EUGENE, Oregon (CMC) — Trinidadian Machel Cedenio crowned himself world champion when he captured the men’s 400 metres at the IAAF World Junior Championship here Thursday.

Running out of lane four, Cedenio raced to a junior world-leading 45.13 seconds, to win the event at Hayward Field.

“This win is especially good because I was injured earlier this season,” Cedenio said afterwards.

“Honestly, I did know I had a 45.13 in me because I trained for this. I didn’t realise the lead I had before the race ended. I just executed my own race.”

Cedenio, a Carifta champion, finished ahead of Nobuya Kato of Japan who was second in a season-best 46.17, with Abbas Abubakar third in 46.20.

The Caribbean also found a measure of success in the men’s sprint hurdles when Jamaican Tyler Mason grabbed silver in a time of 13.06 seconds.

The race was won by Frenchman Wilhem Belocian who clocked a world junior record 12.99 seconds, while Great Britain’s David Omoregie snatched bronze in 13.35 seconds.

Meanwhile, Anguilla’s Zharnel Hughes qualified for the final of the men’s 200 metres when he finished second in the first semi-final in a time of 20.38 seconds, behind winner Thomas Sommers of Great Britain who clocked a personal best 20.37.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Jonathan Farinha also qualified when he finished fourth in 20.74.

Hughes and Farinha will be joined in the final by Jamaican Michael O’Hara, who won semi-final two in a personal best 20.45.

In the women’s half-lap, Natalliah Whyte finished fourth in 23.74 to book her place in the final.