Seventeen-year-old US phenomenon Cooper Lutkenhaus made athletics history at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Kujawy Pomorze 26 on Sunday (22).

Just seven months after turning professional, he belied his years to defeat a stacked field in the men’s 800m and become the youngest individual male winner of any event at a World Championships, indoors or out.

At the halfway point, the race had a predictable look as Belgium’s Eliott Crestan, seeking world indoor gold after successive bronze and silver in 2024 and 2025, took the lead as he had done in both previous rounds.

Then it all changed as Lutkenhaus – who had looked overawed last year when he became the youngest US man to compete at the World Championships in Tokyo – calmly took over a lead which he never looked remotely like conceding before crossing, perhaps just a little bewildered, in 1:44.24.

Not that the time was out of his normal ambit – he had clocked a world U18 best of 1:42.27 at the 2025 US Championships to earn his place at the World Championships later that year.

Crestan looked stunned after picking up a second successive silver in 1:44.38, with Spain’s Mohamed Attaoui being rewarded for a smart race by taking bronze in 1:44.66 – his first global medal.

Australia’s 2022 Commonwealth silver medallist Peter Bol missed out on a medal by one place but had the consolation of setting an Oceanian indoor record of 1:45.14.

"I came out here thinking I probably wasn't the favourite, but any time I feel like I can step into a final I have a chance to win,” Lutkenhus said.

“Maybe it came from confidence or maybe from being too young but I really wanted to try to make a defining move. I believed in that on the third lap – I just wanted to try to take it from there.

“I'm so surprised by how much support I received from everybody around me being a teenager and starting to compete at the senior level – the highest level. I heard guys yelling for me from the infield for the whole race, especially in the last 150m. They got me to the finish line in first position. Team USA has such a great group together."

Crestan commented: "I am happy with the medal of course, but right after the race I felt a little bit of disappointment. But Cooper's acceleration was very strong – he is an incredible talent, winning at 17 years of age. I think he can be the future David Rudisha.”

Mike Rowbottom for World Athletics

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