The GOAT of High School Track? Team USA’s Youngest Ever Track Star Just Shattered a World Record
Anwar Stetson
They’re calling him one of the greatest high school track stars of all time. Remember the name Cooper Lutkenhaus: a 16-year-old from Justin, Texas, who just shattered a U-18 world record.
Lutkenhaus rubbed shoulders with champions, Olympians, and men over a decade older than him at the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships over the weekend. But the lanky teenager stood far above his competition, both literally and figuratively.
On Sunday, Lutkenhaus stunned the track world by running 1:42.27 in the men’s 800-meter final.
That time is the fastest ever recorded by an athlete under 18 years old in world history. The previous best was 1:43.37 by Ethiopia’s Mohammed Aman, nearly a full second slower than the new record set by Lutkenhaus.
It is the fourth fastest time in American history, regardless of age group. And with the silver finish, Lutkenhaus earned the right to be the youngest runner to ever represent Team USA at the world championships in Tokyo in September.
Former world champion Donavan Brazier won gold at the event with a time of 1:42:16, a personal best and the third-fastest time in American history. The 28-year-old won gold in the 800m at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Qatar, and also won gold in the Mixed 2 × 2 × 400 metres relay at the 2019 World Relays in Yokohama, Japan.
Though Brazier won the event, the biggest story is Lutkenhaus. It’s rare for a high schooler to even compete at a high level against grown men who are already professionals and champions, let alone shatter records while doing so.
Fans and pundits alike sang the young man’s praises after witnessing the historic event.
Former star track athlete and performance coach Steve Magness called it “the most impressive athletic feat in history.”
One commenter wrote: “This is the single greatest under-18 performance in the history of sport – there isn’t a close second.”
“That might be the greatest performance in any event I’ve ever seen,” wrote another, “A 16-year-old shouldn’t be able to do this.”
Heightening the intensity of the moment–Lutkenhaus was behind for most of the race. With 250 meters to go, the Texas native was in seventh place, before a late burst of energy sent him flying past much older competitors. Lutkenhaus nearly caught up to Brazier, who finished first by just over a tenth of a second.
Check out the amazing finish below.
“I wasn’t supposed to make the team,” Lutkenhaus told reporters after the race. “A lot of people didn’t think I’d make the finals, so being able to do that was just a special moment.”
When a great college football player dominates the competition, analysts will often comment that he’ll eventually “play on Sundays” in the NFL. Well, if there’s one thing for certain, Cooper Lutkenhaus has enough potential to dominate every day of the week, and we’ll be watching him as the countdown to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics begins.