14 Jul 2018
Tampere, 14 July 2018. Great achievement for Aspire Academy student-athlete Bassem Hemeida at the 2018 IAAF World U20 Championships in Finland: The 17-year-old claimed the silver medal in the Men’s 400m hurdles on Saturday.
In a quality race, the top three dipped under 50 seconds for just the fourth time at these championships. Hemeida clocked 49.59, slicing nearly a full second from his previous best of 50.55. Winner Sokwakhana Zazini lived up to the massive expectations heaped upon his slight shoulders to strike gold in the 400m hurdles and take South Africa's second-ever men's gold in the event, and to join Zenéy van der Walt for the country's sweep of the discipline at these championships.
"This is my first time running sub-50 seconds and it came at the right time," Hemeida said. "These championships have given me a lot of experience so hopefully you'll see me at the world senior championships in Doha next year."