American teenager Cooper Lutkenhaus has become the youngest track and field world champion in history at the World Indoor Championships.
At the age of 17 years and 93 days, Lutkenhaus is, according to the world association, the youngest individual medalist ever after his victory in the title fights in Poland over 800 meters – whether under the roof of the hall or outside in the stadium. In the final run, Lutkenhaus took the lead of the field 300 meters from the finish and could no longer be caught by the competition.
The teenager won in 1:44.24 minutes ahead of the Belgian Eliott Crestan, who crossed the finish line in 1:44.38 minutes. The Spaniard Mohamed Attaoui came third. A German runner was not at the start.
Favorites in Poland strong
One day after track and field star Mondo Duplantis’s fourth world championship title in the hall, another favorite also celebrated his fourth gold. New Zealander Tom Walsh won the shot put at the title competitions in Torun. In 2016, 2018 and 2025, the New Zealander was also the best in his discipline under the hall roof. Compared to Lutkenhaus, Walsh is a real oldie at 34 years old.
“A lot of speed”
The day before, the Swedish pole vault world record holder Armand “Mondo” Duplantis had, as he has so often done, outclassed the competition with 6.25 meters. While the 26-year-old serial winner decided not to attempt another world record, the Swiss Simon Ehammer celebrated a world record in the heptathlon.
The decathlon competitor of German world champion Leo Neugebauer improved American Ashton Eaton’s 14-year-old record of 6,670 points by 25 points. “The heptathlon is my baby. Few throws, a lot of speed and jumps. That suits me,” said Ehammer.
