was a new personal best for Haywood, a 19-year-old freshman for Baylor University who finished fifth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in June. 

Haywood's previous best mark came on her home track in April when she authored a leap of 4.46 meters at the Michael Johnson Invitational. On Thursday, the Texan entered at 4.15m, needed two bars to clear 4.25m and then pushed through 4.35m clean before needing three tries at 4.47m. 

• World U20 Championships Updates & Results From Day 2: Reid Wins
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• All Interviews on FloTrack From the World U20 Championships

Men's U20 400m Final

Two Americans found themselves in the final, and they both left with medals on Thursday. 

Arizona State's Jayden Davis was the fastest man heading into the final round, but he was just shy of gold, timing in at 46.08 behind South Africa's Udeme Okon, who won in a time of 45.69. 

Georgia high schooler Sidi Njie followed in third, clocking a bronze medal performance of 46.29. 

Both Americans could feature on the 4x400 relay to end the competition. 

Women's U20 400m Final

In a competitive last straightaway, Czechia's Lurdes Gloria Manuel secured the overall win with a time of 51.29, holding off Dianna Proctor of Canada and the U.S.'s Zaya Akins, who followed in 51.98 and 52.00. 

Manuel competed at the Paris Olympics in August, clocking a top time of 50.81, though she did not reach the 400m final. 

Men's U20 Triple Jump

Ethan Olivier put together a championship effort on Thursday, netting a new Australian under-20 record with a mark of 17.01 meters, a jump that came on his fifth effort. 

And Olivier was up against it, too. 

U.S. athlete Karson Gordon, who finished second overall, netted a top mark of 16.74m on his third jump which was later supplanted. 

China's Yinglong Ma was third overall with a result of 16.30m. 

Men's U20 Javelin

Slovakia's Tom Teršek netted gold for a top throw of 76.81 meters, followed by China's Xiaobo Wang, who followed in 75.50m and Ireland's Oisin Joyce, who was third with a mark of 73.89m. 

Joyce's mark netted him a new Ireland under-20 record. 

Women's U20 3K Steeplechase

In a blazing time, Ethiopia's Sembo Almayew pulled away from the pack and separated toward the finish, clocking a winning effort of 9:12.71. 

Uganda's Loice Chekwemoi was second in 9:18.84, while Kenya's Diana Chepkemoi was third in 9:29.84. 

Men's U20 3,000 Meters

It was a wild ride to the finish, as Norwegian Andreas Fjeld Halvorsen outstretched at the line to win over Kenya's Denis Kipkoech by mere tenths. 

Fjeld Halvorsen won with a time of 8:20.56, while Kipkoech followed in 8:20.79. 

Great Britain's Edward Bird was third in 8:21.00.

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