It took a second for 16-year-old <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/cooper-lutkenhaus-15152457" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cooper Lutkenhaus</a>, sitting at home with the Cowboys game playing on TV, to remember the last time he was bored. It&rsquo;s not something the owner of the U18 800m world-best time usually gets the luxury of, but it happens every so often.
&ldquo;Maybe this morning,&rdquo; he decided, &ldquo;because I didn't have to run today, so I was kind of just laying around, but I'm going out tonight to buy a couple of clothing items that I might need for school this week.&rdquo;
Over the span of his sophomore year of high school, Lutkenhaus broke the high school 800m record three times. He leaped to the forefront of the track and field world, and went from high school cross country to the World Athletics Championships. Over the next year, he&rsquo;ll work to qualify for the World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26, where he could return to Hayward Field at the University of Oregon to continue that climb. His coach, Chris Capeau, describes him as &ldquo;relentless&rdquo; (a word he used six times in his interview) but he also calls him &ldquo;joyful&rdquo; and a kid. Together, they&rsquo;re walking the line between high schooler and world record-holder &ndash; and they&rsquo;re winning.
&ldquo;People will kind of put these hard things on him,&rdquo; Capeau said. &ldquo;The good part is it doesn't faze him. He wants the bar to be higher. He wants the standard to be raised.&rdquo;
But Lutkenhaus is still 16, and so the night before he would run in the biggest race of his life, at the USATF Outdoor Championships, he was a few blocks away at the perfect place: Track Town Pizza. The marquee board for the nearly 50-year-old local spot has swapped between a Prefontaine Classic advertisement and one reading &ldquo;Wear Green and Yell &lsquo;O&rsquo;,&rdquo; and he was eating what he called &ldquo;probably not the best day-before food&rdquo; and sitting with his family.
It wasn&rsquo;t the athlete centre that was set up south of Hayward Field, with cold tubs and mini fridges full of Gatorade. It wasn&rsquo;t the hotel with rows of conference rooms and a bed. It wasn&rsquo;t glamorous, but it&rsquo;s wooden booths, TVs on every wall and framed Oregon football newspapers.
It&rsquo;s tradition for a family that has been doing this for a while. This isn&rsquo;t his first time in Eugene &ndash; not even the first time this summer. That was a little less than a month before, when he ran 1:45.45 on a rainy Saturday at Hayward Field to break his own high school record, which he initially set a few months earlier at 1:46.26, a couple of hundred miles north at the Brooks PR Invitational.
They&rsquo;re also there because the Lutkenhaus family is together. It&rsquo;s not often they get to be in one place. The three boys &ndash; George Jr., Andrew and Cooper &ndash; are split between college and high school. This weekend, they all flew in.
&ldquo;I feel like I've been in Eugene so many times now, that it almost feels like almost a home track besides the one I run on every day,&rdquo; Lutkenhaus said. &ldquo;But the USAs trip was&hellip;honestly, I think it went perfect.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6901478e7417af61aaa4686c.jpg" alt="Cooper Lutkenhaus and Bryce Hoppel at the 2025 Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon." />
<div style="text-align: right;">Cooper Lutkenhaus and Bryce Hoppel at the 2025 Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon. (<img style="width: 16px; vertical-align: middle; display: inline;" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,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" alt="photographer icon" /> Patrick Smith / Getty Images)</div>
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The next day, Lutkenhaus stood on the red warmup track outside Hayward Field. Normally, what&rsquo;s notable is that it circles six tennis courts and a turf soccer field used by students. For the weekend, it was crowded with his heroes. Somewhere among them was the 800m pack &ndash; which included Lutkenhaus&rsquo; favorite runner, American record-holder Bryce Hoppel.
&ldquo;I want to be able to be a person like that,&rdquo; Lutkenhaus said. &ldquo;I look up to Bryce. To be able to see him doing so well in his career and trying to do what he can do&hellip;It's really cool.&rdquo;
Two years ago, Lutkenhaus saw Hoppel run in the 800m final in the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. He&rsquo;s pretty sure he was watching on his phone at school. It&rsquo;s sort of what he does.
&ldquo;If you go on my school computer and go on YouTube, there's just (videos of) 1500m and 800m finals, from Olympics and World Championships,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I just love to watch the sport for what it is.&rdquo;
When he&rsquo;s lifting weights outside, he&rsquo;ll turn on full runs of collegiate 10,000m races. &ldquo;I just love to see the sport, especially when there's Americans in the race, that's always more exciting to get to see some of the best athletes in the world compete.&rdquo;
The championship race itself is well documented, but it deserves some perspective. Before 2025, five US men had ever run faster than 1:43. On the day of the race, Lutkenhaus&rsquo; high school record (1:45.45) was two seconds behind the collegiate record (1:43.25).
He closed the final 200m of the final race in 25.42 seconds &ndash; faster than any other runner by more than a second. He surged from seventh to second, and passed Hoppel near the line. His final time, 1:42.27, is the U18 world best, the fourth-fastest ever by a US athlete and puts him joint 19th in world history.
After they crossed the line, 22-hundredths of a second apart, Hoppel made a beeline for Lutkenhaus.
&ldquo;Keep it up,&rdquo; he told him. &ldquo;I think you can be one of the best ever.&rdquo;
Some time before Lutkenhaus was in the media tent, Hoppel was there, too. He had a bronze medal around his neck, but he was being asked about the second-place finisher. He waved his hands.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know how to even fathom that yet,&rdquo; Hoppel said to a scrum of reporters. &ldquo;I was telling someone earlier, I don&rsquo;t even know what I was doing at 16.&rdquo;
The mixed zone is a difficult place to be bored, especially when most of the athletes are being asked about you. Lutkenhaus walked on the hard flooring to the end of the backdrop, where the scrum was stacked three-deep and two-high (someone is on a chair, trying to get an angle with their phone). The first question came:
&ldquo;Did you have any idea how fast you were going?&rdquo;
The next three weeks were a blur. He walked out of the tent and got on a flight six hours later (&ldquo;I slept maybe an hour in a span of 48,&rdquo; he said). There would be no time to be bored; he called Capeau from a gas station in Eugene to recap the weekend. Later that month, he&rsquo;d walk through the newly-open door and sign his first professional contract with Nike.
&ldquo;It maybe took three weeks before I could really relax and look back at everything,&rdquo; Lutkenhaus said.
During those three weeks, Hoppel asked for Lutkenhaus&rsquo; phone number. He made the call. They talked about the upcoming World Championships in Tokyo &ndash; Lutkenhaus asked if there was anything he needed to bring &ndash; and then got to the race.
&ldquo;It was just being able to hear from him, saying your life's going to be pretty crazy,&rdquo; Lutkenhaus said. &ldquo;Especially those weeks leading into world championships, which definitely weren&rsquo;t (chill). They were crazy.&rdquo;
His race in Tokyo was well-documented, too. Lutkenhaus finished seventh in his heat, in 1:47.68, and was eliminated after jumping early into the outside lanes and running most of his race there. He calls it &ldquo;the worst race tactics I&rsquo;ve had&rdquo; but thinks he&rsquo;s learned from it.
When Lutkenhaus and Capeau got into an Uber to travel to a USATF banquet the next afternoon, it was quiet for a while. The race had sat with them for almost a day. Then, Capeau started talking.
&ldquo;I forget how I worded it, but it was almost something like, &lsquo;Hard moment, but what an incredible year, right?&rsquo;&rdquo; Capeau said. &ldquo;The moment sucked, but the year? Oh, my god. Tell me about it.&rdquo;
It&rsquo;s the battle, as Capeau described it, of putting the year in perspective. One year ago, Lutkenhaus was still a star &mdash; but one looking at college offers. In the Uber, he was a teenage World Championship qualifier less than a month removed from turning pro.
In the car, Lutkenhaus started going on his phone and counting the number of races he&rsquo;d been through in the past year. He went through the list, and it crossed 30.
&ldquo;If we ended my year at Nike Outdoor Nationals, when I ran 1:45, I would have been happy with it,&rdquo; Lutkenhaus said. &ldquo;It would have been a great year, but then it just kept on going. I think if you counted my cross country season, I was racing for over a year&hellip;that's a long time.&rdquo;
They sat together and took time to put the year in perspective.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re both still kind of bummed,&rdquo; Capeau said. &ldquo;You have to be able to file it away. You&rsquo;ve got to have the second to let the emotion be real, but also (say), &lsquo;Here&rsquo;s the things we did do. Here&rsquo;s the success we did have. Here&rsquo;s the blessing of this moment &mdash;&nbsp;it doesn&rsquo;t feel good, but it allows us to grow up with it.&rsquo;&rdquo;
For now, though, he&rsquo;s got homecoming. The Cowboys game is on TV, and he&rsquo;s sitting in his house in Justin, Texas doing his best to take time to be bored. It hasn&rsquo;t been easy. For now, he&rsquo;s &ldquo;off&rdquo; &ndash; and that means something to Capeau.
&ldquo;When we're off, we're off,&rdquo; the coach said. &ldquo;We don't talk about racing, we don't talk about training. We just are off. He's just out there riding the bike with other guys and talking to them, and goes back to being a 16-year-old kid.&rdquo;
In less than a year, he&rsquo;ll aim to return to Hayward Field to run at the place that feels like home again, in the World Athletics U20 Championships. There&rsquo;s no longer a lack of expectation for the soon-to-be 17-year-old.
He went to another school&rsquo;s homecoming last week, but he&rsquo;s not making it to his own this year &ndash; instead, he&rsquo;ll be in Lubbock for the Texas Tech football game. On 9 October, he took up his newest job, as the Northwest High School Cross Country team manager. He walked around the course with Capeau. He took the obligatory photos. He joked.
&ldquo;I think about it in the aspect of that he can absolutely go and train with 28-year-olds,&rdquo; Capeau said. &ldquo;But also, it's like, is a 28-year-old going to be a 16-year-old's best friend? Probably not, probably shouldn't, right? What he does get to do with the other 16-year-olds on his team is he gets to laugh.&rdquo;
Sometimes, he gets to be bored, too. It&rsquo;s what happens when you win.
Owen Murray for&nbsp;WU20 Oregon 26
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</div>

World Athletics U20 Championships

800m star Cooper Lutkenhaus sprinted to the top of the mountain over the past year. As he looks toward Oregon 26, he can take time to rest, too.

‘He wants the standard to be raised’: Lutkenhaus’ journey into the teenage track and field spotlight

The qualification systems for three 2026 World Athletics Series events have been published, following their approval by the World Athletics Council in Tokyo:
&bull; World Athletics Indoor Championships Kujawy Pomorze 26 (20-22 March 2026) &bull; World Athletics Relays Gaborone 26 (2-3 May 2026) &bull; World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26 (5-9 August 2026) 
The qualification window for the World Indoor Championships in Kujawy Pomorze, Poland, runs from 1 November 2025 to 8 March 2026, with qualification based on entry standards and top indoor performance lists.&nbsp;
Individual athletes (except for combined events) can qualify in one of three ways:
&bull; By achieving the entry standard within the qualification period &bull; By World Indoor Tour wild card &bull; By virtue of their position in the top performances list
A Road to Kujawy Pomorze list will be published every week on the World Athletics website, starting from 1 December 2025.
<a href="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/document/68e618104372a24493d75cf0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full WIC Kujawy Pomorze 26 qualification system and entry standards</a> 
The top eight teams in the relay events at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 automatically qualified for the World Athletics Relays in Gaborone, Botswana. The remaining spots will be filled via top lists from 1 January 2025 to 5 April 2026, with host nation Botswana automatically entered in all events. A maximum of 24 teams will be entered in each event. In the mixed 4x100m, all 24 teams will be selected from top lists.
The World Relays in Gaborone will be the main qualification event for relay events at the 2026 World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest and the 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing. The top six teams in the mixed 4x100m and mixed 4x400m in Gaborone qualify for Budapest, while the top 12 teams in every event in Gaborone qualify for Beijing.
<a href="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/document/69813399354a558fc3af16b6.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full WRE Gaborone 26 qualification system</a> 
For the World U20 Championships in Oregon, USA, the qualification system is solely based on entry standards, with a qualification period running from 1 October 2025 to 26 July 2026. The event will feature the addition of the mixed 4x100m and the 5000m race walk, which will replace the 10,000m race walk.
<a href="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/document/68e6185d4372a24493d75cf6.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full WU20 Oregon 26 qualification system and entry standards</a>
&nbsp;
This press release was updated on 2 February 2026 to include a new version of the WRE Gaborone 26 qualification system
&nbsp;

The qualification systems for three 2026 World Athletics Series events have been published, following their approval by the World Athletics Council in Tokyo

Qualification systems for WIC Kujawy Pomorze 26, WRE Gaborone 26 and WU20 Oregon 26 published

<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nearly 40 U20 athletes reached the field of play representing 29 countries at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 with two individual medals highlighting the U20 field.&nbsp;
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the women&rsquo;s hammer throw, China&rsquo;s rising star, <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jiale Zhang<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> put together a series well beyond her years to become the youngest-ever medalist in the event. The 18-year-old thrower, who was third at the World Athletics U20 championships in Lima last year, won the Chinese National Championships in August with a world U20 record* 77.24m throw. In Tokyo, Zhang managed a 72.02m toss for a comfortable qualification to the final, where she went on to land three throws over 74m. Her bronze medal attempt of 77.10m came in the final round, solidifying her position on the podium behind teammate Jie Zhao and Canadian gold medalist Camryn Rogers.&nbsp;
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kenya&rsquo;s <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Edmund Serem<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, who made his name known on the Diamond League circuit this year, was a favorite going into the men&rsquo;s steeplechase final, but had to face the most competitive field he&rsquo;d seen in his career. The 17-year-old did not shy away from the tactics of a more seasoned field. He set the pace alongside Germany&rsquo;s Frederik Ruppert through the first half of the race until USA&rsquo;s Daniel Michalski pushed the lead pack&rsquo;s pace as they reached the final 800m. Geordie Beamish led a sprint to the finish and Serem was able to hold on to bronze behind Beamish&rsquo;s winning 8:33.88 and two-time Olympic champion Soufiane El Bakkali&rsquo;s 8:33.95. Serem&rsquo;s 8:34.56 was good for bronze in his first global championship showing.&nbsp;
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the heats of the men&rsquo;s 4x400m, 19-year-old <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kai Liu<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> split 44.87 to lead a Chinese quartet to a national record of 3:00.77. This came after splitting 45.30 as the third leg of the mixed relay, which clocked a 3:13.96 for 14th overall.&nbsp;
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Portugal&rsquo;s <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pedro Afonso<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> ran an impressive 44.46 lead leg in the men&rsquo;s 4x400m heats to put his squad in position to break their national record. The quartet clocked a 2:59.70 to move on to the rainy final, where Afonso once again ran the first leg of the 3:09.06 ninth-place finish.&nbsp;
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Leendert Koekemoer<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> of South Africa walks away from the Championships as a bronze medalist, having run a 45.17 split in the heats of the men&rsquo;s 4x400m to help solidify South Africa&rsquo;s lane in the final. Koekemoer&rsquo;s teammates went on to clock a 2:57.83 for bronze in a dramatic final.&nbsp;
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">*pending the usual ratification procedures by World Athletics.&nbsp;
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Full results of the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 can be found <a style="text-decoration: none;" href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-championships/tokyo25/timetable"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #1155cc; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">here. </a>

China's Jiale Zhang and Kenya's Edmund Serem win bronze medals at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo

Teenage stars Zhang and Serem are youngest medalists of WCH Tokyo 25

<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">More than 50 of the world&rsquo;s top U20 athletes are entered to compete on the biggest stage at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 at the Japan National Stadium from 13 - 21 September. 
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A group of rising distance stars will take the spotlight in Tokyo as they compete for global glory. 18-year-old Kenyan, Phanuel Kipkosgei Koech, is among the top contenders for the podium in the men&rsquo;s 1500m having run the second-fastest time in the world this year &ndash; a world U20 record of 3:27.72 in June. He&rsquo;s joined in the U20 ranks by the short track 1500m world record holder, Cameron Myers, who will represent Australia in the midst of a breakout season. Kenya also has a U20 medal opportunity in the men&rsquo;s 3000m Steeplechase with 17-year-old Edmund Serem. The world U20 champion has the fourth-fastest time on the entry list behind reigning champion Soufiane El Bakkali, Diamond League Final champion Frederik Ruppert, and two-time Olympic finalist Ryuji Miura.&nbsp;
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ethiopia&rsquo;s Birke Haylom, who holds world U20 records across five events from the 1500m to the 5000m, is entered in both the 1500m and 5000m. Haylom holds personal bests of 3:53.22 in the 1500 and 14:24.20 in the 5000m, putting her at No.10 and No.6 on the 2025 performance lists. Olympic finalist and world U20 record holder in the 10,000m and short track 3000m, Biniam Mehary, enters the 10,000m in Tokyo as the favourite. His biggest challengers for the throne are countrymen Selemon Barega and Berihu Aregawi, both of whom are Olympic medallists in the event.&nbsp;
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A rising star for the US, Cooper Lutkenhaus, is the youngest entrant in any individual men&rsquo;s event at Tokyo. The 16-year-old ran a world U18 best of 1:42.27 to qualify for the Championships and could certainly be in medal winning form.&nbsp;
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With a personal best of 77.24m, China&rsquo;s Jiale Zhang has the fifth-furthest mark on the Tokyo entry list behind a decorated list of throwers including the last three world champions, Camryn Rodgers, Brooke Andersen, and DeAnna Price. The 18-year-old improved upon the world U20 record earlier this year at the Chinese National Championships and could become the first U20 woman to medal in the event since its inception in 1999.&nbsp;
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">More than a dozen promising young sprinters from across the world have been designated to their country&rsquo;s relay teams and a standout bunch will take on the rounds in the individual events. Among those looking to shake up the sprint finals is Australia&rsquo;s Gout Gout. The 17-year-old world U20 silver medalist from Queensland holds the outright Oceania record in the 200m at 20.02, set in Ostrava in June. Samuel Ogazi will look to improve on his seventh-place 400m finish from the Paris Olympic Games. Ogazi has a personal best of 44.41, a Nigerian record, and is currently ranked No.15 in the world.&nbsp;
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">A full list of entries, as well as a timetable and results, can be found <a style="text-decoration-line: none;" href="https://worldathletics.org/"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #1155cc; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">here</a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">.

More than 50 U20 athletes to compete at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25

More than 50 U20 athletes to compete at WCH Tokyo 25

Poland&rsquo;s Hubert Trościanka put on a masterclass on his way to a world U20 decathlon record* to highlight performances at the European U20 Championships in Tampere, which included a staggering 30 national records and six championship records.
Across the first two days of competition, Trościanka pieced together a commanding performance in the decathlon as he became the first athlete to ever surpass 8500 points in the U20 decathlon. The 19-year-old combined events star took down the previous record of 8435, set in 2017 by Germany&rsquo;s Niklas Kaul, by 79 points.
Trościanka took the lead in the first of 10 events with a 10.74 personal best in the 100m. He added a 7.26m long jump and 15.48m throw in the shot put to lead through three events, but Luuk Pelkmans snatched the lead with a 2.06m high jump to Trościanka&rsquo;s 1.94m. He regained the lead from the Dutchman with a world U20 decathlon best 46.21 in the 400m, but the margin narrowed with his 14.23 in the 110m hurdles to Pelkman&rsquo;s 14.07.
Pelkmans swapped into the gold-medal position with a 46.48m throw in the discus to Trościanka&rsquo;s 43.36m, but a 4.80m clearance in the pole vault gave the Polish star the lead going into one of his strongest events &ndash; the javelin. He launched a championship decathlon best of 68.87m to establish nearly a 300-point lead going into the final event.
A gruelling 4:28.59 in the 1500m gave Trościanka a winning tally of 8514, making him the highest-scoring U20 decathlete of all time and a name to watch out for as he rises to the senior ranks in 2026.
In the women&rsquo;s triple jump, Italy&rsquo;s Erika Saraceni took down a 24-year-old championship record and bettered her own Italian U20 record with a 14.24m leap. Her first leap of 14.08m was good enough to match her lifetime best and she went on to improve to 14.15m and eventually 14.24m. In the bronze medal position, Latvia&rsquo;s Adriana Kruzmane also bettered a national U20 record with 13.62m.
France&rsquo;s Elijah Pasquier also found success in the jumps. The 19-year-old cleared 2.25m for gold in the high jump to take down a 35-year-old French U20 record of 2.24m, set by Didier Detch&eacute;nique in 1990.
Innes FitzGerald put on quite the show as she managed double gold for Great Britain in the 3000m and 5000m. On day one of competition in Tampere FitzGerald clocked 15:09.04 at the longer distance for her first gold and managed to keep fresh enough legs to topple Gabby Szabo&rsquo;s 32-year-old championship record in the 3000m with 8:46.39.
Joining FitzGerald as double gold medallists on the track were Norway&rsquo;s H&aring;kon Moe Berg in the 1500m and 3000m and 15-year-old Italian Kelly Ann Maevane Doualla in the 100m and 4x100m. Moe Berg clocked an 8:43.20 on Saturday before winning the 1500m gold in 3:47.36 on Sunday. Doualla sped to an 11.22 for the 100m crown on Friday and anchored Italy (Alice
&nbsp;
Pagliarini, Elisa Valensin, and Margherita Castellani) to 4x100m gold with a national U20 record 43.72 on Sunday. That pushed Poland to a national U20 record of 44.07 for bronze. In the heats, Latvia also clocked a national U20 record at 45.86.
Jarno van Daalen of the Netherlands pulled off a shot put/discus double. He landed a 21.07m throw to win the shot put before launching a 63.18m throw in the discus.
In the 400m hurdles, Michal Rada of Czechia established a world U20 lead and championship record with his 48.78. That mark puts him at No.2 on the European U20 all-time list and is the fastest in more than 40 years. Rada went on to anchor Czechia to a 4x400m national U20 record of 3:05.79 alongside Ondřej Loupal, Luk&aacute;&scaron; Mare&scaron;, and Tom&aacute;&scaron; Hor&aacute;k. Spain secured silver and their own U20 record in 3:06.83.
Pushed by Rada&rsquo;s winning ways, Iker Moreno of Spain clocked a national U20 record of 49.66 for silver and Quinten de Vos set a Dutch U20 record of 50.46 for bronze.
Alexandra Stefania Uta of Romania also established a championship record in the 400m hurdles with her 55.55 clocking for gold and a European U20 lead to beat France&rsquo;s M&eacute;ta Tumba with a lean. Tumba&rsquo;s 55.56 was good for a French U20 record and silver over Estonia&rsquo;s Viola Hambidge, who lowered her national U20 record to 56.71.
Also in the hurdles, Matteo Togni clocked a European U20 lead and Italian U20 record of 13.27 for gold in the 110m hurdles. Bulgaria&rsquo;s Hristiyan was second with a 13.31 clocking for a national U20 record and Norway&rsquo;s Elias Grannes Pedersen clocked a 13.42 for a Norwegian U20 record and fifth place.
The 10,000m race walk saw seven national U20 records fall across both the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s races. Taking gold on the women&rsquo;s side, Sofia Santacreu became the first U20 Spaniard to drop below 44:00.00 in the women&rsquo;s 10,000m race walk with her 43.47.89, bettering a decade-old national record. That feat helped to pace four more national records: Serena di Fabio (ITA), 43:56.25 for silver, Mina Stanković (SRB), 44:35.66 (all-ages record), Chloe le Roch (FRA), 45:08.59, and Theresia Emma Mohr (AUT), 45:13.07 (all-ages record).
Spain took top honours in the men&rsquo;s race as Joan Querol bettered an 11-year-old national U20 record in 39:10.04 to snag the championship record and Italy&rsquo;s Giuseppe Disabato clocked a 39:20.87 for silver to better his own record.
Croatia&rsquo;s Jana Ko&scaron;cak equalled her own national record of 6293 to win the heptathlon. Propelling her in the rankings was a championship heptathlon record of 1.92m in the high jump. That mark ties her own national U20 record and matches her own world U20 lead. In close competition with Ko&scaron;cak throughout seven events, Sarolta Kriszt managed a Hungarian U20 record of 6251.
Several other athletes set national age-group records. Ireland&rsquo;s Conor Kelly set a national U20 record to win the men&rsquo;s 400m in 45.83, Turkey&rsquo;s Kiyasettin Kara clocked a 3000m steeplechase national record of 8:43.55 for gold, Victoria Kwarteng set a French U20 record of 52.26 in the 400m, and Laura Friklova of Slovakia clocked a record-breaking 13.10 in the 100m hurdles heats.
In less than a year, many of these athletes will use their experience from the continental stage as they go on to compete at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
A full list of results from the European U20 Championships Tampere 2025 can be found here.
*subject to the usual ratification procedures

Poland’s Hubert Trościanka put on a masterclass on his way to a world U20 decathlon record* to highlight performances at the European U20 Championships in Tampere

Trościanka’s world U20 decathlon record headlines competition in Tampere

The track in Tampere, Finland, is packed with talent for the European Athletics U20 Championships from 7-10 August. World U18 and U20 record-holders in the women&rsquo;s 100m, 5000m and short track 400m and the men&rsquo;s 400m hurdles go face to face with their rivals, while world U20 champions take the next step towards defending their titles at the World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26 in the women&rsquo;s heptathlon, 400m hurdles and men&rsquo;s shot put.
<h2>Sprinters push boundaries with eyes on first titles</h2>
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/italy/kelly-ann-maevane-doualla-edimo-15022410" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kelly Doualla</a> is just 15 years old, but the Italian sprinter already holds the European U18 best over 100m, at 11.21 set in July. <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/france/lenny-chanteur-15057488" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lenny Chanteur</a>'s 10.22 personal best is the fastest by a European U20 man this year. The French athlete won both his heat and semifinal at the French U20 Championships in July before finishing second in the final, where he ran 10.42. In Finland, both will look to claim their first European U20 outdoor crowns.
Germany's <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/germany/johanna-martin-14996565" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Johanna Martin</a> holds the European U20 short track 400m record and ran a then-personal best of 52.49 at the World U20 Championships in Lima, Peru, last August. Martin, 19, doesn&rsquo;t yet have a European outdoor title to her name, but she lowered her personal best to 51.55 at the European Team Championships in June.
World and two-time French U20 champion <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/france/m%C3%A9ta-tumba-14947230" target="_blank" rel="noopener">M&eacute;ta Tumba</a> headlines the women&rsquo;s 400m hurdles field. Her 55.59 from Lima 2024, where she won all three of her hurdles rounds, still stands as the national U20 record in the event.&nbsp;
The men&rsquo;s 400m hurdles pool, meanwhile, features the owner of the European U18 best in the event. At Lima 2024, Czech U20 record-holder (49.08) <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/czechia/michal-rada-15035794" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michal Rada</a>&rsquo;s first-round time &ndash; 49.36 &ndash; was then the world U20 lead, and the national U20 record, which he went on to lower to 49.30 in the final, where he won silver behind the United States&rsquo; Vance Nilsson.&nbsp;
<h2>Moe Berg, FitzGerald and Van Daalen on double medal watch</h2>
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/norway/h%C3%A5kon-moe-berg-15034954" target="_blank" rel="noopener">H&aring;kon Moe Berg</a> follows in the footsteps of his fellow Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen as he takes on the 1500m/3000m double in Finland. Moe Berg, the national champion in the 1500m, has not run a 3000m race yet in 2025 but holds a personal best of 7:55.82 from August 2024.
Also looking to double up on medals is <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/great-britain-ni/innes-fitzgerald-15033317" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Innes FitzGerald</a>, who holds the European U20 5000m record. FitzGerald is entered in both the 3000m and 5000m in Tampere, where she will look to claim a first European U20 crown on the track after two European cross country titles. She ran personal best times at two Diamond League events in 2025 &ndash; 14:39.56 in the 5000m in London and 8:32.90 in the 3000m in Stockholm.
Another double could come in the field events, from world U20 shot put champion <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/netherlands/jarno-van-daalen-14987276" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jarno Van Daalen</a>. The Dutch 19-year-old threw a then-personal best 20.76m (6kg) to win the U20 world title in Lima, then threw over 21 metres with a 6kg shot earlier this year. His double could come in the discus, where he holds a personal best of 66.31m with a 1.750kg discus. Both marks rank first among European U20 athletes in 2025.
<h2>Former U18 winners look to take next steps</h2>
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/croatia/vita-barbic-14955305" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vita Barbić</a>, like Doualla, knows what it&rsquo;s like to shine early. Now 17 years old, Barbić won the European U18 javelin title in 2024 and finished third in the discus before landing just off the podium in fourth place at the World U20 Championships the same year. A two-time national U20 champion, Barbić could add a European title to her resume this year.
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/france/remi-mourie-15122947" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Remi Mourie</a> is the sole long jumper in the field to have soared beyond eight metres. The 17-year-old&rsquo;s 8.05m jump from June is the French U18 record. He sits third worldwide and first in Europe among U20 athletes this year, and he has already added 33cm to his European U18 Championship-winning distance from last summer.
Croatia's <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/cro/jana-ko%C5%A1%C4%8Dak-14881318" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jana Ko&scaron;čak</a> checks in as the world U20 heptathlon champion after she posted 5807 points in Lima to win. Her personal best of 6293 points from 2023 still stands as the world U18 best and the Croatian national record. She finished 14th at last year&rsquo;s European Championships and rose to a season&rsquo;s best of 6190 points in July.

The track in Tampere, Finland, is packed with talent for the European Athletics U20 Championships from 7-10 August

World champions, record-holders and double medal chances at European U20 Championships

Highlighted by a world U18 best and an area U20 record, 13 US U20 athletes made it to their nation&rsquo;s biggest stage as they competed at the USATF Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
Sixteen-year-old Cooper Lutkenhaus went into the championships with a personal best of 1:45.45 and one goal &ndash; to make it to the 800m final. In the first round, he clocked 1:47.23 for second in his heat behind US short track record-holder Josh Hoey to get automatic qualification into the semifinal.
Lutkenhaus went into the second round with a last-race mentality, knowing that it could very well take the best day of his young career to make it into the final among a deep domestic field. On the heels of Bryce Hoppel &ndash; the US record-holder at the distance &ndash; the Northwest High School (Texas) rising athlete clocked 1:45.57 to become the youngest runner to ever make the US senior 800m final.
Taking the inside lane, Lutkenhaus lined up against a decorated field in Sunday&rsquo;s final with a plan to seize the opportunity and rely on his strong kick.&nbsp;
&ldquo;200 (metres) to go is kind of my sweet spot,&rdquo; said Lutkenhaus of his race strategy. &ldquo;Everyone was in the race with 100 to 200 metres to go and I just gave everything I had left.&rdquo;
Lutkenhaus shot off the final turn and down lane three as he passed Brandon Miller, Hoey and Hoppel to take silver behind the 2019 world champion Donavan Brazier, who won in 1:42.16. A 1:42.27 earned Lutkenhaus a world U18 best and moved him to No.2 on the world U20 all-time list. 
&ldquo;I look up to (Bryce Hoppel and Donavan Brazier) so to actually race those guys has just been fun,&rdquo; said Lutkenhaus. &ldquo;I always think it&rsquo;s cool to see younger guys make a final because I think it makes it more exciting to see a youngster going up against those with a lot more experience.&rdquo;&nbsp;
In the men&rsquo;s 100m, the top three US U20 stars all had a fighting chance at securing a lane in the final. Christian Miller entered with the top time of the trio in 2025 at 10.02, Tate Taylor had a 10.10 to his name, and Maurice Gleaton a 10.11.&nbsp;
All three went through the heats without a hiccup, and Gleaton was the lone qualifier out of the semifinals, clocking 10.05 to secure a lane in Friday&rsquo;s final by time. He lined up for the final in lane nine alongside four Olympians, including two-time Olympic silver medalist Kenny Bednarek.&nbsp;
The 18-year-old out of Langston Hughes High School (Georgia) clocked 9.92 for sixth place, taking down Miller&rsquo;s North American U20 record by a hundredth of a second.
&ldquo;Top three was (my idea of success) going into the race,&rdquo; Gleaton said following the competition. &ldquo;I tried to stay relaxed during the race but I kind of got carried away when I saw everybody in front of me, but I got sixth place at 18, so I feel pretty good about it.&rdquo;
In just over a year, Hayward Field will play host to the World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26 as up-and-coming athletes from across the world look to find their own Hayward magic.
A full list of results from the USATF Outdoor Championships can be found <a href="https://results.usatf.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
&nbsp;

13 US U20 athletes made it to their nation’s biggest stage as they competed at the USATF Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field

U20 records fall at US Championships 

The 2025 Toyota USATF Outdoor &amp; Para National Championships will be held at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon from 31 July to 3 August as US stars fight for spots for the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25. Just over a year later, the facility will play host to the World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26 from 5-9 August 2026.
A budding group of more than a dozen U20 stars (athletes who will be younger than 20 on 31 December 2025) are among those seeking a bit of Hayward magic at the senior championships.
For the first time since he made history as the youngest US man to qualify for an Olympic team in track and field, 17-year-old <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/quincy-wilson-15025343" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Quincy Wilson</a> will return to Hayward Field eyeing a second senior team. The 4x400m Olympic champion is the third fastest US man this year behind Khaleb McRae and Jacory Patterson, having clocked a world U18 best of 44.10 at the Ed Murphey Classic in July. Wilson is tied for No.4 on the 2025 world top list with Great Britain&rsquo;s 400m Olympic silver medalist Matthew Hudson-Smith. His Paris teammates Vernon Norwood, Chris Bailey and Bryce Deadmon will be among the list of top challengers for the Bullis High School rising senior, who also owns the North American U18 best in the 600m at 1:16.20.
The fastest three US U20 men of 2025 are entered in the 100m alongside world and Olympic champions. Fresh into his pro career, <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/christian-miller-15033045" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christian Miller</a> has the top time of the teenage crew at 10.02, which places him third on this season&rsquo;s U20 world top list. Miller, who holds the North American U20 record at 9.83, stands at No.3 on the world U20 all-time list. He will be challenged by US U20 champion <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/tate-taylor-15139751" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tate Taylor</a>, who is set to attempt the 100m and 200m double at the championships. With respective PBs of 10.10 and 20.14, Taylor holds the second-fastest US U20 time in the 100m this year and is the fastest around the curve. The pair will be joined by Nike Outdoor Nationals champion <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/maurice-gleaton-15094520" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maurice Gleaton</a>, whose PB of 10.11 is No.3 by a US U20 man this year.
Following a stellar freshman season at the University of Southern California, <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/brianna-selby-14913814" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brianna Selby</a> sits atop the season world U20 list in the women&rsquo;s 100m. Her personal best of 11.01 came at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track &amp; Field Championships at Hayward Field earlier this year. With some of the top global senior talent entered, a sub-11 clocking could be on the horizon for the young star.
Also highlighting the women&rsquo;s sprints is recent Bullis High School graduate <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/sydney-sutton-15040409" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sydney Sutton</a>. The lone U20 entrant in the women&rsquo;s 200m is the fourth-fastest teenage athlete this year thanks to her PB of 22.70. Sutton will double down as she takes on the 400m among the likes of world 400m hurdles record-holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and NCAA champion Aaliyah Butler. The high school standout is second U20 in the world in the event with 51.23 behind <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/natalie-dumas-15137056" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Natalie Dumas</a>&rsquo; 51.14. She&rsquo;s joined at the distance by US U20 champion <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/braelyn-baker-14994013" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Braelyn Baker</a>, who holds the fourth-fastest US U20 time of the year at 51.69.
Dumas, a double threat in the 400m and 800m, has instead chosen the two-lap challenge with sights set on a Tokyo team in the 800m. The Eastern High (New Jersey) rising senior clocked 2:00.11 to win the New Balance Nationals which moved her to No.3 on the world U20 list for 2025.
Following a standout senior season at Ventura High School, which included silver in the mile at the New Balance Nationals, <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/sadie-engelhardt-14913128" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sadie Engelhardt </a>has not shied away from high-level competition. The NC State signee is fresh off a 4:07.78 personal best in the 1500m at the Stumptown Twilight earlier this month, which moved her to No.7 on the world U20 top list. She&rsquo;s entered in the 1500m among top runners including last year&rsquo;s Olympic Trials champion Nikki Hiltz.&nbsp;
At 16, <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/cooper-lutkenhaus-15152457" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cooper Lutkenhaus</a> is the youngest of the rising elite set to take the stage in Eugene. Less than a month after bettering the North American U18 best in the 800m with 1:45.45 to win at the US U20 Championships, Lutkenhaus will test his fitness among the veterans, including US record-holder Bryce Hoppel and area short track record-holder and world indoor champion Josh Hoey.
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/anisa-bowen-fontenot-15026846" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anisa Bowen-Fontenot </a>and <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/jasmine-robinson-15161926" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jasmine Robinson</a> will both make their US Championships debuts in the 100m hurdles and 400m hurdles, respectively. Bowen-Fontenot, who won silver at the US U20 Championships earlier this year, is entered with a personal best of 13.16 that puts her at No.6 on the world U20 top list this year. Coming off a gold-medal performance in the 400m hurdles at the Nike Outdoor Nationals, Robinson&rsquo;s 57.12 puts her at No.11 on the world U20 top list.
Also hoping to shake things up in the hurdles is Samford Bulldog <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/bradley-franklin-15025463" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bradley Franklin</a>. The rising sophomore has the fastest time by a US U20 man in the 110m hurdles in 2025 at 13.46. His mark puts him at No.4 on the US U20 all-time list behind 2024 world U20 champion Ja&rsquo;Kobe Tharp, former world record-holder Renaldo Nehemiah and former LSU star Jordan Moore.
A full list of entries, broadcast and streaming information, and live results for the 2025 Toyota USATF Outdoor &amp; Para National Championships will be available <a href="https://www.usatf.org/events/2025/2025-toyota-usatf-outdoor-para-national-championsh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
Fans can follow the U20 stars on the World Athletics U20 Championships <a href="https://www.instagram.com/worldathleticsu20champs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61571590496810" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://x.com/WAU20Champs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">X</a> pages.&nbsp;
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A budding group of more than a dozen U20 stars are among those seeking a bit of Hayward magic at the senior championships.

U20 athletes to watch at the USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships

Numerous championship records highlighted five days of action at the 16th edition of the CAA African U20 Championships in Abeokuta, Nigeria, which concluded on Sunday (20).&nbsp;
Anatasha Cheptoo cut 20 seconds off the existing championship record to lead a Kenyan 3000m steeplechase sweep with her 9:27.84 &ndash; the top time by any Kenyan U20 woman this year. Her teammates Mercy Chepngeno and Sharon Chepkemoi also dipped under the previous record in 9:32.98 and 9:34.38.&nbsp;
Following suit, Uganda&rsquo;s Bentalin Yeko slashed nearly eight seconds off the 31-year-old 3000m championship record. The 17-year-old, who was seventh at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima last year, clocked the fastest time by any Ugandan U20 woman this year at 8:45.49 for her first medal on the international stage.&nbsp;
Charity Cherop, the bronze medallist at last year&rsquo;s World U20 Championships, broke the championship record in the 5000m as she clocked 15:10.88 to lead a Ugandan 1-2 alongside Risper Cherop, who took silver in 15:29.63.
The championship record in the women&rsquo;s pole vault hardly stood a chance against the African U20 leader, Ansume De Beer. The South African made a 4.00m clearance to topple the 3.65m record set in 1999 and take home continental gold. Egyptian U23 champion Rasha Tamer Tawfik also surpassed the previous championship record for silver with her 3.80m mark.&nbsp;&nbsp;
South Africa&rsquo;s Alicia Khunou tacked five metres on to the existing championship record in the discus as she landed a 54.91m throw, more than five meters farther than the rest of the field. The 19-year-old was just shy of bettering her own African U20 record of 55.06m set in April of this year.&nbsp;
Nigeria&rsquo;s Olympic finalist Prestina Ochonogor broke a 10-year-old championship record to win long jump gold. The African U20 record-holder soared 6.71m to take the title and improve the championship record of 6.33m set a decade ago by her fellow Nigerian Ese Brume.
<h2>South Africa sweeps the hurdles</h2>
Perhaps one of the most dominant showings of the championships came from South African hurdles sensation Tumi Ramokgopa. Fresh off a senior title in the high hurdles at the South African Championships, the 17-year-old was in prime condition for top performances in Abeokuta. Ramokgopa clocked 13.52 to better the championship record in the 100m hurdles by 0.07. She then went on to clock 57.97 in the 400m hurdles to sweep the women&rsquo;s hurdles crowns.&nbsp;
South Africa&rsquo;s men completed the sweep with gold in the 110m hurdles and 400m hurdles. Jack Naeem clocked 13.73 to take gold in the high hurdles while his teammate and African U20 leader Njabulo Mbatha won top honours in the 400m hurdles with a 51.46 showing.&nbsp;
<h2>Nigerian sweeps highlight the sprints</h2>
A pair of home-team sweeps got the Nigerian crowd on their feet for the sprints. Favour Onyinye Onyah led the first of the sweeps with her 52.47 win in the 400m. Her teammates Anita Enaruna and Jimoh Toyiba completed the sweep with 52.97 and 53.00, respectively.&nbsp;
Mirroring the 400m results, Nigeria went 1-2-3 in the 200m. Oghene Success Oyibu sped to a 23.56 win, with Chioma Cynthia Nweke and Lucy Chiamaka Nwankwo taking silver and bronze in 23.95 and 24.24. Just one day prior, Nweke led a Nigerian 1-2 finish in the women&rsquo;s 100m with her 11.65 into a -1.9m/s headwind.&nbsp;
Botswana&rsquo;s Justice Oratile was a double threat in the long sprints, coming away with titles in the men&rsquo;s 200m and 400m. The Motswana held off a trio of Nigerians in a competitive single lap with a victorious 45.58 before blazing to a 21.02 gold around the curve.&nbsp;
South Africa&rsquo;s Mia Davel and Martha Nkosi showed true team spirit with their double-gold performances in the women&rsquo;s high jump. Following 1.70m clearances, the pair chose to share the glory for South Africa atop the podium.&nbsp;
On the distance side, Samuel Cherop moved up in the U20 rankings with his 28:20.07 10,000m win. That time takes him to No. 4 on the world U20 list this year and is the fourth-fastest by any Ugandan runner of all ages in 2025.&nbsp;
A pair of U20 national leads were established in the 1500m finals. Uganda&rsquo;s Nancy Chepkwurui took the women&rsquo;s title in 4:10.31 &ndash; the top time of any U20 woman from Uganda in 2025 &ndash; and Jaouad Khchina clocked 3:38.17 for the men&rsquo;s win and a Moroccan U20 lead.&nbsp;
Hensu Lamberts highlighted the throws with a dominant showing in the men&rsquo;s 6kg shot put. The South African took over the African U20 lead with a 20.57m heave to win gold by nearly three metres.&nbsp;
Next up on the area U20 championships calendar is the European Athletics U20 Championships, to take place from 7-10 August in Tampere, Finland.

Numerous championship records highlighted five days of action at the 16th edition of the CAA African U20 Championships in Abeokuta

Championship records top African U20 Championships in Abeokuta

The USA Track &amp; Field (USATF) U20 Championships return to Hayward Field to crown USA&rsquo;s under-20 national champions.
U20 athletes are defined as any athlete who is 18 or 19 years of age on 31 December in the year of the competition. World Athletics hosts its U20 championships every other year, with the next iteration coming to Eugene&rsquo;s Hayward Field from 5-9 August in the summer of 2026.
Below are notable athletes to keep an eye on as the USATF U20 Championships unfold. For a full overview of the event, including broadcast information, visit the USATF website.
&nbsp;
Dana Wilson (Greensboro, NC), the second-ranked 100m and top-ranked 200m U20 runner in the world this year, is entered to compete in both sprint events at the USATF U20 Championships. Wilson has been undefeated in every race she has competed in this year, ranging from the 60m to 200m. Wilson&rsquo;s wind-legal personal best in the 100m stands at 11.02, run in May of this year. Her wind-legal personal best in the 200m is 22.45, run in April. Wilson is entering the USATF U20 Championships as a fresh high school graduate. She is committed to running for the University of Tennessee next year.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6852e24fd93d6865cfb2932f.jpg" alt="Dana Wilson" />
Dana Wilson (&copy; Victah Sailer)
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Wilson is joined in the USATF U20 100m Championship race by the No.3 U20 100m runner in the world this year, Mia Maxwell (Humble, Texas). Maxwell ran her PB in the event, 11.04, in June of this year, breaking a Texas state high school record which had stood since 2008. Just completing her junior year, Maxwell has one more year as a high school athlete.
Continuing on the women&rsquo;s sprints sides, NCAA standout Braelyn Baker (Carnation, Washington) is looking to continue her racing schedule into the USATF U20 Championships. Baker has run the third-fastest U20 in the world so far this year in the 400m hurdles: 56.35 &ndash; also her personal best. Baker raced at the recent NCAA Championships, also in Eugene, where she represented Duke University and finished ninth in the 400m hurdles.
Speaking of hurdles, two of the five fastest U20 100m hurdlers in the world so far this year are entered for the USATF U20 Championships. Joslyn Hamilton (Rolesville, NC), who has the No.2 U20 mark so far in the world this year, enters the field with a 13.13 personal best, run in April of this year. A current collegian, Hamilton runs for the University of South Carolina. Hamilton is joined by Anisa Bowen-Fontenot (San Diego, California), the current No.5 U20 100m hurdler in the world so far this year, who has a wind-legal PB of 13.19. A recent high school graduate, Bowen-Fontenot has committed to run for the University of Southern California next year.
On the field, the athlete with the sixth-best U20 mark in the world so far this year will take to the high jump apron. Karsyn Leeling (Sidney, Nebraska) jumped 1.85m (6&rsquo; &frac34;&rdquo;) twice in April, her personal best in the event. A current collegian, Leeling competes for the University of Nebraska.
Another college standout jumper, Anna Willis (Colorado Springs, Colorado) is the current No.1 U20 pole vaulter in the world so far this year, jumping a PB of 4.52m (14&rsquo; 10&rdquo;) in May. A current collegian representing the University of South Dakota, Willis recently competed at the NCAA Championships, where she jumped 4.44m (14&rsquo; 6 &frac34;&rdquo;) for fourth place.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6852e2d1d93d6865cfb29333.jpg" alt="US pole vaulter Anna Willis" />
US pole vaulter Anna Willis (&copy; University of South Dakota)
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Willis is joined by fellow U20 ranked vaulter Dyson Wicker (Heath, Texas), who has the second-best U20 mark in the world so far this year. The 5.56m (18&rsquo; 2 &frac34;&rdquo;) mark that earned him that ranking was achieved indoors in February. Wicker is also a current collegian and jumps for the University of Nebraska.
On the runway opposite from the pole vaulters, USATF U20 Championships fans will see Jayden Keys (Houston, Texas), who jumped the fifth-farthest U20 long jump mark in the world so far this year: 7.95m (26&rsquo; 1&rdquo;) in May. While only entered in the long jump at the USATF U20 Championships, Keys also has a personal best of 13.67 in the 110m hurdles, which is the sixth-best U20 mark in the world so far this year.
The following day, Xavier Drumgoole (Round Rock, Texas) will take to the same runway for the triple jump. Drumgoole has the current No.3 U20 mark in the world in the event, jumping 16.42m (53&rsquo; 10 &frac12;&rdquo;) in May. A current collegiate athlete at Stanford University, Drumgoole competed at the recent NCAA Championships.
In the throws, Donna Douglas (Jonesboro, Arkansas) is one to watch, with declared entries for the USATF U20 Championships in both the discus and shot put, in which she has the third and fifth best U20 marks in the world this year, respectively. Her PB of 16.69m (54&rsquo; 9 &frac14;&rdquo;)&nbsp; in the shot put was thrown in May, just two weeks after her PB of 58.78m (192&rsquo; 10&rdquo;) in the discus. Currently competing for the University of Tennessee, Douglas finished 16th at last week&rsquo;s NCAA Championships with a throw of 54.90m (180&rsquo; 1&rdquo;) in the discus.
Also in the shot put ring will be Bowen Fleming (South Lake Carroll, Texas), whose 18.49m (63&rsquo; 11 &frac12;&rdquo;) throw from June this year is the fourth-farthest U20 mark in the event this year. A recent high school graduate, Fleming will continue his sporting and academic development at the University of Indiana.
On the same infield in the other ring will be Bryce Ruland (Waterford, Wisconsin), who has the sixth-farthest U20 discus throw in the world this year. Ruland enters the USATF U20 Championships as the world U20 champion, earning gold in Peru last year with a throw of 62.59m (205&rsquo; 4&rdquo;).
The men&rsquo;s javelin will feature the second-best U20 thrower in the world this year, Nicholas Reynolds (Concord, New Hampshire). The 19-year-old threw 76.69m (251&rsquo; 7&rdquo;) in May while competing at the University of Tennessee, a personal-best mark by more than a metre.
The USATF U20 Championships begin with the women&rsquo;s 5000m on Thursday 19 June at 9:15am Pacific time and concludes with the decathlon 1500m on Friday 20 June at 8:15pm Pacific time. The event is being held in conjunction with the Nike Outdoor Nationals, the USA&rsquo;s premier high school national championship.

Notable athletes to keep an eye on as the USATF U20 Championships unfold

Athletes to watch at the USA Track & Field U20 Championships

The 2025 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track &amp; Field Championships saw a number of U20 athletes representing their respective universities on collegiate athletics&rsquo; largest stage. Over the course of the four-day meeting at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, U20 athletes recorded podium finishes and 2025 U20 top 10 marks as their teams fought for the team title.
U20 athletes are defined as being 18 or 19 years of age on 31 December in the year of the competition. The World Athletics U20 Championships takes place every other year, with the next iteration coming to Hayward Field in the summer of 2026 from 5-9 August.
The first day of NCAA Championships competition featured qualifying rounds for the men&rsquo;s events, and saw Kenya&rsquo;s Joash Ruto record the fifth-fastest U20 time in the world so far this year for the 3000m steeplechase. His 8:22.94 was the fastest time of the day and a personal best by almost three seconds. Ruto followed his qualifier by clocking 8:20.47 in the final two days later, a personal best that puts him second on this season&rsquo;s world U20 top list and was good enough for fourth place for the Iowa State Cyclone.
University of Southern California&rsquo;s Brianna Selby was the U20 highlight of the second day of the NCAA Championships. She blazed a 100m PB of 11.01 &ndash; the fastest U20 time in the world this year. Going into the meeting, the US sprinter had the third-fastest time in the U20 100m this year (11.03). Selby returned to the track for her final on Saturday, running 11.25 and earning eighth place.
Day two also saw Duke University&rsquo;s Braelyn Baker notch a PB in the women&rsquo;s 400m hurdles. Her 56.35 makes her the third-fastest U20 athlete in the world this year. The 19-year-old returned for the final on the fourth day of competition and she ran 56.54 to earn ninth place.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6851513efd351685c65fbf8b.jpg" alt="Braelyn Baker in the 400m hurdles at the NCAA Championships" />
Braelyn Baker in the 400m hurdles at the NCAA Championships (&copy; WU20 Oregon 26)
</div>
On the final day of action, USA&rsquo;s Valentina Fakrogha jumped a PB of 1.84m, a mark that moves her into the U20 top 10 this year in the high jump. That mark earned her an eighth-place finish &ndash; All-American status for the UCLA Bruin.
The final athlete to post a top 10 U20 mark for the year at the NCAA Championships was heptathlete Maresa Hense, a freshman from the University of Connecticut. Her 5608 points was a personal best for the 19-year-old German athlete, and is the 10th-best U20 score in the event so far this year.&nbsp;
Other notable performances by U20 athletes included Samuel Ogazi&rsquo;s NCAA title-winning 400m run in 44.84. The 19-year-old Nigerian athlete had previously run the second-best U20 time in the world this year (44.43). Xavier Butler also performed well, with a seventh-place finish in the men&rsquo;s 200m in 20.39. Butler currently has the fastest U20 time in the 200m this year (20.02). On the field, Prestina Ochonogor &ndash; the second-best U20 long jumper this year &ndash; finished in eighth place with a 6.41m leap. Her 2025 world No.2 U20 jump is 6.67m. Anna Willis vaulted to a fourth-place finish, clearing 4.44m. She has the current No.1 U20 pole vault mark in the world this year at 4.52m.
The U20 action at Hayward Field resumes with the USATF U20 Championships on 19-20 June. The European U20 Championships are next on the global calendar, occurring on 7-10 August.
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7222970" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NCAA Championships results</a>
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U20 athletes recorded podium finishes and 2025 U20 top 10 marks as their teams fought for the team title

U20 athletes shine at NCAA Championships

The NCAA Division I Outdoor Track &amp; Field Championships descend upon Eugene's Hayward Field at the University of Oregon this week, bringing the top collegiate athletes to vie for individual and team titles.
Among the collegians are a slew of current U20 athletes, defined as any athlete of 18 or 19 years of age on 31 December in the year of the competition. World Athletics hosts its U20 Championships every other year, with the next iteration coming to Hayward Field in the summer of 2026 from 5-9 August.
Below are notable U20 athletes to keep an eye on as the NCAA Track &amp; Field Championships unfolds. For a full overview of the event, including broadcast information, visit <a href="https://www.ncaa.com/news/trackfield-outdoor-women/article/2025-05-22/2025-ncaa-outdoor-track-and-field-championships-schedule-location-tv&#96;" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the NCAA website</a>.
&nbsp;
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/xavier-butler-15082573" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Xavier Butler (USA)</a> is a sophomore (second-year student) at the University of Texas and has run the fastest U20 time over 200m so far this year. Butler&rsquo;s time of 20.02 was run during the NCAA qualifying rounds and is his personal best in the event. Butler enters the NCAA Championships with the eighth-fastest qualifying mark. In addition to the 200m, Butler is entered as part of the Longhorns&rsquo; 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/684849a1c75ed73af643f13e.jpg" alt="Xavier Butler" />
Xavier Butler (&copy; University of Texas)
</div>
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<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/micahi-danzy-15022226" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Micahi Danzy (USA)</a> is a freshman (first-year student) at Florida State University, where he also plays football, and has run the fastest U20 time over 400m so far this year: 44.38, run during the ACC Outdoor Track &amp; Field Championships. Danzy ran 45.26 in the qualifying rounds, the fifth-fastest qualifying time in the NCAA Championships field. In addition to the 400m, Danzy is entered as part of the Seminoles&rsquo; 4x100m relay team.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/68484911c75ed73af643f132.jpg" alt="Micahi Danzy" />
Micahi Danzy (&copy; Florida State University)
</div>
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<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/nigeria/samuel-ogazi-14978353" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Samuel Ogazi (NGR)</a> is a sophomore at the University of Alabama and has run the second-fastest U20 time over 400m so far this year: 44.43, run as the fastest qualifying time for the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Ogazi represented Nigeria at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games at just 18 years old, where he finished seventh in 44.73 seconds after setting a PB of 44.41 in the semi finals. Prior to the Olympics, he finished third at the 2024 African Championships. In addition to the 400m, Ogazi is entered in the NCAA Championships as part of Alabama&rsquo;s 4x400m relay team.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6848498ac75ed73af643f13b.jpeg" alt="Samuel Ogazi" />
Samuel Ogazi (&copy; University of Alabama)
</div>
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<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/nigeria/chioma-nwachukwu-15023596" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chioma Nwachukwu (NGR)</a> is a freshman at the University of Iowa and has run the fastest U20 time over 400m so far this year: 51.26. Earlier in the year, she clocked an African U18 indoor best of 52.07. She is entered in the Hawkeyes&rsquo; 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/684848f7c75ed73af643f12f.JPG" alt="Chioma Nwachukwu" />
Chioma Nwachukwu (&copy; University of Iowa)
</div>
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<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/braelyn-baker-14994013" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Braelyn Baker (USA)</a> is a freshman at Duke University and has run the second-fastest U20 time over 400m so far this year: 51.69. Baker qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 400m hurdles, in which she&rsquo;s run the third-fastest U20 mark in the world this year with 56.48 in the qualifying round. She is also entered in the Blue Devils&rsquo; 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/684848d2c75ed73af643f12c.jpg" alt="Braelyn Baker" />
Braelyn Baker (&copy; Duke University)
</div>
&nbsp;
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/nigeria/prestina-oluchi-ochonogor-14970513" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Prestina Ochonogor (NGR)</a> is a freshman at Tarleton State University and has jumped the second-farthest U20 mark in the long jump so far this year: 6.67m. Her personal best of 6.79m, set last year, is an African U20 record. Last year she won the senior Nigerian Championships, earned bronze at the African Games, finished 12th in the Olympic final and fifth at the World U20 Championships. Ochonogor jumped 6.66m to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships, the second-best mark in qualifying rounds.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/68484929c75ed73af643f135.jpg" alt="Prestina Ochonogor" />
Prestina Ochonogor (&copy; Tarleton State University)
</div>
&nbsp;
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/venezuela/ricardo-david-montes-14999232" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ricardo David Montes (VEN)</a> is a freshman at High Point University and has produced the best U20 mark in the pole vault so far this year: 5.60m in February &ndash; which is also a senior Venezuelan record. Montes also earned his first South American title this year, vaulting 5.40m in Argentina. Montes jumped 5.43m during the rounds to earn the top qualifying mark for the NCAA Championships.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/68484975c75ed73af643f138.jpeg" alt="Ricardo Montes" />
Ricardo Montes (&copy; High Point University)
</div>
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<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/anna-willis-14967585" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anna Willis (USA)</a> is a freshman at the University of South Dakota and has jumped the highest U20 mark in the pole vault so far this year: 4.52m in May &ndash; a personal best. Willis jumped 4.42m to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships, the top qualifying mark in the event.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6848489fc75ed73af643f129.jpg" alt="Anna Willis" />
Anna Willis (&copy; University of South Dakota)
</div>
 The decathlon kicks off four days of action at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships on Wednesday 11 June at 12:00pm Pacific time. Events conclude with the women&rsquo;s 4x400m relay on Saturday 14 June at 8:21pm Pacific time.

Notable U20 athletes to keep an eye on as the NCAA Track & Field Championships unfolds

NCAA Track & Field Championships: U20 athletes to watch

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<h1 style="text-align: center; color: #96f460;">WORLD ATHLETICS U20 CHAMPIONSHIPS OREGON 26</h1>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">HAYWARD FIELD AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OREGON</h2>
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The future of track &amp; field takes center stage as the world&rsquo;s top rising stars battle for gold at the 21st edition of the World Athletics U20 Championships on 5&ndash;9 August 2026.
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Ticket packages are on sale now! Five-day packages start at just $75.00 USD and three-day weekend packages start at just $50.00 USD.
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Oregon previously hosted the World Athletics Championships in 2022 and the World U20 Championships in 2014.
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