The recent World U20 Athletics Championships were a world of good for Lloydminster hammer thrower Jake McEachern and his parents Kevin and Marianne.
Jake threw the 6 kilogram hammer 67.68 metres inside the Estadio Atlético de la Videna on Aug. 27 with his mom and dad cheering him on.
The 19 year-old didn’t qualify for the top 12 finals on Aug. 29 but he was all smiles during an instagram interview for Athletics Canada immediately after his three throws.
“It was a good comp. I was coming in ranked 27th and I ended up placing 18th,” he said on the social media site.
“I didn’t do a personal best, I’m happy that I performed to that extent.”
Kevin said the atmosphere inside the stadium throughout the competition from Aug. 27-31 was amazing and took place under cool and humid conditions.
“These are the best young athletes from over 100 different countries competing,” he said.
The World Athletics U20 Championships are a proven testing ground for Canada’s next wave of track and field stars.
Jake qualified for the world’s with his winning toss of 67.32m at the Canadian U20 Championships in Quebec in June.
His success in the field event landed him a scholarship at Eastern Michigan University. He is in his second year competing in the NCAA.
The U20 Experience
In Lima, he threw the hammer 65.15m in the first round, then bettered that with a second toss of 67.68m just shy of his personal best before bowing out on his final attempt.
“It was less than half a metre off my PB. I was feeling good and I was feeling pretty sure of myself,” said Jake.
“I’m pretty happy, 18th at world’s is pretty good.”
It was also special for Kevin and Marianne to see their son in action on a world stage.
“To say it was fun watching would be an understatement. Jake met and made friends with people he will likely keep in touch with the rest of his life,” said Kevin.
“The first week we stayed in the same hotel as Team Canada as well as teams Norway, Cuba, Denmark, and Mexico.”
The couple also stayed an extra week in Peru to tour historic Inca sights such as the Sacred Valley and the Temple of the Sun at Machu Picchu.
Read More: Community Barbecue supports Residents in Recovery
Locally owned and community driven, the Lloydminster Meridian Source is the online news source in the Border City. Whether it’s breaking news, features or sports, if you have questions about what’s going on around town, Source it with us.
Since online platforms no longer support the sharing of news, we encourage you to bookmark meridiansource.ca. Whether you’re having a coffee or enjoying a meal, check in any time for the most up-to-date news in Lloydminster.
