Malnača Fourth in Dramatic 200m Final at U18 European Championships
Latvian sprinter Ieva Malnača finished fourth in the women's 200m final at the U18 European Championships, where the favorite tripped and fell, and the second-place finisher was cited for a lane infringement.
In the girls' 200m final at the U18 European Championships, Ieva Malnača placed fourth in 23.95 seconds. The Latvian athlete's personal best stands at 22.74 seconds. The race was won by Spain's Mariona Armero (23.57), while Romania's Caroline Punga (23.58) was second but later penalized for a first lane infringement (TR 17.3.3). Third place went to Czech Andrea Onderkova (23.87).
The final was dramatic – the pre-race favorite, British sprinter Shaia Kenyon, stumbled and fell in the final meters, taking herself out of medal contention. Before the final, Kenyon was the top-ranked by personal best, while Malnača was fifth in that ranking.
In the semifinals, Malnača clocked 23.75, which was the fourth-best time overall. The evening session was held in 35°C heat. Besides Malnača, other Latvian athletes competing in the evening session included Markus Celms, Elans Bertmanis, and Raivis Bogotais.
