From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Josh Awotunde will get the South Jersey contingent started off at the World Championships Saturday at Japan National Stadium in Tokyo.

Awotunde, a 2013 graduate of Delsea, won the U.S. Championships in Eugene and earned a berth at Worlds with a final-throw PR of 73-8 ¾ on Aug. 3.

He goes into Worlds ranked 3rd in the world behind world championship silver medalist and European champion Leonardo Fabbri of Italy [74-10] and two-time world champion and three-time Olympic medalist Joe Kovacs of the U.S. [73-9].

In his only previous appearance at Worlds, Awotunde placed 3rd in 2022 in Eugene.

Awotunde now ranks 17th in world history and No. 10 in U.S. history. Fabbri is No. 5 in world history at 75-4 ¾ at Boudewijnstadion, in Brussels, Belgium, last September. Kovacs is No. 2 in world history with a 76-2 ½ at Sechseläutenplatz, in Zürich, Switzerland, in September 2022.
The men’s shot put trials are scheduled for 9:55 p.m. EST on Day 1 of Worlds, with Awotunde in Group B. The final is scheduled for later on Saturday in Tokyo, which will be 8:10 a.m. in the U.S. on Sunday. The top 12 qualifiers out of the qualifying round advance to the final, and the marks do not carry over.

Rancocas Valley graduate Erika Kemp is scheduled to race in the women’s marathon, which begins at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday. Kemp is ranked No. 12 in U.S. history and 52 in the world this year with her breakthrough 2:22.56 from Houston in January

And Florence graduate Curtis Thompson throws in the javelin rounds at 6:10 a.m. or 7:45 a.m. EST on Wednesday. Thompson is No. 3 in U.S. history with his 287-11 in Austin in March, and he’s No. 4 in the world this year behind two-time Olympic finalist Julian Weber of Great Britain [300-2], South American championships medalist Luiz Maurcio Da Silva of Brazil [298-6] and India’s Olympic gold medalist and world champion Neeraj Chopra of India [296-0].

More on them later!