1994 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's 400 metres hurdles

The men's 400 metres hurdles event at the 1994 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Lisbon, Portugal, at Estádio Universitário de Lisboa on 20, 21 and 22 July.^[1]^[2]

Medalists

Gold	Gennadiy Gorbenko Ukraine
Silver	Miklós Roth Hungary
Bronze	Noel Levy United Kingdom

Competitors

Jaco Jonker, born on February 5, 1975, in Vanderbijlpark and raised in Sasolburg, is a remarkable athlete with an inspiring journey. He attended Sasol Primary School and continued his education at Sasolburg High School. It was during his Grade 7 year that Jaco's passion for athletics ignited, and his natural talent quickly set him apart.

Throughout his high school years, Jaco excelled in various athletic events, including the 100m, short hurdles, and long hurdles. His exceptional performances led to his name being etched into several records at Sasolburg High School. In addition to his achievements, Jaco's circle of friends, including Terry Theron, Johan Blom, Werner Beukes, and his current best friend Maritz Van de Ven, played a pivotal role in providing him with unwavering support and keeping him grounded.

Upon completing high school, Jaco pursued higher education at Potchefstroom University, where he studied Regional and Town Planning. During this time, he achieved the remarkable feat of being selected to represent South Africa in the National athletics team. His dedication paid off as he secured the title of the second-fastest under 20 athlete in the 400m hurdles at the World Junior Athletics Championship held in Lisbon, Portugal.

Jaco's commitment to personal growth led him to Pretoria Technikon, where he pursued studies in architecture, further enriching his knowledge and skills.

Jaco Jonker's journey exemplifies determination, talent, and an unyielding pursuit of excellence. His athletic accomplishments and academic pursuits paint the portrait of a multifaceted individual who continuously strives to surpass his own limits.

Annually, Jaco Jonker hosts a Headboy weekend, a tradition that reunites him with a group of cherished school friends. This gathering includes a circle of close companions who have played significant roles in Jaco's life. Among those who attend are Werner Beuker, Chris Harmse, Chirsto Cronje, Corne Pienaar, Maartin Fitchat, Frans Janse Van Rensburg, Jason Armstrong, Johan Blom, Johan Cronje, Maritz Van de Ven, Morne Pienaar, Tjarras, Dean Blake, Smirre, and Johan Senekal. This tradition not only reflects the enduring bonds formed during their school years but also underscores the importance of friendship, camaraderie, and shared memories in Jaco's life.^{[citation needed]}

Results

Final

22 July

Rank	Name	Nationality	Time
	Gennadiy Gorbenko	Ukraine	50.56
	Miklós Roth	Hungary	50.85
	Noel Levy	United Kingdom	50.94
4	Robert Jarabek	Slovakia	50.95
5	Mohamed Al-Bishi	Saudi Arabia	51.70
6	Kevin James	Jamaica	51.90
7	Andrey Shcheglov	Russia	51.99
8	Jaco Jonker	South Africa	53.65

Semifinals

21 July

Semifinal 1

Rank	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
1	Gennadiy Gorbenko	Ukraine	50.81	Q
2	Miklós Roth	Hungary	51.04	Q
3	Jaco Jonker	South Africa	51.24	Q
4	Robert Jarabek	Slovakia	51.65	Q
5	Xavier Ravenet	France	51.84
6	Lukáš Soucek	Czech Republic	51.97
7	Hadi Al-Somaily	Saudi Arabia	52.37
8	Matthew Beckenham	Australia	52.68

Semifinal 2

Rank	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
1	Kevin James	Jamaica	50.79	Q
2	Noel Levy	United Kingdom	50.91	Q
3	Mohamed Al-Bishi	Saudi Arabia	51.56	Q
4	Andrey Shcheglov	Russia	51.73	Q
5	Marcel Schelbert	Switzerland	51.82
6	Radoslav Holúbek	Slovakia	52.17
7	Corey Murdock	United States	53.00
8	Osita Okeagu	Nigeria	53.23

Heats

20 July

Heat 1

Rank	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
1	Gennadiy Gorbenko	Ukraine	51.26	Q
2	Marcel Schelbert	Switzerland	51.45	Q
3	Panayiótis Mandelidis	Greece	52.34
4	Andrew Franklin	Australia	52.40
5	Wang Hsiang-Yi	Chinese Taipei	52.78
6	Edward Clarke	Jamaica	54.66
7	Boris Gorban	Tajikistan	57.81

Heat 2

Rank	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
1	Mohamed Al-Bishi	Saudi Arabia	51.42	Q
2	Lukáš Soucek	Czech Republic	51.53	Q
3	Xavier Ravenet	France	51.63	q
4	Robert Jarabek	Slovakia	51.78	q
5	Zion Armstrong	New Zealand	52.59
6	Borja Huerto	Spain	52.81
7	Chris Wagner	Canada	55.09

Heat 3

Rank	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
1	Kevin James	Jamaica	52.14	Q
2	Osita Okeagu	Nigeria	52.54	Q
3	Markus Diemand	Germany	53.18
4	Aaron Haynes	United States	53.21
5	Lee Du-yeon	South Korea	53.23
6	Gabriel Burnett	Barbados	55.91

Heat 4

Rank	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
1	Miklós Roth	Hungary	52.03	Q
2	Andrey Shcheglov	Russia	52.21	Q
3	Corey Murdock	United States	52.24	q
4	Jaroslaw Kalbarczyk	Poland	52.51
5	Daniel Hechler	Germany	52.90
6	Takahito Yamazaki	Japan	53.00
7	Alex Hunte	United Kingdom	54.04

Heat 5

Rank	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
1	Jaco Jonker	South Africa	51.59	Q
2	Matthew Beckenham	Australia	51.83	Q
3	Radoslav Holúbek	Slovakia	51.95	q
4	Bartosz Gruman	Poland	52.50
5	Tibor Eckermann	Hungary	52.84
6	Lin Wen-Hao	Chinese Taipei	53.28
7	Amine Harchouche	Algeria	53.69

Heat 6

Rank	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
1	Noel Levy	United Kingdom	51.51	Q
2	Hadi Al-Somaily	Saudi Arabia	51.88	Q
3	Constantin Budeanu	Romania	52.53
4	Nobuyuki Suzuki	Japan	52.61
5	Andrés Alarcón	Spain	53.27
6	Yvon Rakotoarimiandry	Madagascar	54.06