Anastazja Kuś wins 400m gold at World U20 Championships in Eugene

Gold in Eugene

19-year-old Anastazja Kuś from AZS UWM Olsztyn won the 400m final at the World U20 Athletics Championships in Eugene, USA, clocking 51.06 seconds. She overtook American favourite Ataja Stephanie-Vazquez (51.36) on the final straight, with Tianna Springer of Guyana third (51.76). The victory marks Poland's first-ever gold medal in the women's 400m at the World U20 Championships. Kuś also set a new Polish U20 record with her time, improving on her semifinal winning mark of 52.43 seconds.

The final straight

Kuś entered the final with a clear medal ambition but did not expect gold. She described feeling strong throughout the race but believed she would finish second behind the American until the closing metres. She overtook Stephanie-Vazquez by 0.3 seconds on the final straight to secure the win.

Kiedy wychodziłam na ostatnią prostą, myślałam, że będę druga za Amerykanką. Bardzo chciałam jednak zdobyć ten złoty medal i ostatkami sił udało mi się wyszarpać go na ostatnich metrach. To było niesamowite.

Before the race, Kuś admitted to significant nerves on the warm-up track, saying she came to Eugene aiming for a medal of any colour and that gold was somewhere in her dreams but not something she expected.

Reaction and pedigree

Robert Maćkowiak, former world champion in the 4x400m relay, praised Kuś's performance and cautioned against rushing her transition to senior competition. He noted she ran a strong first 300 metres, waited for the right moment, and delivered an excellent finish.

Mam tylko takie życzenie, żeby ona dalej się rozwijała, bo mamy naprawdę fantastyczną dziewczynę. Oby tylko potrafiła ten swój potencjał przełożyć na wyniki wśród seniorów.

Maćkowiak, who set his own personal best at age 31, noted that Kuś is wisely coached and has time on her side. Her sporting background runs in the family: her father Marcin Kuś earned seven caps for the Poland national football team between 2002 and 2008, playing for clubs including Polonia Warszawa, Lech Poznań and Górnik Zabrze, with stints in England, Russia and Turkey. Her mother Alicja Kuś was a multiple Polish championship medalist in ballroom dancing at the highest competitive class.

Next stop: Birmingham

Kuś is scheduled to travel to Birmingham, where the European Athletics Senior Championships begin on Monday, 10 August. The mixed 4x400m relay final takes place that same day, and Kuś could be included in the Polish squad depending on her recovery from travel and time-zone change. Her departure from Eugene may be delayed because the medal ceremony is scheduled for Saturday evening Polish time.

Regarding the individual 400m, sources diverge. One report states that Kuś, her team and the Polish Athletics Association (PZLA) decided not to enter her in the individual 400m at the Europeans, noting that her time of 51.06s ranks 24th in Europe and 67th globally this year. Another report says her individual start remains undecided, with heats scheduled for Wednesday and relay heats for Friday. For context, Natalia Bukowiecka, who has run 50.02s this season, is only fifth on the Birmingham entry list.

Other Polish results in Eugene

Several other Polish athletes competed in finals at the World U20 Championships. Aleksander Wojna finished eighth in the javelin, Jan Delewski tenth in the hammer throw, and Krzysztof Rybnik eleventh in the triple jump. In the 3000m steeplechase, Zuzanna Szymańska placed twelfth and Michalina Thamm fifteenth. Róża Olchawa qualified for the 800m final, while Karina Niżyńska advanced to the high jump final with a clearance of 1.79m. Kacper Góralczyk sat fifteenth in the decathlon at the halfway stage, having won the 400m discipline within that competition.