<p>Leendert Koekemoer has spent some of his most formative years competing alongside senior athletes with Olympic medals, world titles and years of experience. Now, at the World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26, the South African 400m talent has the chance to &ldquo;experience being a kid with everyone else&rdquo;.</p>
<p>But while Koekemoer is enjoying the opportunity to compete among his peers, he has arrived in Eugene with one clear objective: to win.</p>
<p>Koekemoer entered this week&rsquo;s championships as the first South African U20 athlete to break 45 seconds for 400m, lowering his own national U20 record to 44.94 in April.</p>
<p>The 19-year-old also already has a senior World Championships medal to his name. At the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, he ran in the heats of the men&rsquo;s 4x400m, helping South Africa reach the final before the team went on to claim bronze.</p>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6a7569118d236814f1f1182a.jpg" alt="Leendert Koekemoer at the World Championships in Tokyo" />
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<p style="font-size: 0.9em; color: #b2b2b2; text-align: right; margin: -15px 0 0px;">Leendert Koekemoer at the World Championships in Tokyo (&copy; World Athletics <img style="width: 16px; vertical-align: middle; display: inline;" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,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" alt="photographer icon" /> Dan Vernon)</p>
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<p>During the pre-event press conference in Oregon, Koekemoer was asked what value he still finds in U20 competition after already racing on the senior international stage.</p>
<p>&ldquo;For me, junior championships is basically where I compete with people my age, which I think is very important because from a young age I&rsquo;ve been competing with the seniors,&rdquo; Koekemoer said. &ldquo;This means a lot. It&rsquo;s where I can experience being a kid with everyone else.&rdquo;</p>
<p>That senior experience has also helped to ease some of the nerves that might otherwise accompany his first individual global championships.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I think that&rsquo;s why my stress levels are not that high as they would be at a senior championship,&rdquo; he said.</p>
<p>In Oregon, Koekemoer is surrounded by athletes his own age, but much of his preparation has been shaped by his experiences alongside South Africa&rsquo;s senior stars. He has been able to draw on advice from the likes of 2016 Olympic 400m champion and world record-holder Wayde van Niekerk, Olympic 4x100m silver medallist Akani Simbine and world 4x400m bronze medallist Zakithi Nene.</p>
<p>Perhaps the most relevant guidance, however, has come from two athletes who know exactly what it takes to win the world U20 400m title.</p>
<p>Lythe Pillay won in Cali in 2022 and Udeme Okon continued South Africa&rsquo;s success in Lima two years later. Both are now among Koekemoer&rsquo;s training partners, meaning victory in Eugene would complete a remarkable sequence: three successive world U20 400m champions emerging from the same training environment.</p>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6a75c163af4d070690e77ac4.jpg" alt="Lythe Pillay, Leendert Koekemoer and Udeme Okon on the podium at the 2025 World Championships" />
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<p style="font-size: 0.9em; color: #b2b2b2; text-align: right; margin: -15px 0 0px;">Lythe Pillay, Leendert Koekemoer and Udeme Okon on the podium at the 2025 World Championships (&copy; Getty Images)</p>
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<p>Training alongside athletes who have prepared for the same championship, dealt with the same pressures and ultimately stood on top of the same podium he is now targeting has been a source of inspiration and assistance for Koekemoer.</p>
<p>&ldquo;They&rsquo;ve definitely given me a lot of advice on how to go into the race and what to expect.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The connection between the trio already extends beyond the training track. Pillay, Okon and Koekemoer were all part of the South African 4x400m team at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, where Koekemoer helped the team through the heats before South Africa went on to claim bronze.</p>
<p>At the World Athletics Relays Gaborone 26 in May, the trio helped South Africa secure qualification for the World Athletics Championships Beijing 27. Koekemoer ran the third leg in the final as South Africa finished second behind hosts Botswana, clocking a national record of 2:55.07.</p>
<p>His relay experiences have taught Koekemoer how to perform on the global stage as part of a team. In Oregon, the challenge is different: turning those lessons into an individual title.</p>
<p>He made a comfortable start to his campaign, winning his first-round heat in 45.75 &ndash; the third-fastest time overall and just 0.01 behind US rival Quincy Wilson.</p>
<p>Koekemoer then stepped things up in the semi-finals later that day with 45.18, progressing to the final as the second-fastest qualifier behind Wilson.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Of course I want to win,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Everyone wants to win. I didn&rsquo;t come here to get second place. I came here to get first place.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>Morgan Hoopes for the World Athletics Media Academy</strong></p>

World Athletics U20 Championships

After winning relay medals on the senior stage, Leendert Koekemoer has the chance to “experience being a kid with everyone else” at the World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26

Koekemoer seeking to extend South African 400m dynasty

<ul>
<li><strong>Tate Taylor breaks 10 seconds to get 100m gold</strong></li>
<li><strong>Virjonen sets world U20 lead to win heptathlon</strong></li>
<li><strong>France fills two spots on women's long jump podium</strong></li>
</ul>
<p>USA&rsquo;s Tate Taylor moved into joint fifth place among the fastest U20 sprinters in history, running 9.94 (0.1m/s) to win 100m gold at the <strong>World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26</strong> on home soil on Thursday (6).</p>
<p>Two U20 sprinters &ndash; Taylor and Jamaica&rsquo;s Gary Card &ndash; have now broken 10 seconds this year and Taylor&rsquo;s PB saw him pip Card to the title. Card ran 10.05 to get silver, an upgrade from his sixth-place finish in 2024.</p>
<p>Card and Taylor will face off once again in Oregon in the 200m and all eyes will stay on them as a great new track and field rivalry emerges.</p>
<p>&ldquo;There were some tweaks I was looking to fix after the semifinals, and I think I executed those tweaks pretty well,&rdquo; said Taylor, who became the first US athlete to win the men&rsquo;s world U20 100m title since Noah Lyles in 2016. &ldquo;Once I got out of the top end, I knew it was going to be a good race, for sure.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Marko Ferreira, the South African U20 champion, secured bronze in 10.16. His podium finish marks the fourth consecutive World U20 Championships in which a South African sprinter has taken home a men&rsquo;s 100m medal.</p>
<p>Taylor&rsquo;s US teammate Mia Maxwell won the head-to-head battle against world leader Shanoya Douglas of Jamaica, clinching her 100m crown in 11.14 (-0.1m/s).&nbsp;Maxwell's&nbsp;victory broke an eight-year streak of Jamaican gold medallists in the event and marked the first time a US woman took home gold since Candace Hill in 2016 &ndash; also as part of a US double, alongside Lyles.</p>
<p>Douglas added to her collection of U20 hardware, upgrading from a bronze medal in the 200m at the 2024 championships in Lima to a silver in the 100m in Oregon.</p>
<p>Italy's Kelly Doualla secured bronze at the age of 16. The European U18 and U20 champion clocked 11.27 to secure her country's first world U20 medal in the women&rsquo;s 100m and she will still be eligible to compete in the next edition in 2028. Xenia Buri finished fourth (11.33) and Maxwell's twin sister Mariah was fifth (11.35).</p>
<h2>Virjonen returns gold to Finland</h2>
<p>Finland's Enni Virjonen reaffirmed her U20 heptathlon world dominance by improving her own world U20 lead set in May. Collecting 6214 points over the two days of competition, she posted the best world U20 title-winning score since Great Britain &amp; NI&rsquo;s Niamh Emerson&rsquo;s 6253 in 2018. As a result, Virjonen regained the title for Finland, following in the footsteps of her compatriot Saga Vanninen who won in 2021 and 2022.</p>
<p>Virjonen reached that score after finishing in the top three in the 100m hurdles (13.36), shot put (14.35m), 200m (23.99), long jump (6.29m) and javelin (43.65m).</p>
<p>Estonia's Mia Mireia Uusorg got silver with 5961 points during what will be the first of many events at Hayward Field for the future University of Oregon student-athlete.</p>
<p>The battle for third place was narrow and hard-fought. Switzerland's Anna Pfister edged Great Britain's Thea Brown by just 24 points &ndash; 5850 to 5826. Both athletes recorded personal bests.</p>
<p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1F5e53KjvbY?si=d7Ny9fMpX2EfSnYW" width="100%" height="475" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<h2>France dominates long jump final</h2>
<p>The women's long jump final ended with a French-Greek sandwich. Djelika Diarra added three centimetres to the world U20 lead, jumping a PB of 6.52m to win gold for France. Evelyn Mitropoulou got silver with a jump of 6.44m, becoming the first woman in Greece's rich track and field history to win a medal in this event on the world U20 stage. Soudatou Niang secured the second medal of the night for France, matching her personal best of 6.34m to get bronze.</p>
<p>Su Yixin surpassed Jaslene Massey in a showdown between the top two U20 discus throwers in the world, becoming the second Chinese athlete in a row to win gold in the women's discus, following in Han Bingyang's footsteps. Su threw a world U20 lead and PB of 61.06m in the final round and four of her five valid throws would have been enough to win.&nbsp;</p>
<p>USA&rsquo;s Jaslene Massey, another future University of Oregon student, secured discus silver with a 58.41m throw and remained on the field to line up for the shot put final less than 20 minutes later.</p>
<p>Marina Hadjicosta became the first woman from Cyprus to claim a world U20 discus medal, and the fifth athlete from her country to win a world U20 medal overall. Her mark of 54.88m was enough to hold off China's Ma Chenyi, whose best throw measured 54.58m.</p>
<h2>Oji gets shot put gold</h2>
<p>After securing shot put silver competing against senior athletes at the Commonwealth Games, Nigeria's Jessica Oji lived up to her status as the world U20 leader to get gold in Oregon, throwing 18.08m. Oji became the first woman from Nigeria to win a world U20 throws medal.</p>
<p>The second- and third-place finishers left with medals and lifetime bests. Belsy Jenniffer Qui&ntilde;onez won Ecuador&rsquo;s first world U20 women&rsquo;s field event medal, setting a national U20 record of 17.90m. Germany's Emily Scherf got bronze with a 17.23m throw.</p>
<h2>The 400m favourites in full swing</h2>
<p>US U20 champion Ataja Stephane-Vazquez was the sole athlete to run under 52 seconds in the women&rsquo;s 400m semifinals, clocking 51.76. Poland&rsquo;s Anastazja Kuś finished first in heat one in 52.43, followed closely by Clara Adams (52.81). Tianna Springer of Guyana finished third overall in the round, running 52.48 to also qualify for the final.</p>
<p>The favourites dominated the men's 400 semifinals. Olympic 4x400m gold medallist Quincy Wilson and South Africa's world 4x400m medallist Leendert Koekemoer both cruised to first-place finishes in their heats, respectively clocking 45.02 and 45.18. Jayden Deleon, who beat Wilson to the US U20 title, won his semifinal in 45.49, followed by Guyana's Malachi Austin.</p>
<p>Osama Er Redouani of Morocco clocked a PB of 3:42.23 on his way to the best time of the 1500m heats. James Alexander and Kieran Shepherd also ran sub-3:43. Heats one and three evolved into dramatic battles for the final qualifying spots, as Alessandro Casoni and Pol Molins were separated by just one hundredth of a second, while Karim Fartaz separated himself from Ethan Newell by three tenths of a second to also qualify.</p>
<p>Kenya reaffirmed its 1500m dominance in the women's heats. Caren Chepchirchir and Josephine Sembeyo Mancha qualified first and second, respectively, with heat-winning times of 4:12.09 and 4:12.21. Ethiopia's Haregeweyni Kalayu, who held the best time heading into the competition, followed with a time of 4:12.54 to join them in the final.</p>
<p>France&rsquo;s world U20 leader Zackaria Dia and Estonia&rsquo;s Henri Apri were among the athletes to soar into the pole vault final after clearing 5.25m.</p>
<p><strong>Colin Ernst for the World Athletics Media Academy</strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

USA’s Tate Taylor moved into joint fifth place among the fastest U20 sprinters in history, running 9.94 to win 100m gold at the World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26

Taylor and Maxwell win US world U20 100m double in Oregon

<p><span lang="EN">Seven finals will be held on day three of the <strong>World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26</strong>.</span></p>
<p><span lang="EN">Here are just three of the many contests to watch out for on Friday (7).</span></p>
<h2><span lang="EN">A duel of 400m standouts</span></h2>
<p><span lang="EN">After an action-packed day of events, the evening spotlight will be on a myriad of young 400m stars. The men&rsquo;s 400m will feature a high-octane rematch of the US U20 Championships held at Hayward Field in June. Jayden Deleon upset the more decorated Quincy Wilson by running the second-fastest 400m ever for a high school athlete at 44.52. On Friday they return to Eugene with the world U20 title on the line. Vying for gold with them will be </span><span lang="EN">Leendert Koekemoer who</span> <span lang="EN">formed part of South Africa&rsquo;s world bronze medal-winning 4x400m squad in Tokyo last year.</span></p>
<p><span lang="EN">In the women&rsquo;s 400m, Ataja Stephane-Vazquez will be looking to bring the U20 title back to the United States for the first time since Kendall Baisden claimed the title in 2014, also at Hayward Field. She will be competing against </span><span lang="EN">her compatriot Clara Adams, who finished second to Stephane-Vazquez at the US U20 Championships in Eugene in June. Also in the mix is Poland&rsquo;s Anastazja Kuś, who placed third at the European U20 Championships last year, and Guyana's Tianna Springer.</span></p>
<p><strong><span lang="EN"><a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-u20-championships/oregon26/news/preview/wu20-oregon-26-preview-sprints" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WU20 Oregon 26 sprint events preview</a></span></strong></p>
<h2><span lang="EN">Stars seeking strong start to men&rsquo;s decathlon</span></h2>
<p><span lang="EN">Day three will feature the first half of the decathlon. European U18 silver medallist Liam Belo da Silva (7981) leads the entries as he attempts to claim Sweden&rsquo;s first ever world U20 decathlon title. Challenging him will be France&rsquo;s Mael-Bephassou Lannurien (7785), South Africa&rsquo;s Daniel von der Heyden (7614) and Greece&rsquo;s Nikolaos Kosmopoulos (7608). US duo Brody Foster and Darius Jones will return to Hayward Field after placing first and second at the US U20 Championships with scores of 7604 and 7547, respectively.</span></p>
<p><strong><span lang="EN"><a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-u20-championships/oregon26/news/preview/wu20-oregon-26-preview-combined-events-race-walks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WU20 Oregon 26 combined events preview</a></span></strong></p>
<h2><span lang="EN">All eyes on men&rsquo;s throws</span></h2>
<p><span lang="EN">Two throwing finals will take place, the men&rsquo;s hammer and men&rsquo;s javelin. After setting a world U20 lead of 80.39m in the hammer on day one, China&rsquo;s Chen Jiawei will seek to add a world U20 title to his growing trophy case on day three. Vying for gold behind him are two throwers who have hit 77 metres this year. Poland&rsquo;s Jan D</span><span lang="EN">elewski entered the championships at the top of the field with a PB of 77.57m that he set in June. Alexandros Ghamrawi will attempt to keep the world U20 titl</span><span lang="EN">e in Cyprus after his compatriot Iosif Kesidis&rsquo; win in Lima in 2024. In the men&rsquo;s javelin, Jan-Hendrik Heymans will look to continue the momentum from the qualifying round after leading by more than six metres with a 76.02m auto-qualifying heave. Vying for medals behind him are India&rsquo;s Ashish Yadav, who threw a PB of 74.49m in March, and Poland&rsquo;s Aleksander Wojna, who along with Yadav was one of three athletes in the 69-metre range during the qualifying round.</span></p>
<p><strong><span lang="EN"><a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-u20-championships/oregon26/news/preview/wu20-oregon-26-preview-throws" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WU20 Oregon 26 throws events preview</a></span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span lang="EN">Owen Bogert for the World Athletics Media Academy</span></strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

Seven finals will be held on day three of the World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26.

Three things to watch on day three in Oregon

<ul>
<li><strong>World U20 mixed 4x100m record set by Australia and improved by Great Britain in heats</strong></li>
<li><strong>Enni Virjonen retains heptathlon lead with one event to go</strong></li>
<li><strong>Jayden Deleon, Quincy Wilson and Leendert Koekemoer progress in 400m</strong></li>
</ul>
<p>Two world U20 records were set as the U20 mixed 4x100m made its global debut on the second morning of competition at the <strong>World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26</strong> on Thursday (6).</p>
<p>Things got off to an electrifying start as Australia&rsquo;s Uwezo Lubenda, Maya Taber, Kelechi Ekwomadu and Thewbelle Philp set a world U20 record of 41.64 in the first heat. But that mark didn&rsquo;t last long as the Great Britain &amp; NI team of Divine Iheme, Savannah Mckenzie Morgan, Mathew Ajayi and Sophie Thomas won the second heat in a world U20 record of their own &ndash; 41.60.</p>
<p>Italy finished second to Australia in the first heat in 41.74, while USA won the third heat in 41.82. Other teams to watch in the final will be Nigeria and Jamaica, who respectively clocked 41.91 and 42.08.</p>
<p>These record-breaking performances have set the scene for a highly anticipated final on Saturday evening.</p>
<h2>Virjonen heads heptathlon</h2>
<p>Finland&rsquo;s world U20 leader Enni Virjonen continues to top the heptathlon standings with 5353 with one event to go, after landing a 6.29m jump and 43.65m javelin throw. Great Britain&rsquo;s Thea Brown moved into second place on 5184 as she topped the long jump with 6.39m and set a javelin PB of 35.46m.</p>
<p>Estonia&rsquo;s Mia Mireia Uusorg jumped up to third place on 5053 after placing second in the javelin (45.30m), while Portugal&rsquo;s Natacha Cand&eacute; retained fourth place and Switzerland's Anna Pfister moved up to fifth place after performing best overall in the javelin with a PB of 47.17m. France&rsquo;s Zola Ndouma-Mona was in third place following her 6.16m in the long jump but she did not return for the javelin throw.</p>
<h2>Deleon, Wilson and Koekemoer advance</h2>
<p>US U20 champion Jayden Deleon led the first round of the men&rsquo;s 400m, clocking 45.63. USA&rsquo;s Olympic champion Quincy Wilson won his heat in 45.74, while South Africa&rsquo;s world 4x400m bronze medallist Leendert Koekemoer cruised to his own heat win in 45.75. India&rsquo;s Mohammed Ashfaq set a national U20 record of 45.81m.</p>
<p>US U20 gold medallist Ataja Stephane-Vazquez started off strong in the first round of the women&rsquo;s event, running 51.44. Guyana&rsquo;s Tianna Springer won her heat in 52.39, while Poland&rsquo;s European U18 champion and 2025 world indoor 4x400m silver medallist Anastazja Kuś was another heat winner in 52.55.</p>
<p>United Arab Emirates&rsquo; Mariam Kareem got a good start in the 400m hurdles, topping the heats in 57.87. Germany&rsquo;s Rebekka Feirle won the final heat in 57.89, while Romania&rsquo;s Alexandra Ștefania Uță ran 57.93. They will be joined in the semifinals by South Africa&rsquo;s Tumi Ramokgopa, who started the event top of the entries, as well as Jamaica&rsquo;s Marria Crossfield and&nbsp; Shevaughn Thomas, who repectively ran PBs of 58.22 and 58.36.</p>
<p>After ending as the runner-up in the US U20 Championships in June, Miller Warme led the heats for the men&rsquo;s event in 49.88, putting him in a good position for the semifinals. Taiju Goto was the second-quickest in the heats with 50.45. Also among the leading contenders is Czechia&rsquo;s Michael Rada, who ran a comfortable race in 50.68.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Kenya continues to dominate the 3000m steeplechase, with Nicholas Kitum Losiwareng getting off to a strong start, leading the heats in 8:45.26. He was followed in heat one by Tunisia&rsquo;s Mohamed Ali Hamdi, who set a PB of 8:47.76. Kenyan trials winner Emmanuel Lemiso Someki led heat two in 8:47.61, while Mahfoud Bellal was second in that race in 8:48.48.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Oji top shot in qualification</h2>
<p>The qualification round of the women&rsquo;s shot put built excitement for the final this evening. After winning silver at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Nigeria&rsquo;s Jessica Oji threw 17.56m to top the field, while Ecuador&rsquo;s Ibero-American Championships silver medallist Belsy Jenniffer Qui&ntilde;onez followed with a throw of 17.25m.</p>
<p>Germany&rsquo;s Emily Scherf was another automatic qualifier with a 16.58m throw, while Fiji&rsquo;s Maryann Macedru was also among the leading athletes with 16.04m, improving her PB by more than a metre. USA&rsquo;s Jaslene Massey and Jamaica&rsquo;s Able Deborah Mills also qualified for the final &ndash; their second final after the also qualified in the discus.</p>
<p>Algeria&rsquo;s Younes Ayachi arrived in Eugene as the world U20 high jump leader after clearing a best of 2.28m earlier this year. He was one of 13 athletes to clear 2.14m during the qualifying round to progress to the final. Switzerland&rsquo;s L&eacute;o Courtine and Poland&rsquo;s Dawid Barański set PBs at that height to also progress.</p>
<p>USA&rsquo;s Miles Nesmith led during the triple jump qualification round with a PB jump of 16.41m. China&rsquo;s Asian U20 champion Wang Zhuoyue also hit the automatic qualification mark with 16.07m, while Italy&rsquo;s European U20 champion Francesco Efeosa Crotti jumped 16.05m, Nigeria&rsquo;s Precious Ebitimi Opinion set a PB of 16.02m and Jamaica&rsquo;s Michael-Andre Matthew Edwards jumped 16.00m.</p>
<p><strong>Sandra Vasquez-Ramirez for the World Athletics Media Academy</strong></p>

Two world U20 records were set as the U20 mixed 4x100m made its global debut

World U20 records set as mixed 4x100m makes debut in Oregon

<p>It might be rare to see siblings &ndash; let alone twins &ndash; compete in the same event, but for Mariah and Mia Maxwell, it&rsquo;s an everyday experience.</p>
<p>After taking the top two spots in both the 100m and 200m at the US U20 Championships at Hayward Field, the Maxwell twins are side by side yet again at the <strong>World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26</strong>.</p>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6a74d1aff1084665615677bf.JPG" alt="Mia and Mariah Maxwell at the pre-event press conference in Oregon" />
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<p style="font-size: 0.9em; color: #b2b2b2; text-align: right; margin: -15px 0 0px;">Mia and Mariah Maxwell at the pre-event press conference in Oregon (&copy; World Athletics Media Academy <img style="width: 16px; vertical-align: middle; display: inline;" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,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" alt="photographer icon" /> Loyal Acree)</p>
<p>The last time the sport saw sprint twins compete at this level together was at the 2022 World U20 Championships in Cali. Jamaica&rsquo;s Tia and Tina Clayton, who were also teammates at the 2021 edition in Nairobi, formed part of Jamaica&rsquo;s gold medal-winning 4x100m team at both global competitions, Tina adding individual 100m titles to her haul. Both sisters went on to compete in the 4x100m at the World Championships in Tokyo in 2025.</p>
<p>The Maxwell sisters will be seeking similar success as they go on the medal hunt in the 100m, 200m and relays in Oregon.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It's honestly not as difficult as people may think,&rdquo; Mia said when asked about navigating competition against her sister. &ldquo;Individually we're both track athletes, and I think that's what comes first. We both came here to compete, we both came here to get gold. And no matter what the outcome of each race will be, we're always going to be there for each other.&rdquo;</p>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6a74d2121646dd370785d3db.JPG" alt="Mia Maxwell in action in Oregon" />
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<p style="font-size: 0.9em; color: #b2b2b2; text-align: right; margin: -15px 0 0px;">Mia Maxwell in action in Oregon (&copy; Getty Images)</p>
<p>As this competition will conclude their U20 age-group journey, there is a chance for them to come out with multiple medals at home.</p>
<p>Asked at the pre-event press conference about their medal goal for the week, Mia replied: &ldquo;As much as I can. I&rsquo;m going to compete regardless.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>
<p>Mariah added: &ldquo;As many medals that we can come home with, I&rsquo;m not going to complain.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Their competition schedule opened with the 100m heats and semifinals on Wednesday (5) and they both cruised through to Thursday evening&rsquo;s final &ndash; Mia going quickest overall in the semifinals with 11.13 and Mariah clocking 11.25. The 200m begins with the heats on Friday.</p>
<p>Their support for each other <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dbr0MnHhnwB/?igsh=NDV2b3YzdzhyNjE5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is clear</a>.</p>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6a74d2410d4f84bcf44c1e7e.JPG" alt="Mariah Maxwell competes in Oregon" />
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<p style="font-size: 0.9em; color: #b2b2b2; text-align: right; margin: -15px 0 0px;">Mariah Maxwell competes in Oregon (&copy; World Athletics Media Academy <img style="width: 16px; vertical-align: middle; display: inline;" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,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" alt="photographer icon" /> Benjamin Fox)</p>
<p>Both sisters have been asked about the potential end to this sibling rivalry.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I feel like we are both open to doing what's best for ourselves, and if that means splitting up, then that's the thing that's going to be,&rdquo; Mariah said.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Mia added: &ldquo;I feel like we're going to split apart eventually, yes, but it's not a sad thing. It's honestly like a beautiful thing.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;Regardless of where our paths go, we're still going to be consistent with each other.&rdquo;</p>
<p>These sisters have continued to make their mark. Many young athletes want to follow in their footsteps.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Trust the process. We didn't start running track until eighth grade,&rdquo; said Mia, the older of the twins by one minute, when asked for her advice for young athletes. &ldquo;I would have never thought I'd be here, at a press conference, with everybody interested in what I have to say.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>
<p>Offering her own input, Mariah added: &ldquo;Be patient and make your own journey. It's easy to compare yourself, (but) everybody's story is different.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>Sofiah Gravley for the World Athletics Media Academy</strong></p>
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After taking the top two spots in both the 100m and 200m at the US U20 Championships at Hayward Field, the Maxwell twins are side by side yet again at the World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26. 

Double advantage for Mariah and Mia Maxwell

<p>Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino completed a double in the 400m and mixed relay while Flor Denis Ruiz improved her South American record and Jose Figueroa rewrote the record books on the first four days of competition at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo.</p>
<p>On the opening day at the stadium, Paulino overcame a sizable deficit with the leading Puerto Rican team to bring home the first gold to the host country in the mixed 4x400m relay. Her anchor leg of 48.51 led the team to defend their title in 3:10.57, more than four seconds faster than their winning time at the 2023 Games.</p>
<p>Erick S&aacute;nchez, Anabel Medina and Christopher Melenciano completed the quartet for the Dominican Republic.</p>
<p>Two days later, Paulino returned to the Felix Sanchez stadium and successfully defended her 400m title in 48.94, a 1.01-second improvement on her previous Games record. She was joined on the podium by her training partner and world finalist Roxana Gomez of Cuba (49.95) and Olympic 800m finalist Shafiqua Maloney of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (51.77).</p>
<p>Gabriel Moronta sealed the Dominican double in the one-lap race with the men&rsquo;s title in 44.70, ahead of Mexico&rsquo;s Luis Aviles (45.06) and Venezuela&rsquo;s Javier Gomez (45.07). The trio denied a medal to Grenada&rsquo;s triple Olympic medallist Kirani James, the region&rsquo;s most successful 400m runner ever.</p>
<p>Colombia&rsquo;s 2023 world silver medallist Flor Denis Ruiz threw a massive 67.34m to retain her javelin title. The 35-year-old broke her own South American record and moves to second on this year&rsquo;s world list. It was her third victory at the CAC Games, having won her first title back in 2014.</p>
<p>Following his impressive opening leg in the mixed relay for Puerto Rico, Jose Figueroa continued his best season ever as he smashed the CAC Games 200m record in the semifinals on Wednesday with 19.76, moving him to sixth on this year&rsquo;s world list. He will go for gold on Thursday (6).</p>
<p>Other standout performances came in the hurdles with Colombia&rsquo;s Maria Murillo and Panama&rsquo;s Giana Woodruff. Murillo became the third fastest South American sprint hurdler with a national record in the 100m hurdles (12.64), in a close battle with Greisys Roble of Cuba (12.68).</p>
<p>In her third CAC Games, Woodruff finally secured gold for Panama in the women&rsquo;s 400m hurdles, doing so with a Games record of 53.98. Dominican Republic&rsquo;s Yeral Nunez won the men&rsquo;s race in 48.30.</p>
<p>Other Games record breakers were Cuba&rsquo;s Dayi Cooper in 1500m (4:07.46), Dominican Republic&rsquo;s Liranyi Alonzo in the 100m (11.10), and Alvaro Abreu (1:02:48) and Mexico&rsquo;s Laura Galvan (1:13:43) the half marathon.</p>
<p>South American record-holder Ronald Longa became the first Colombian ever to win the men&rsquo;s 100m (10.06) while newly minted world U20 record holder Jorge Hodelin of Cuba took the long jump title with 8.23m.</p>
<p>In her fifth CAC Games, Puerto Rico&rsquo;s Alysbeth Felix finally enjoyed her first regional crown with the gold medal in the long jump (6.54m). She also leads the heptathlon after day one. She won bronze medals in both events in 2023.</p>
<p>World silver medallist Alegna Gonzalez and Ricardo Ortiz completed a Mexican double in the half marathon race walk.</p>
<p>The world&rsquo;s oldest regional multisport event, the CAC Games, were inaugurated in 1926 and celebrate their centennial edition in Santo Domingo. The Dominican Republic previously hosted the Games in 1974 and 1986.</p>
<p>The athletics competition will end on 8 August.</p>
<p><strong>Javier Clavelo Robinson for World Athletics</strong></p>

Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino completed a double in the 400m and mixed relay while Flor Denis Ruiz improved her South American record

Paulino, Ruiz and Figueroa shine at Central American and Caribbean Games

<p>Jacory Patterson was working in a UPS factory doing nighttime shifts when he became a world champion in 2025. In the latest instalment of Side Track, he talked about going from stacking boxes to taking on the world's best on track.</p>
<h3>When you finished at the University of Florida with no sponsorship deal, what did do you?</h3>
<p>I just moved back home and honestly I was just going on my faith in myself. I was telling myself I&rsquo;ll give it another two years and, if it goes good, cool and, if not, I&rsquo;m going to transition to real life and the real world. Thanks to family and friends, it worked out.</p>
<h3>Did you ever give up on the athletics dream?</h3>
<p>No, I never felt it was over and I was just hoping it did work out. Track was something that I&rsquo;d been doing since I was 11 years old and it was something I&rsquo;d grown to love. I wanted it to work out so I never told myself it might not work or that I was just 50% in&hellip;. I was 100% all in. I thought If it ends up I&rsquo;m not going to run anymore at least be 100% dialled in trying to make it happen as I didn&rsquo;t want to have regrets.</p>
<h3>So you started working for UPS right?</h3>
<p>I moved back home and didn&rsquo;t have a job yet so I got straight online and started looking up jobs. I was applying for many different jobs. At the time, I knew someone working at UPS that kind of opened that window for me a little bit and got me set up which meant I was able to skip the line a little bit. I started in August 2024 and worked there up until June 2025.</p>
<h3>What did the role entail?</h3>
<p>You&rsquo;ve got people that put boxes on the belt and those who take them off the belt and onto the trucks. I did that bit. We had this long, big trailers and you&rsquo;d start all the way in the back up to the front. Depending on the night, we&rsquo;d fill two to four trucks.</p>
<h3>Did lugging the boxes feel like training?</h3>
<p>Mum and I would joke that it was the second weights run of the day! That&rsquo;s how I looked at it - with optimism. Those big boxes and hardware were like a squat rack I worked with.</p>
<h3>Did you enjoy the work?</h3>
<p>It wasn&rsquo;t like one those things that felt like a burden - man why do I have to do this? Anything that I go into, I go in with optimism. I kept telling myself this is situation we&rsquo;ve got to make it work. This is what it is right now.</p>
<h3>But it must have been tough balancing the world with training.</h3>
<p>My shift would start at 10.30pm and most nights go until 4.30am. During peak season like Thanksgiving to January when orders were crazy you&rsquo;d finish about 5.30 while the latest I ever finished was 6.50am. It was like a vampire shift! The reason I chose those shifts is that I wanted it to fit around training. I could have done morning shifts but that wouldn&rsquo;t have worked with training in the morning while a daytime shift would mean going straight to practice so I thought a nighttime shift would work better. After practice, I could go home for a five, six-hour nap and get my recovery and then another two to three hours after the night shift before hitting it hard in training. That worked best for my schedule.</p>
<h3>Did people clock you were an athlete?</h3>
<p>I tried my best to keep a low profile as I didn&rsquo;t want people to know I was an athlete. Once they found out, they were really supportive and trying to be helpful but I didn&rsquo;t want them feeling sorry for me. I met some really cool people there and am still in touch with some today.</p>
<h3>Balancing the training and work must have been tough?</h3>
<p>I would say at first it was tough - that first month was pretty rough as I&rsquo;d never done anything like that before. It was pretty rough on my body, recovery wise. But you find your rhythm. I got to know how to stack the trucks, the heavy stuff on the bottom, the lighter on top. It was a bit like Tetris plus I&rsquo;ve got OCD so I kind of loved being able to wedge boxes in between gaps. I&rsquo;m not going to lie, it was kind of satisfying.</p>
<h3>But by March 2025 you were a world champion in Nanjing and still working at UPS. Why did you stick with it?</h3>
<p>I didn&rsquo;t stop working at UPS until June because I didn&rsquo;t want to jump the gun. I didn&rsquo;t want to get excited too early. I was running good but I still didn&rsquo;t have a deal so I told myself I&rsquo;d keep stacking boxes until something comes. Sure, conversations and negotiations were happening but until I knew it was set in stone and I was ready to sign my name on my paper that&rsquo;s when I gave my two-week notice.</p>
<h3>Did that year toughen you up as an athlete?</h3>
<p>I would say so for sure. Working that was tough even though I tried to have a positive mindset. I kind of used it as fuel. When you're in those situations when the odds are not really in you favour you&rsquo;ve got to learn to flip the narrative. I got a lot of support from my mum and friends and they kept me grounded.</p>
<h3>Are you pleased you went through it all?</h3>
<p>I&rsquo;m so thankful I had this experience. I tell people I wouldn&rsquo;t change the route I had for anything in the world. It taught me a lot on the track but also about me as a person. It showed me that if I put my mind to whatever I want to do I can do it. Even after I finally signed to Nike I told myself I will never get comfortable, always remember where you started. When I worked at UPS I had a barcode on my phone to scan in when I got in. I still have that on my phone and look at that every day to remind me.</p>
<h3>Did you suddenly feel like you&rsquo;ve got a lot of free time?!</h3>
<p>That&rsquo;s the biggest thing for me. I can get a full night&rsquo;s rest and I&rsquo;m able to use different recovery options whether that be a chiropractor, accupuncture, ice bath or sauna, I have time to do all those things now. And as an only child, I&rsquo;ve always been pretty good in my own company so I don&rsquo;t mind just chilling out.</p>
<h3>Do you think it made you a better athlete?</h3>
<p>A lot better. It gave me a chip a little bit and made me hungry. I remember plenty of nights when coach would beast me at practice and, even after a five-hour nap, I was dead tired at night. Remember those things, remember to stay hungry and grounded, and then don&rsquo;t get a big head if you have the success. And I tell myself don&rsquo;t get comfortable as there might be someone else out there working night shifts about to come through.</p>

World Athletics Ultimate Championship

Jacory Patterson was working in a UPS factory doing nighttime shifts when he became a world champion in 2025. In the latest instalment of Side Track, he talked about going from stacking boxes to taking on the world's best on track.

Side Track with Jacory Patterson

<ul>
<li><strong>Championship mixed 4x400m record for USA in front of home fans</strong></li>
<li><strong>Frankline Kibet and Charity Cherop enjoy golden return in 5000m</strong></li>
<li><strong>Alessandro Borges celebrates emotional shot put win</strong></li>
</ul>
<p>The US team rocked Hayward Field on Wednesday (5), achieving the fastest U20 mixed 4x400m in history with 3:15.31 on the first night of competition at the <strong>World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26</strong>.</p>
<p>The quartet of Joshua Shelton, Taylor-Nicole Overton, Jaelen Hunter and Olivia Harris took more than two seconds off the previous best of 3:17.69 achieved by another US team at the 2022 edition of the World U20 Championships in Cali.</p>
<p>Linda Botkov&aacute; of Czechia took her team from sixth to second with the fastest anchor leg of the race, crossing the finish line in a national U20 record of 3:18.16. Botkov&aacute; will now switch her attention to the 100m hurdles in Oregon.</p>
<p>Australia and Jamaica battled throughout the race, Australia eventually getting the bronze in an area U20 record of 3:18.45. Although Jamaica did not make the podium, the team did come away with a national U20 record, 3:18.78. Czechia, Australia and Jamaica now respectively sit third, fourth and fifth on the world all-time list.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I knew I just had to hold the lead they all gave me and finish strong because that is what it was going take to get the record and win overall,&rdquo; said Harris. &ldquo;We will all run the (women&rsquo;s or men&rsquo;s) 4x400m relays later this week.&rdquo;</p>
<h2>5000m titles for Kibet and Cherop</h2>
<p>After winning the world U20 cross-country title in Tallahassee in January, Frankline Kibet clinched his second global gold by winning the 5000m in Eugene. His Kenyan teammate Nehemiah Kipngeno finished second in 13:30.09, while Ethiopia&rsquo;s Damitew Kebede shocked fans with a bronze finish, improving his PB by almost 20 seconds to 13:35.38.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I was so grateful to be able to win the World Cross Country Championships and I went back and trained very well,&rdquo; said Kibet. &ldquo;That is why I was able to win this championship.&rdquo;</p>
<p>There was an emotional finish by Uganda&rsquo;s Charity Cherop in the women&rsquo;s 5000m as she earned gold in 15:03.88 after celebrating on her way to the finish line.</p>
<p>As well as being a silver medallist from the last World U20 Championships in Lima, the 19-year-old also got world U20 cross-country bronze in January. The 5000m may not be her only opportunity to win hardware this week as she is also entered for the 3000m on Saturday.</p>
<p>Shito Gumi was listed second behind Cherop on the entry list and the race went to the form book as the Ethiopian finished four seconds behind the winner to earn silver in 15:07.91. Taking bronze was Kenya&rsquo;s Joyline Chepkemoi who improved her PB by almost half a minute to 15:09.08.</p>
<p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3UWczm20-Vs?si=RArVUS1Is9z3q-TL" width="100%" height="475" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<h2>Big shot for Borges</h2>
<p>Following his final throw, Alessandro Borges was embraced by Brazilian fans in the crowd after the competition of his life saw him earn shot put gold with a PB of 20.35m.</p>
<p>In the early rounds, Korea&rsquo;s frontrunner Park Si-hoon was the athlete to beat and he improved to 20.31m in the third round. But he couldn&rsquo;t respond when Borges threw four centimetres farther. South Africa&rsquo;s 16-year-old Jaco van Dyk launched himself into a medal position during the fifth round, throwing a PB of 19.80m to bring home bronze.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I cannot believe I am world champion,&rdquo; said Borges. &ldquo;I knew Izabela (Da Silva) won (the world U20 discus title) here in 2014 and I wanted to add another gold in the shot put. I want to return to this country for the Olympic Games in 2028.&rdquo;</p>
<h2>Virjonen heads the heptathlon</h2>
<p>The leaderboard was shaken up following the morning's heptathlon events. Enni Virjonen ended the first day in the lead, looking to grab another U20 medal to go with her European U20 bronze from last year in her home country, Finland.</p>
<p>Many of the athletes had impressive performances in the shot put, with multiple PBs recorded across the board. Zola Ndouma-Mona of France set a championship heptathlon best of 14.72m, 37 centimetres farther than Virjonen&rsquo;s PB performance.</p>
<p>Virjonen then went quickest in the 200m in 23.99 and will continue to fight to stay in the top spot. She finished day one on 3676 ahead of Ndouma-Mona on 3669. Great Britain&rsquo;s Thea Brown started the afternoon in the lead and ended it in third place on 3632 after a PB in the shot put and third place overall behind Virjonen and Mia Mireia Uusorg in the 200m.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Sprint contenders continue</h2>
<p>USA&rsquo;s Tate Taylor, South Africa&rsquo;s Marko Ferreira and Jamaica&rsquo;s Gary Card dominated the men&rsquo;s 100m semifinals, all three winning their heats. Taylor achieved the fastest time of 10.06, while Ferreira ran 10.13. World U20 leader Card, who ran 9.93 in June, narrowly won his semifinal in 10.16.</p>
<p>USA&rsquo;s Mia and Mariah Maxwell were among the athletes to impress in the women&rsquo;s 100m semifinals. Mia went quickest overall with 11.13, while her twin sister Mariah ran 11.25. Jamaica&rsquo;s Theianna-Lee Terrelonge and world leader Shanoya Douglas both recorded 11.21 and they will be joined in the final by Xenia Buri, who set a Swiss U20 record of 11.23. Italy&rsquo;s 16-year-old Kelly Doualla won the first semifinal in 11.36.</p>
<p>Kenya&rsquo;s African silver medallist Mercy Chepngeno Kosgei led the first round of the 3000m steeplechase, winning the first heat in 9:36.19 ahead of Wosane Asefa (9:56.36). Ethiopia&rsquo;s Almaz Yohannis won the second heat in 9:42.45 ahead of Kenya&rsquo;s Anatasha Cheptoo who secured her spot in the final despite having to turn back after missing the first water jump.</p>
<p>Four athletes achieved the automatic qualification mark of 55.00m in the discus, China&rsquo;s Su Yixin and Ma Chenyi leading the way with 58.06m and 57.72m, respectively. Germany&rsquo;s Favour Adesokan threw 56.14 and USA&rsquo;s Jaslene Massey 55.47m.</p>
<p>A total of 13 athletes qualified for the pole vault final after clearing 4.10m. Czechia&rsquo;s world U20 leader Nicole Krutilov&aacute; will be among those going for gold, along with Estonia&rsquo;s Allika Inkeri Moser, who set a world U18 best of 4.52m last year.</p>
<p><strong>Morgan Hoopes for the World Athletics Media Academy</strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

The US team rocked Hayward Field on Wednesday, achieving the fastest U20 mixed 4x400m in history

US team runs fastest ever U20 mixed 4x400m with 3:15.31 in Oregon

<p>Five more champions will be crowned on day two of the <strong>World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26</strong>.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Here are just three of the many things to follow at Hayward Field on Thursday (6).&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Highly anticipated 100m battles</h2>
<p>On a day that will see five titles decided, two of the most anticipated races will be saved for last. The 100m battles look set to offer showdowns between Jamaica and the US. Both teams have formidable athletes in their ranks, all looking for gold.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Jamaica has world U20 leaders Shanoya Douglas and Gary Card. Douglas earned bronze in the 200m and gold in 4x100m in Lima back in 2024, while Card is the only athlete with a time below 10 seconds this year. His national U20 record of 9.93 bumped him up to third on the world U20 all-time list.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The US team has a few players up its sleeve that could give them the edge over Jamaica. The women&rsquo;s team features the Maxwell twins, Mia and Mariah, while Tate Taylor is on their men&rsquo;s squad. Racing on home soil, all three athletes are on the hunt for gold.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-u20-championships/oregon26/news/preview/wu20-oregon-26-preview-sprints" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WU20 Oregon 26 sprint events preview</a></strong></p>
<h2>Heptathlon heroes</h2>
<p>Thursday features the final three events in the heptathlon &ndash; the long jump, javelin and 800m.</p>
<p>Enni Virjonen will be looking to get another world U20 gold for Finland following her compatriot Saga Vanninen&rsquo;s victories in 2021 and 2022. She is the world U20 leader after scoring a PB of 6189 in G&ouml;tzis in May.</p>
<p>Zola Ndouma-Mona finished the first day just seven points behind leader Virjonen after a series that included a championship heptathlon best in the shot put. Thea Brown, who finished runner-up to Virjonen at the 2024 European U18 Championships, will also be looking to build on a strong first day during which she set a championship heptathlon best in the 100m hurdles.</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-u20-championships/oregon26/news/preview/wu20-oregon-26-preview-combined-events-race-walks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WU20 Oregon 26 combined events preview</a></strong></p>
<h2>Throws stars in the spotlight</h2>
<p>Two throwing finals will take place &ndash; the women&rsquo;s discus and shot put.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Nigeria&rsquo;s Jessica Oji stars in the shot put after securing a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. She set an African record of 18.50m indoors in March, making her the only athlete in the field to have surpassed 18 metres. She&rsquo;ll face athletes including Ecuador&rsquo;s Belsy Jennifer Qui&ntilde;onez who has a PB of 17.75m.</p>
<p>In the discus, look out for future University of Oregon student Jaslene Massey who hopes to take home the gold in this event again after throwing 60.27m to win the US U20 title at Hayward Field in June. China&rsquo;s Su Yixin will also be on the medal hunt &ndash; she threw a PB of 59.44m in May.</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-u20-championships/oregon26/news/preview/wu20-oregon-26-preview-throws" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WU20 Oregon 26 throws events preview</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Ash Wehrly for World Athletics Media Academy</strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

Five more champions will be crowned on day two of the World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26. 

Three things to follow on day two in Oregon

<p>When Mael-Bephassou Lannurien was a young boy, he watched Jamaican sprint great Usain Bolt flash across his TV screen with long strides and a joyful charisma.</p>
<p>Craving the energy that Bolt so famously exuded, Lannurien ran all around the house, so much so that his parents pushed him to run at a club to get his energy out. Upon arriving at the track, Lannurien found his best friends, competitions he excelled at, and most importantly, all the fun he could ever need.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I have the best time at the track and I think athletics is just the best sport. That's why I've stuck with it,&rdquo; said Lannurien, speaking through an interpreter during the pre-event press conference for the <strong>World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26</strong>.</p>
<p>Pulling on his various spikes, the rising French decathlete has pursued athletics over other sports from his childhood such as gymnastics, swimming, table tennis and basketball. His great love for athletics led him to try every discipline he could.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I started the decathlon just because I was so good at everything that I was doing, and I didn't want to choose just one,&rdquo; he said.</p>
<p>Although his focus is spread, Lannurien has a passion for the hurdles, where his 6ft 3in frame gives him a natural advantage clearing the barriers. This pushed him to compete and win the 60m hurdles at the French U20 Indoor Championships earlier this year in 7.62.</p>
<p>The ability to finish first among specialists while simultaneously focusing on other events is a blessing that Lannurien relishes.</p>
<p>In Eugene, the 18-year-old had the opportunity to meet USA&rsquo;s two-time Olympic decathlon champion and former University of Oregon student-athlete Ashton Eaton.</p>
<p>When asked about the pressure he might feel competing in front of such a decorated athlete,&nbsp;Lannurien&nbsp;responded humbly: &ldquo;I don't know if Ashton will be looking at me or everyone else, but just knowing that he's going to be in the stands is an awesome and incredible thing, and I am going to make sure I enjoy this opportunity.&rdquo;</p>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6a738730ba53e8cb44bca822.jpg" alt="Mael-Bephassou Lannurien with Ashton Eaton in Oregon" />
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<p style="font-size: 0.9em; color: #b2b2b2; text-align: right; margin: -15px 0 0px;">Mael-Bephassou Lannurien with Ashton Eaton in Oregon (&copy; World Athletics)</p>
<p>Despite Lannurien always having fun on the track, his mentality is clearly focused on learning and perfecting every little detail rigorously.</p>
<p>&ldquo;You always have to want to learn, because if you don't want to learn, that's where you are going to stutter,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;You will never progress, and you're never going to improve in life.&rdquo;</p>
<p>At the French U20 Combined Events Championships, Lannurien faced a learning experience that all young track and field athletes may dread. In the call room before the decathlon 100m, he fell asleep while battling the fatigue the extreme heat was exerting on his body. As a result, he clocked 11.34, compared to his PB of 10.88 set earlier in the season.</p>
<p>For the rest of the weekend, Lannurien focused on the smallest details, making sure he was taking care of his body in order to always improve and progress. Despite the 100m setback, Lannurien still found himself top of the podium when the weekend concluded, winning by more than 200 points.</p>
<p>Heading into the competition in Oregon on Friday and Saturday (7-8), Lannurien doesn't have one clear goal. Although he is conscious of being listed second on the entry list with the PB of 7785 set in Montpellier in May and his opportunity to return home with a medal, his main objective &ndash; as always &ndash; is to go out there, have fun, and enjoy the moment.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I know that if I do have fun when I'm competing, then a good performance is bound to happen, so I am trusting the process,&rdquo; he said.</p>
<p>Above all, Lannurien is the perfect example of what can happen when physical talent combines with the dedication and drive that only love can create.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I know that waking up in the morning, if I do this thing, the love of my life, I am going to have fun,&rdquo; he said when asked what makes him get up every day and continue training.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I go to the track to have the fun I want to have, and I know I'm going to meet my friends and have a good time.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Success on the track is crucial, but Lannurien is chasing more: the joy and happiness that Usain Bolt showcased to him years ago.</p>
<p><strong>Colin Ernst for the World Athletics Media Academy</strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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When Mael-Bephassou Lannurien was a young boy, he watched Jamaican sprint great Usain Bolt flash across his TV screen with long strides and a joyful charisma.

Love at first spike for French decathlete Lannurien

<ul>
<li><strong>US quartet runs fourth-fastest mixed 4x400m in history to top qualification</strong></li>
<li><strong>Thea Brown opens campaign with championship heptathlon 100m hurdles best</strong></li>
<li><strong>Key contenders Tate Taylor and Gary Card lead first round of men's 100m</strong></li>
</ul>
<p>The world&rsquo;s leading teenage athletes made some early statements as the <strong>World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26</strong> kicked off at Hayward Field on Wednesday (5).</p>
<p>The mixed 4x400m got off to an electric start, with several national U20 records set and a world U20 lead achieved. The US quartet of Joshua Shelton, Natalie Dumas, Jaelen Hunter and Olivia Harris led the way, clocking 3:18.26 for the fourth-fastest U20 performance in history.</p>
<p>They cruised through to tonight&rsquo;s final, where they will be joined by Australia, who clocked 3:19.59 to finish second in that heat, and Spain (3:21.90).</p>
<p>Great Britain &amp; NI, Poland and Czechia raced to qualification places in the first heat, Great Britain utilising a strong anchor leg from Noa Chodokufa to move from third to first in 3:21.27 and Czechia improving the national U20 record by almost two seconds to 3:21.58.</p>
<p>Jamaica won the second heat in 3:21.47 ahead of South Africa and Colombia, respectively setting national U20 records of 3:22.12 and 3:22.14 to also qualify for the final.</p>
<h2>Leading sprint contenders advance</h2>
<p>Jamaica&rsquo;s Theianna-Lee Terrelonge got off to a strong start in the women&rsquo;s 100m, topping the first round with 11.21. Her compatriot Shanoya Douglas, the world U20 leader, ran 11.35 to comfortably qualify for the semifinals along with fellow medal contenders Mariah and Mia Maxwell of the USA who respectively clocked 11.33 and 11.37.</p>
<p>Saint Lucia's 17-year-old Jady Emmanuel improved her own national U18 record to 11.28 to win her heat ahead of Guyana&rsquo;s Athaleyha Hinckson (11.31) and others joining them in the next round include Emma Goretzka (11.29), Kelly Doualla (11.35) and Xenia Buri (11.38).</p>
<p>The men&rsquo;s 100m heats also featured top performances from the favourites. After winning the Wanda Diamond League 200m in Eugene, Tate Taylor returned and demonstrated his prowess in the 100m. He ran 10.05, 0.01 off his PB, to lead the first round. Jamaica&rsquo;s world U20 leader Gary Card, whose PB of 9.93 places him joint third on the world U20 all-time list, ran 10.07 to advance, while South Africa&rsquo;s Marko Ferreira clocked 10.11. Hong Kong&rsquo;s Kwok Chun Ting (10.29) and Estonia&rsquo;s Dmitri Petrogradov (10.37) both set national U20 records to progress.</p>
<p>Uganda&rsquo;s 17-year-old Shafeck Murungi improved his PB by almost two seconds with 1:46.64 to lead the first round of the men&rsquo;s 800m. Australia&rsquo;s Daniel Willams, who entered with the field's top PB, ran 1:47.47 and Morocco&rsquo;s African silver medallist Imad Bouchajda also comfortably qualified.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Japan&rsquo;s 18-year-old Asian silver medallist Rin Kubo ran 2:03.27 to top the heats of the women&rsquo;s 800m, two years on from her sixth-place finish at the World U20 Championships in Lima. Slovenia&rsquo;s 16-year-old Živa Remic (2.09:86) also comfortably qualified for the semifinals along with Ethiopia&rsquo;s Habtam Gebeyehu (2:04.66), but they won&rsquo;t be joined in the next round by Kenya&rsquo;s Nancy Jepngetich as she was disqualified for breaking her lane too early.</p>
<h2>Brown runs championship heptathlon 100m hurdles best</h2>
<p>Great Britain&rsquo;s Thea Brown made history with a blazing start to the heptathlon. Her 13.23 PB in the 100m hurdles was a championship heptathlon best, a 0.01 improvement on the previous best that was set by Nadine Visser also in Eugene when the event was last held at Hayward Field in 2014. World U20 leader Enni Virjonen opened well, too, finishing second in 13.36.</p>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6a73aedf006b1b27d7408ef5.JPG" alt="Enni Virjonen and Thea Brown in the heptathlon 100m hurdles in Oregon" />
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<p style="font-size: 0.9em; color: #b2b2b2; text-align: right; margin: -15px 0 0px;">Enni Virjonen and Thea Brown in the heptathlon 100m hurdles in Oregon (&copy; Getty Images)</p>
<p>Brown went on to finish second in the high jump with a clearance of 1.78m, behind Finland&rsquo;s Nuppu Willman with a PB of 1.81m, to end the morning session top of the leaderboard on 2043 points. Portugal&rsquo;s Natacha Cand&eacute; and France&rsquo;s Zola Ndouma-Mona sit second and third overall so far, with 1979 and 1942, while Virjonen occupies fifth place (1877) after the morning&rsquo;s action.&nbsp;</p>
<p>South African U20 javelin champion Jan-Hendrik Heymans started off hot in Eugene, hitting the automatic qualifying mark on his first throw with 76.02m. That was more than six metres farther than the next best throw, and the sole attempt beyond 70 metres. Behind Heymans, three athletes surpassed 69 metres, including India&rsquo;s Ashish Yadav (69.87m), Poland&rsquo;s Aleksander Wojna (69.80m) and China&rsquo;s Yang Zhaoyi (69.80m), setting the stage for a final that could feature a tight medal fight. USA&rsquo;s Nolan Carey, who set a PB of 74.72m in May and won the US U20 title in Eugene in July, did not advance.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Chen throws world U20 lead</h2>
<p>Chinese U20 champion Chen Jiawei clinched his spot in the hammer final with a big PB and the best U20 throw in the world this year, 80.39m. That mark was more than six metres farther than the next closest contender.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Poland&rsquo;s Jan Delewski, who entered with the best PB of the field, had the second longest throw at 73.61m. Cyprus&rsquo;s Alexandros Ghamrawi, the third athlete in the field to have ever thrown beyond 77 metres, qualified with 72.38m. Ecuador&rsquo;s Patry Ivan Valdez Arroyo set a national U20 record of 71.62m to also clinch a spot in the final.</p>
<p>Greek U20 champion Aristion Anastasios Papadopoulos punched his ticket into the shot put final with a 19.82m throw to lead qualification. Right behind him is Korea&rsquo;s Asian U20 record-holder Park Si-hoon who threw 19.69m. Brazilian U20 champion Alessandro Borges also had a strong showing, throwing 19.69m. They will be joined in tonight&rsquo;s final by NACAC U18 champion Jayden Walcott (18.86m), but they won&rsquo;t face world U20 leader Omar Hussein who won the US U20 title in Eugene with a 20.97m PB, as his best of 18.54m was not enough to progress.</p>
<p>Ella Alvelin Malm of Sweden soared a PB of 6.36m in the long jump to become the sole athlete to hit the automatic qualifying mark of 6.35m, improving her previous best by 10 centimetres. Greece&rsquo;s Evelyn Mitropoulou topped her group with 6.33m, while France&rsquo;s Djelika Diarra (6.28m) and Hungary&rsquo;s Bori R&oacute;zsahegyi (6.17m) also qualified for what looks set to be a competitive final.</p>
<p><strong>Owen Bogert for the World Athletics Media Academy</strong><br /><br /></p>
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</div>

The world’s leading teenage athletes made some early statements as the World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26 kicked off at Hayward Field

Competition kicks off on busy first morning in Oregon

<p>Tatiana Stepanova was a former athlete who turned her attention to coaching most successfully with Yaroslava Mahuchikh, who she has guided to Olympic and World Championship glory. She explains her coaching methodology and the reason for the pair's success in the latest episode of Coaching Class.</p>
<h3>You were an athlete yourself, how easy was the transition for you from athlete to coach?</h3>
<p>I began doing athletics at the age of 15. At first, I ran the 100 and 200m, and then I switched over to the 400m hurdles. At the age of 21, I graduated from the institute where I was studying and began working with children and enjoyed it straight away.</p>
<h3>And how did that journey take place in terms of what you did, who you were coaching?</h3>
<p>At that time, I went to schools and recruited children from 12 to 15 years old. There were three beginner groups, with 20 children in each group. It was all-round training and then, at 16, they chose their specialism. My athletes went on to become medalists at their national championships and also finalists at the European Athletics Junior Championships in the 400m hurdles.</p>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6a71ba72f84b2628dffb7763.jpg" alt="Yaroslava Mahuchikh with her coach Tetiana Stepanova" />
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<p style="font-size: 0.9em; color: #b2b2b2; text-align: right; margin: -15px 0 0px;">Yaroslava Mahuchikh with her coach Tetiana Stepanova (&copy; World Athletics <img style="width: 16px; vertical-align: middle; display: inline;" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,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" alt="photographer icon" /> Christel Saneh)</p>
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<h3>What&rsquo;s your coaching philosophy?</h3>
<p>I always considered the children I coached to be my large family and always helped them not only in training but also in their daily lives. I compare a coach&rsquo;s work to that of a sculptor, when you begin to sculpt perfection.</p>
<h3>And is that something that&rsquo;s always changing?</h3>
<p>My philosophy does not change over time but I understand that one alwayss has to work energetically with children!</p>
<h3>What makes a good coach and what makes a good coach-athlete relationship?</h3>
<p>Deep knowledge of one&rsquo;s field, an individual approach, developed intuition, willpower and the ability to preserve an athlete&rsquo;s health. You also need excellent communication, mutual respect, a shared goal, and, of course, support during difficult moments. It's a fine balance between being demanding and being humane.</p>
<h3>You&rsquo;ve had amazing success with Yaroslava, how did that partnership begin? </h3>
<p>Yaroslava was 12 when I began coaching her. At first, she ran hurdles, did the long jump and was still growing. Then I realised that I needed to work with her on the high jump. This discipline was difficult for me, but Yaroslava liked it. She was easy to coach because she did everything I told her to do in training without any unnecessary words.</p>
<h3>Do you remember your first impressions of her?</h3>
<p>The first thing that caught my eye was her large, slightly mischievous eyes. They showed love, respect, diligence and, at the same time, great sincerity, as though they were always plotting something.</p>
<h3>Why is the dynamic between you so good? What&rsquo;s the secret?!</h3>
<p>There is no secret, we are simply on the same wavelength.</p>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6a71baa8f84b2628dffb7766.jpg" alt="Yaroslava Mahuchikh with her coach Tetiana Stepanova" />
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<p style="font-size: 0.9em; color: #b2b2b2; text-align: right; margin: -15px 0 0px;">Yaroslava Mahuchikh with her coach Tetiana Stepanova (&copy; World Athletics)</p>
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<h3>When an athlete achieves the very greatest success, how do you follow that the next season? Is it hard to keep motivation?</h3>
<p>When success comes, a coach would like the athlete to stop in time and analyse their actions. I always give one month of rest and then we begin recovering, and everything starts from the beginning again.</p>
<h3>Is there a specific session in training from which you know Yaroslava is ready for a major championships?</h3>
<p>When I see a good take-off in the high jump from a full approach and a flight over the bar with plenty of clearance, that is pure joy.</p>
<h3>She said the decision to go back to Ukraine to train has helped a lot this year. Is that something you decided upon together?</h3>
<p>This is already the fifth year of the war in Ukraine. It is very difficult to be in different countries, so I decided that Yaroslava needed to spend time with her friends and family and train at her home school, despite the missiles and Shahed drones.</p>

Tatiana Stepanova was a former athlete who turned her attention to coaching most successfully with Yaroslava Mahuchikh who she has guided to Olympic and World Championship glory. She explains her coaching methodology and the reason for the pair's success in the latest episode of Coaching Class.

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