Cooper Lutkenhaus finished second to Donavan Brazier in the U.S. 800m final.
Thanks to middle school tactics, Cooper Lutkenhaus is set to become the first 16-year-old to compete for the U.S. in World Track and Field Championships history.
Lutkenhaus went from seventh place with 200 meters left to finish runner-up to Donavan Brazier in Sunday's 800m final at the Toyota USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
"Ever since middle school, that's really been a spot (200 to go) I've kind of really pushed from," said Lutkenhaus, a rising junior at Northwest High School outside of Dallas. "I kind of just decided to go back to middle school tactics."
The top three qualified for September's World Championships in Tokyo.
Lutkenhaus, who turns 17 on Dec. 19, is in line to break the record of youngest American to compete at track and field worlds held by Mary Cain, who ran the 1500m at 17 years, 3 months old in 2013.
Lutkenhaus will shatter the record of youngest U.S. man to compete at worlds — Erriyon Knighton in the 200m at 18 years, 5 months in 2022.
Lutkenhaus' time in Sunday's final — 1 minute, 42.27 seconds — shattered the U18 world record by 1.1 seconds. (U18 world records are for athletes who turn 17 or younger in the year of their competition. Kenyan Timothy Kitum ran 1:42.53 for 2012 Olympic bronze when he was 17 years old, but turning 18 later that year.)
Lutkenhaus went into nationals with a personal best of 1:45:45 (a U.S. high school record time) from the Nike Outdoor Nationals high school meet in June, also at Oregon's Hayward Field.
That seeded him 13th in the U.S. men's 800m field by best time in 2025.
"Obviously wasn't supposed to make the team," he said. "A lot of people didn't think I'd make the final."
Lutkenhaus' three-second PR drop launched him from outside the 90 fastest Americans in history to fourth behind the best times from Hoppel, Hoey and Brazier.
His time would have been the American record as recently as Aug. 10, when Hoppel lowered the record from Brazier's 1:42.34 to win the 2019 World title to 1:41.67.
Classes at Northwest High start Aug. 13.
"I'll be missing some school," to go to worlds in Tokyo, Lutkenhaus said. "But hopefully the teachers will understand."
Category: General Sports
