21st July 2013 09:01
The Russian added 1586 points to his overnight total from the 110m hurdles and discus and will start the pole vault with a 268-point advantage over his teammate Aleksey Cherkasov. The javelin and 1500m follow later in the programme.
Likhanov started where he left off on Saturday – by performing better than he ever has before. He clipped more than a quarter of a second from his sprint hurdles best running 14.23, his sixth PB in six events. He followed up with 38.82 in the discus, just 12cm short of his best.
The 18-year-old holds the Russian youth record for the octathlon and showed his promise when he finished fourth in that event at the 2011 World Youth championships.
But he has improved immeasurably here, producing six PBs from seven events so far to amass 5947 points. With three events to go he now has his sights set on Kevin Mayer’s championships record of 8124 from Tallinn two years ago.
Cherkasov leapt from fourth to second with PBs in both this morning’s events. He ran 14.12 in the hurdles and threw 40.37 in the discus.
Sweden’s Frederick Ekholm produced the quickest hurdles of the morning, 13.98, to stay in second but slipped back to third after the discus when he could only reach 34.87.
Cherkasov has 5679 points before the pole vault. Ekholm is 55 behind on 5624 and Germany’s Tim Nowak lies just outside the medal positions on 5621.
Britain best and worst in relay semis
With three champions and seven medallists from the 100m and 200m finals, Britain were odds-on favourites for both 4x100m relay titles before the semi-finals this morning.
The women’s quartet cemented their status by posting a national junior record ahead of France, but the men added to their nation’s reputation for bungling the baton in big championships when they failed to finish.
The British men were leading at the second changeover when 200m champion Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake passed on to Leon Reid who at first appeared to have the stick in his hand before it slipped from his grasp.
That mistake allowed Poland to sweep on to victory in 40.05 while France emerged as the fastest qualifiers, anchored home in the second semi by sprint hurdles champion Wilhem Belocian in 39.97.
The British women had no such trouble and 200m silver medallist Desiree Henry brought the baton home in 43.89 ahead of France’s 100m champion Stella Akakpo who broke the line in 44.12.
Netherlands beat Germany to win the other women’s semi in 44.75 while Switzerland ran 44.99 to break their national junior record and win a final place in third.