American high schooler qualifies for Team USA for World Championships
With a time of 1:42.27, Cooper Lutkenhaus broke his own under-18 world record and bettered the time of two Olympians from Paris.
Sixteen-year-old Cooper Lutkenhaus turned heads at the US Athletics Trials on Sunday, earning him self a space at the upcoming World Championships in Tokyo.
Lutkenhaus clocked a stunning 1:42.27 in the 800 meters on the final day of competition. Only seasoned pro and 2019 world champion Donavan Brazier finished ahead of him.
That blistering time not only secured Lutkenhaus a spot at the upcoming World Championships in September, it also obliterated the Under-18 world record, which the Texas high schooler had already broken earlier this summer.
This latest time shaved nearly three full seconds off the previous record, placing him among the five fastest Americans in history and 17th globally.
Competing at the iconic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, Lutkenhaus had already made headlines by reaching the final with a personal best of 1:45.57. “I wasn’t expecting to make the final, so now I’m going to make the most of this chance,” he said earlier in the meet. And he delivered.
Lutkenhaus surged past Olympic veterans Bryce Hoppel (4th in Paris) and Brandon Miller with a breathtaking late charge. After sitting in seventh place at the halfway point, he unleashed a powerful final lap to storm into second.
Remarkably, the young phenom has now run sub-1:48 in six straight races. With his speed, poise, and potential, Cooper Lutkenhaus is quickly becoming one of the most exciting rising stars in American track and field.
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