Greek runner Eleni Iakovaki won the bronze medal in the 400-meter hurdles at the World U20 Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon. The 17-year-old athlete set a new Greek national U20 record of 55.99 seconds in the final, breaking the 56-second barrier for the first time.
Iakovaki represents the club OFKA Odysseas. Her performance earned Greece its third medal at the global competition in Eugene.
Greece also secured two silver medals earlier in the championships. Evelin Mitropoulou took silver in the long jump, while Ioulianna Roussou earned silver in the 800 meters.
National Record Progression
Iakovaki traveled to the United States with a national U20 record of 57.41 seconds, set on July 5 at the national U20 championships in Trikala. She reduced that mark to 57.10 seconds during the semi-finals in Oregon before lowering it further to 55.99 seconds in the final.
The achievement capped a successful stretch for the athlete. A few weeks before competing in Oregon, Iakovaki won the European U18 title in the 400 meters in Rieti.
Following her victory in Rieti, she chose to compete in the 400-meter hurdles at the World U20 Championships. She selected the event after determining that she had a stronger opportunity to achieve a major result in the hurdles.
