Iakobaki wins bronze at U20 Worlds with Greek record in 400m hurdles

Seventeen-year-old Eleni Iakobaki captured a bronze medal in the 400-meter hurdles at the U20 World Championships in Eugene, Oregon. She achieved this by setting a new national U20 record with a time of 55.99 seconds.

Iakobaki's performance marks a significant achievement, making her only the third Greek female athlete to ever run the event in under 56 seconds. Despite being the youngest competitor in the final, she demonstrated remarkable race management. After a slower first 200 meters, she significantly increased her pace in the second half to secure third place.

Her progress this season has been exceptional, especially considering she only began competing in the 400m hurdles this year. She arrived in Eugene with a personal best of 57.41 seconds, which she improved to 57.10 in the semifinals before her final record-breaking run.

This bronze medal adds to Greece's tally at the championships, with previous silver medals won by Evelin Mitropoulou in the long jump and Ioulianna Roussou in the 800 meters. Iakobaki, daughter of former athlete Periklis Iakobakis, shows immense promise for the future.

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I have immense potential.