World Athletics U20 Championships

The World Athletics U20 Championships is a biennial world championships for the sport of athletics organised by the World Athletics, contested by athletes in the under-20 athletics age category (19 years old or younger on 31 December in the year of the competition).

The competition was launched as the IAAF World Junior Championships in Athletics in 1986 and renamed to IAAF World U20 Championships in November 2015. The current name was adapted with the name change of the sports governing body in 2019.

Anneisha McLaughlin-Whilby is the most successful athlete at the championships, having won one gold and four silver in individual and relay sprinting events between 2000 and 2004. Chris Nelloms, Davidson Ezinwa and Dexter Lee share the position of most successful male athlete, at four medals each.

Championships Edition Year Events Host city Host country Date Venue Top of the medal table Nations Athletes Men Women1198641 Athens 16–20 July Athens Olympic Stadium 142 1135 7523832198841 Sudbury 27–31 July Laurentian University Stadium 123 1024 574 4503199041 Plovdiv 8–12 August Deveti Septemvri Stadium 87 987 606 3814199241 Seoul 16–20 September Seoul Olympic Stadium 90 954 535 4195199442 Lisbon 20–24 July Estádio Universitário de Lisboa 143 1139 674 4656199641 Sydney 20–25 August Sydney International Athletic Centre 142 1049 640 4097199843 Annecy 28 July – 2 August Parc des Sports 169 1156 657 4998200043 Santiago 17–22 October Estadio Nacional de Chile 151 1122 638 4849200243 Kingston 16–21 July Independence Park 159 1069 630 43910200444 Grosseto 12–18 July Stadio Olimpico Comunale 168 1261 680 58111200644 Beijing 15–20 August Chaoyang Sport Centre 176 1350 742 60812200844 Bydgoszcz 8–13 July Zdzisław Krzyszkowiak Stadium 165 1408 757 65113201044 Moncton 19–25 July Moncton Stadium 163 1313 746 56714201244 Barcelona 10–15 July Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys 171 1566 856 71015201444 Eugene 22–27 July Hayward Field 175 1546 831 71516201644 Bydgoszcz 19–24 July Zdzisław Krzyszkowiak Stadium 140 1359 17201844 Tampere 10–15 July Tampere Stadium 158 1462 18202145 Nairobi 17–22 August Moi International Sports Centre 116 958 523 43519202245 Cali 2–7 August Estadio Olímpico Pascual Guerrero 145 1533 824 70920202445 Lima26–31 August Estadio Atlético de la VIDENA134 1720 21202646Eugene5–9 AugustHayward Field1471858955861

The 2016 Championships were due to be held in Kazan, Russia before the IAAF's suspension of the All-Russia Athletic Federation, which prohibits Russia from hosting international competitions. The championships were relocated as a result.

All-time medal table As of 2026 World Athletics U20 Championships.

Championships records Men EventRecordAthleteNationDateMeetPlaceAge100 m9.91 WU20RLetsile Tebogo2 August 20222022 ChampionshipsCali, Colombia200 m19.83 Tate Taylor8 August 20262026 ChampionshipsEugene, United States400 m44.47Jayden DeLeon7 August 20262026 ChampionshipsEugene, United States800 m1:43.76 Emmanuel Wanyonyi22 August 20212021 ChampionshipsNairobi, Kenya1500 m3:35.53Abdalaati Iguider15 July 20042004 ChampionshipsGrosseto, Italy3000 m7:28.28Emmanuel Kiprono7 August 20262026 ChampionshipsEugene, United States5000 m13:08.57Abreham Cherkos13 July 20082008 ChampionshipsBydgoszcz, Poland110 m hurdles (0.99 m)12.72 WJRSasha Zhoya21 August 20212021 ChampionshipsNairobi, Kenya12.72 WU20RLe'Ezra Brown8 August 20262026 ChampionshipsEugene, United States400 m hurdles48.51Kerron Clement16 July 20042004 ChampionshipsGrosseto, Italy3000 m steeplechase8:06.10Conseslus Kipruto15 July 20122012 ChampionshipsBarcelona, SpainHigh jump2.37 m WJRDragutin Topić12 August 19901990 ChampionshipsPlovdiv, BulgariaSteve Smith20 September 19921992 ChampionshipsSeoul, South KoreaPole vault5.82 mArmand Duplantis14 July 20182018 ChampionshipsTampere, FinlandLong jump8.20 m James Stallworth9 August 19901990 ChampionshipsPlovdiv, BulgariaTriple jump17.27 m Jaydon Hibbert5 August 20222022 ChampionshipsCali, ColombiaShot put (6 kg)22.20 mJacko Gill11 July 20122012 ChampionshipsBarcelona, Spain22.30 m Andrei Toader19 July 20162016 ChampionshipsBydgoszcz, Poland23.34 m Konrad Bukowiecki had originally finished first in 2016 but he later tested positive for a banned substance higenamine and his results from the championships were nullified.Konrad Bukowiecki19 July 20162016 ChampionshipsBydgoszcz, PolandDiscus throw (1.75 kg)69.81 m Mykolas Alekna22 August 20212021 ChampionshipsNairobi, KenyaHammer throw (6 kg)85.57 m WJRAshraf Amgad Elseify14 July 20122012 ChampionshipsBarcelona, SpainJavelin throw86.48 m WJRNeeraj Chopra23 July 20162016 ChampionshipsBydgoszcz, PolandDecathlon8425 ptsTomas Järvinen29–30 August 20242024 ChampionshipsLima, Peru5000 m walk (track)18:40.37 WU20RIsaac Beacroft8 August 20262026 ChampionshipsEugene, United States10,000 m walk (track)39:24.85Rayen Cherni30 August 20242024 ChampionshipsLima, Peru4 × 100 m relay38.16 WU20RBlake HamiltonDillon MitchellKyler BrownTate Taylor9 August 20262026 ChampionshipsEugene, United States4 × 400 m relay3:01.09 WJRBrandon JohnsonLaShawn MerrittJason CraigKerron Clement18 July 20042004 ChampionshipsGrosseto, Italy

Decathlon disciplines EventRecordPointsAthleteNationDateMeetPlaceAge100 m10.51 973Ashley Moloney10 July 20182018Tampere, FinlandLong jump7.74 m 995Cedric Dubler22 July 20142014Eugene, United StatesShot put(6 kg)16.51 m883Yordanis García16 August 20062006Beijing, ChinaHigh jump2.15 m944Attila Zsivoczky21 August 19961996Sydney, Australia2.15 m944Liam Belo da Silva7 August 20262026Eugene, United States400 m46.86965Ashley Moloney10 July 20182018Tampere, Finland110 m hurdles(0.99 m)13.70 1,014Zalán Zemen8 August 20262026Eugene, United StatesDiscus throw(1.750 kg)51.95 m911Liam Belo da Silva8 August 20262026Eugene, United StatesPole vault5.00 m910Ilya Shkurenyov21 July 20102010Moncton, CanadaMathias Ako23 July 20142014Eugene, United StatesJavelin throw71.59 m914Niklas Kaul20 July 20162016Bydgoszcz, Poland1500 m4:21.35802Kevin Mayer21 July 20102010Moncton, Canada

Defunct events EventRecordAthleteNationDateMeetPlaceAge10,000 m27:21.08Rhonex Kipruto10 July 20182018 ChampionshipsTampere, Finland20 kilometres road run59:27Metaferia Zeleke31 July 19881988 ChampionshipsSudbury, Canada2,000 m steeplechase5:28.56Jon Azkueta20 July 19861986 ChampionshipsAthens, Greece

Women EventRecordAthleteNationDateMeetPlaceAge100 m10.95 Tina Clayton3 August 20222022 ChampionshipsCali, Colombia200 m21.84 Christine Mboma21 August 20212021 ChampionshipsNairobi, Kenya400 m50.50Ashley Spencer13 July 20122012 ChampionshipsBarcelona, Spain800 m1:59.13 Roisin Willis3 August 20222022 ChampionshipsCali, Colombia1500 m4:04.64 Brenda Chebet6 August 20222022 ChampionshipsCali, Colombia3000 m8:41.76Beyenu Degefa20 July 20162016 ChampionshipsBydgoszcz, Poland5000 m14:57.44Mekedes Alemeshete27 August 20242024 ChampionshipsLima, Peru100 m hurdles12.77 Kerrica Hill6 August 20222022 ChampionshipsCali, Colombia400 m hurdles54.70Lashinda Demus19 July 20022002 ChampionshipsKingston, Jamaica3000 m steeplechase9:12.71Sembo Almayew29 August 20242024 ChampionshipsLima, PeruHigh jump2.00 mAlina Astafei29 July 19881988 ChampionshipsSudbury, CanadaPole vault4.55 mAngelica Moser21 July 20162016 ChampionshipsBydgoszcz, PolandLong jump6.82 m Fiona May30 July 19881988 ChampionshipsSudbury, CanadaTriple jump14.62 m WJRTereza Marinova25 August 19961996 ChampionshipsSydney, AustraliaShot put18.76 mCheng Xiaoyan21 July 19941994 ChampionshipsLisbon, PortugalDiscus throw68.24 mIlke Wyludda31 July 19881988 ChampionshipsSudbury, CanadaHammer throw71.64 m Silja Kosonen21 August 20212021 ChampionshipsNairobi, KenyaJavelin throw63.52 m Adriana Vilagoš2 August 20222022 ChampionshipsCali, ColombiaHeptathlon6470 ptsCarolina Klüft19–20 July 20022002 ChampionshipsKingston, Jamaica5000 m walk (track)20:57.57Serena Di Fabio8 August 20262026 ChampionshipsEugene, United States10,000 m walk (track)42:47.25 WJRAnežka Drahotová23 July 20142014 ChampionshipsEugene, United States4 × 100 m relay42.59 WU20RSerena ColeTina ClaytonKerrica HillTia Clayton5 August 20222022 ChampionshipsCali, Colombia4 × 400 m relay3:27.60 WJRAlexandria AndersonAshlee KiddStephanie SmithNatasha Hastings18 July 20042004 ChampionshipsGrosseto, Italy

Heptathlon disciplines EventRecordScoreAthleteNationDateMeetPlaceAge100 m hurdles13.23 1090 ptsThea Brown5 August 20262026 ChampionshipsEugene, United StatesHigh jump1.94 m1158 ptsMorgan Lake22 July 20142014 ChampionshipsEugene, United StatesShot put14.72 m842 ptsZola Ndouma-Mona5 August 20262026 ChampionshipsEugene, United States200 m23.78 1002 ptsSvetla Dimitrova29 July 19881988 ChampionshipsSudbury, CanadaLong jump6.35 m 959 ptsTatyana Chernova16 August 20062006 ChampionshipsBeijing, ChinaJavelin throw54.16 m941 ptsJustine Robbeson17 July 20042004 ChampionshipsGrosseto, Italy800 m2:09.37974 ptsAgathe Guillemot13 July 20182018 ChampionshipsTampere, Finland

Defunct event EventRecordAthleteNationDateMeetPlaceAge10,000 m32:29.90Wang Junxia19 September 19921992 ChampionshipsSeoul, South Korea

Mixed EventRecordAthleteNationDateMeetPlaceAge4 × 400 m relay3:15.31Joshua SheltonTaylor-Nicole OvertonJaelen HunterOlivia Harris5 August 20262026 ChampionshipsEugene, United States

Disqualifications Doping Several athletes have been stripped of medals due to doping.IAAF World Junior Championships Eugene 2014 Facts and Figures. . IAAF. Retrieved 2018-04-10.

AthleteNationSexEventResultYearJuan Miguel López Men Triple jump Silver 1986Vladyslav Piskunov Men Hammer throw Gold 1994Seema Antil Women Discus throw Gold 2000Katsiaryna Artsiukh Women 400 metres hurdles Gold 2010Geisa Arcanjo Women Shot put Gold 2010Konrad Bukowiecki Men Shot put Gold 2016Andrei Toader SilverAdel Jaber Al-Asseri Men 200 metres 2008

Age falsification Two athletes subsequently lost their medals as a result of fraudulently misstating their age on official documents: Bahrain's 2006 steeplechase silver medallist Tareq Mubarak Taher and Morocco's Ahmed Baday (1998 5000 metres bronze). In addition to this, later analysis of Moses Kiptanui's age when having won the 1990 1500m showed he was marginally over age (aged 19 years, 315 days) at the time of his victory, though this result has not been rescinded.

Title defenses Given the age limitations on the competition it is rare that athletes get the opportunity to defend previous individual titles. A total of 22 athletes have managed this feat, eight of them men and fourteen women. In addition to this Anita Weyermann won the 3000 m title after taking the 1500 m title two years earlier.

+ MenAthleteNationEventYearsWilfred Kirochi 1500 metres 1986–88Dexter Lee 100 metres 2008–10Jonathan Ndiku 3000 metres steeplechase 2008–10Jacko Gill Shot put 2010–12Ashraf Amgad Elseify Hammer throw 2012–14Jaheel Hyde 400 metres hurdles 2014–16Lázaro Martínez Triple jump 2014–16Erwan Konate Long jump 2021–22Letsile Tebogo 100 metres 2021–22

+ WomenAthleteNationEventYearsSvetla Dimitrova Heptathlon 1986–88Ilke Wyludda Discus throw 1986–88Gillian Russell 100 metres hurdles 1990–92Irina Stankina 5000 metres walk 1994–96Osleidys Menéndez Javelin throw 1996–98Blanka Vlašić High jump 2000–02Ivana Brkljačić Hammer throw 2000–02Carolina Klüft Heptathlon 2000–02Ma Xuejun Discus throw 2002–04Bianca Perie Hammer throw 2006–08Mirela Lavric 800 metres 2008–10Mercy Cherono 3000 metres 2008–10Dailenys Alcántara Triple jump 2008–10Angelica Bengtsson Pole vault 2010–12Adriana Vilagoš Javelin 2021–22Miné De Klerk Shot put 2021–22Tina Clayton 100 metres 2021–22Saga Vanninen Heptathlon 2021–22Kerrica Hill 100 metres hurdles 2022-24Sharifa Davronova Triple jump 2022-24

Doubles