Delta Amidzovski rewrites Australian athletics history books at U20s World Championships

The world better get used to the name Delta Amidzovski after the teenage Australian did something no other Australian had ever achieved.

Australia, remember the name Delta Amidzovski.

The 18-year-old from New South Wales had made history at the Under-20s World Athletics Championships in Lima Peru, claiming gold in the long jump.

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It’s not only the first women’s long jump gold Australia has won at the Under-20s worlds but also at under-20s level or above.

Amidzovski not only beat her previous best in the long jump which was 6.37m coming into the event, beating it twice in incredible scenes.

After setting a 6.49m in her second jump, the USA’s Sophia Beckmon leapt 6.54m in the fifth round to put the pressure right back on the Aussie.

But Amidzovski responded immediately, going 6.58m to claim gold.

To put it in perspective, a jump of 6.58m would have ranked 10th in the Olympic final — and a reminder, Amidzovski is just 18.

Incredibly, the result is just 0.02m behind Lyn Tillett’s 1972 record of 6.60m, which was equalled by Brooke Buschkuehl (nee Stratton) in 2011.

Buschkuehl holds the overall Australian women’s record of 7.13m, while the world record sits at 7.52m and is held by the USSR’s Galina Christyakova since 1988.

Amidzovski has made history. Photo: Athletics Australia/Andrew Hilditch

Asked if she though she’d ever have “world champion” next to her name, Amidzovski said: “Definitely not, that’s definitely something new to hear.”

“My coach told me to look for Jesus and run through the board,” Amidzovski said.

“I was just thinking if they go out and jump, why can’t I jump? We are all human and we can all do it. It was just another fun jump and another great jump.

“It’s not much like me to share emotion but I think tomorrow at the medal ceremony, I might shed a tear. I hope I do — I deserve it.”

And even more impressive, long jump isn’t even her pet event.

Amidzovski made headlines last year when she shattered Olympic gold medallist Sally Pearson’s 20-year-old Under-18s record in the 100m hurdles at the 2023 Australian Junior Championships.

She clocked 13.02 seconds in that race as a 16-year-old, shaving 0.12 seconds off Pearson’s record set in 2003.

However, this was with slightly shorter hurdles at 76.2cm which are used for under-18 athletes. Hurdlers in the Under-20s and up are 84cm tall.

Delta Amidzovski said long jump was her "fun" event. Photo: Facebook/World Athletics

Amidzovski’s best time with the 84cm hurdles is 13.31, set in April, while Pearson holds the under-20s Oceanian record of 13.01, which she set back in 2005.

“I have always grown up doing both (hurdles and long jump), so I have been able to switch on and off,” Amidzovski said.

“Long jump has always been my funner event, I don’t have as much pressure in it so I think going out there that helped me today. I just made the final — that’s all I was really coming here for.

“So then go out there and have fun and it paid off.”

It was a huge day for Australia with South Australia’s Marley Raikiwasa claiming bronze with a throw of 56.25m, just over a metre behind Chinese duo gold medallist Bingyuang Han (57.57m), while China’s Jingru Huang (56.47m) claimed silver.

“To come away with a medal is unreal! There are so many fierce competitors and so many girls that I dreamed about competing against – the feeling is amazing,” Raikiwasa said.

“My confidence is credited to a lot of people. My parents, my coaches, friends and family back home and in America. My confidence is not just me, it’s everyone around me lifting me up.”

It was so close for Victoria’s Mia Scerri, who was fourth in the heptathlon, only relegated from the bronze medal position in the final event of the meet — the 800m.

NSW’s Aleksandra Stoilov also became only Australia’s second Under-20s World Championship women’s 100m finalist in 38 years, finishing eighth in a time of 11.64.