Emilianov coasts to discus final at IAAF World U20 Championships
TAMPERE, Finland – Competing for her home country of Moldova, Kansas track & field freshman Alexandra Emilianov qualified for the final in the women’s discus out of Qualification Group A at the IAAF World U20 Championships in Tampere, Finland on Tuesday.
A favorite to win the title, Emilianov, a Chisinau, Moldova product, qualified for the final by hitting a mark of 57.05 meters (187-2 ft.) on her first and only attempt of the qualification round. Her throw was the leader in the group, beating out the next closest competitor by over four meters. Emilianov was the only competitor in the first qualification group to hit the automatic qualifying mark of 53 meters, passing on her second and third attempts after her mark on her first throw.
Emilianov’s throw is the No. 5 throw in Kansas women’s track & field history. She now owns four of the top-10 marks in KU history, including the school record mark of 60.24 meters (197-8 ft.), achieved at the 2018 Big 12 Outdoor Track & Field Championships to help the freshman win the conference crown in the event.
If she is able pick up the victory in Tampere, it would cap a very successful junior career for Emilianov, having won the IAAF U18 World Championships discus title in Cali in 2015, the shot put and discus European U18 Championships in 2016, and placing third at the 2018 IAAF World U20 Championships in the discus.
The final for the discus at the IAAF World U20 Championships is set for July 12 at 7:35 p.m. local time (11:35 a.m. CDT).
Kansas track & field signee Zach Bradford will compete for USA on Wednesday, July 11 at 5 p.m. local time (9 a.m. CDT) in the qualification round. If he is able to make it through to the final, he will compete again on Saturday, July 14 at 1:50 p.m. in Tampere (5:50 a.m. CDT).
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