Welington Zaza

Welington Zaza (born 20 January 1995) is a Liberian hurdler who specialises in the 110 metres hurdles and the 400 metres hurdles. Zaza is the African junior record holder in the 110 metres hurdles.^{[lower-alpha 1][3]} He broke that record at the 2014 World Junior Championships in Athletics. He has also competed at a World Championships.

Competition

Zaza's debut at an international athletics competition was at the 2014 World Junior Championships in Athletics.^[4] Zaza competed in both the 110 metres hurdles and the 400 metres hurdles.^[4][5] For the heat round of the 110 metres hurdles, Zaza was drawn in heat two, a heat containing seven other athletes alongside Zaza.^[4] The heats were held on 22 July 2014 at Hayward Field in Eugene, United States.^[4] In his heat, Zaza ran a time of 13.66 seconds, a season's best for him, to finish third in his heat.^[4] He finished 0.07 seconds behind the heat winner, American Theophile Viltz, and 0.02 seconds behind the heat runner-up, Patrick Elger of Germany.^[4] Zaza was 0.08 seconds quicker than the athlete who finished fourth in the heat, Australian Ivor Metcalf.^[4] Overall, Zaza was the equal ninth quickest athlete (equal with Hungarian Valdó Szücs) in the heat round.^[6] Zaza was 0.42 seconds slower than the quickest athlete in the heats, David Omoregie of Great Britain.^[6] As the top three athletes from each heat qualified for the semi-finals, Zaza progressed.^[6] In the semi-finals held on 23 July, Zaza competed in semi-final three.^[7] In the race, Zaza ran a Liberian junior record time of 13.53 seconds to finish second in the race.^[7] Zaza was 0.08 seconds behind the race winner, Jamaican Tyler Mason, and 0.31 seconds quicker than Elger, who finished third.^[7] Overall, Zaza's time was the fifth quickest in the semi-final round.^[8] He was 0.30 seconds slower than the quickest in the semi-final round, Frenchman Wilhem Belocian.^[8] As the top two finishers from each semi-final qualified for the final, Zaza progressed.^[8] The final was held on 24 July.^[9] In the race, Zaza ran a time of 13.38 seconds.^[9] The time was a new African junior record in the 110 metres hurdles.^[3][9] Zaza finished fourth, 0.39 seconds behind the winner, Omoregie.^[9] Zaza was 0.32 seconds behind the silver medalist, Mason, and 0.03 seconds behind the bronze medalist, Omoregie.^[9] In the 400 metres hurdles, Zaza did not progress past the heats after his time of 55.38 seconds was not quick enough to progress.^[5]

At the 2015 World Championships, Zaza was the only competitor from Liberia.^[10] He competed in the 110 metres hurdles.^[11] He finished last in his heat (of athletes that finished) in a time of 14.56 seconds.^[11] Zaza was the second slowest athlete overall in the heat round.^[12] The only athlete Zaza was quicker than was Xaysa Anousone of Laos who Zaza was 0.18 quicker than.^[12] Zaza did not progress to the semi-finals.^[12]

Notes

References