Kenya came out as the leaders on the medal table of the IAAF World Junior Championships with two gold medals claimed within one hour in Beijing on Thursday evening.

Caroline Chekurui Tuigong claimed the first gold for the African nation, setting a new championships record of nine minutes and 40.95 seconds to win the women's 3,000 meters steeplechase title.

The former record of 9:47.26 was set by her compatriot Gladys Jerotich Kipkemoi two years ago.

Tuigong did not go sprinting until the final lap and denied a consecutive effort from Romania's Ancuta Bobocel, beating the 18-year-old to the second position with a time of 9:46.19.

Remmy Limo Ndiwa then won the second gold in the men's 1500 meters with a time of three minutes and 40.44 seconds, against Abdelati Iguider of Morocco on 3:40.73 and Bahrain's Belal Mansoor Ali on 3:41.36.

The two golds sealed a temperately leading position for the Kenyans at the championships' table alongside two silver medals and a bronze, trailed hosts China with two golds, one silver and two bronzes.

Huang Haiqiang stamped the renaissance of Chinese for the field competitions, as the national champion did not let go his last chance in the men's high jump title, winning the second gold for the hosts on his final attempt.

The 18-year-old Huang, who was crowned last October at the Chinese National Games in Nanjing, cleared a height of 2.32 meters on his third and final attempt, while the only other jumper having cleared the previous height of 2.29m, Niki Palli of Israel, failed all his three jumps.

Huang was almost shown the door out after failing on the height of 2.26m, but he returned to clear 2.29 meters on his only attempt.

Xue Fei was the first Chinese to finish on the highest podium of the junior worlds in Beijing after taking the women's 5000 meters on Tuesday.

Sha Li should have raised China to top the table on Thursday, but her 14.01 meters mark at the women's triple jump final was overrun by Estonia's Kaire Leibak, who seized her last chance with a result of 14.43m, which was a world junior leading result as the former season best of 13.97 was achieved Tuesday in the qualifications by Sha Li.

In the women's 400 meters hurdles, Jamaica's Kaliese Spencer outlasted the United States' junior national champion Nicole Leach, clocking a world junior leading result of 55.11 seconds. Her compatriot Sherene Pinnock, the CAC Junior Championships gold medal winner and defending bronze medallist, timed a personal best 56.67 to settle for a bronze medal.

Danijela Grgic claimed the first gold medal for Croatia after winning the women's 400m in 50.78 seconds, while Jamaica's Sonita Sutherland took the silver with a distant 51.42 and Sudan's Nawal El Jack third in 51.67.

Renny Quow lifted the men's 400 meters title for Trinidad and Tobago as the 19-year-old runner clocked 45.74 seconds, beating Justin Oliver from the United States and Britain's Martyn Rooney on 45.78 and 45.87 respectively.

The men's decathlon came to the end with Russian Arkadiy Vasilyev crowned with 8059 points, Yordani Garcia of Cuba settled for the silver with 7850 and Jordan Vandermade from New Zealand finished third with 7807. China's Zhu Hengjun and Liu Haibo were 5th and 14th respectively.

Following is the medals table after the third day of the Championships:

Gold Silver Bronze Total

1. Kenya 221 5

2. China 212 5

3. Estonia 200 2

4. Jamaica 113 5

5. Russia 111 3

6. Romania 110 2

7. Ethiopia101 2

7. Britain 100 1

9. Australia 100 1

9. Bulgaria100 1

9. Croatia 100 1

9. Netherlands 100 1

9. Trinidad and Tobago 100 1

14. United States 040 4

15. Germany011 2

16. Canada 010 1

16. Cuba 010 1

16. Iran 010 1

16. Israel 010 1

16. Morocco010 1

21. Bahrain002 2

21. Ukraine002 2

23. New Zealand001 1

23. Sudan 001 1

(Xinhua News Agency August 18, 2006)