Fort Worth-area teen becomes youngest world track champion ever — WATCH
A teenage phenom from just outside Fort Worth is now the youngest individual world track champion in history.
Cooper Lutkenhaus, a 17-year-old junior at Northwest High School in Justin, won the 800 meters at the world indoor track championships Sunday in Torun, Poland.
He finished in 1 minute, 44.24 seconds, edging out Eliott Crestan of Belgium (1:44.38) and Mohamed Attaoui of Spain (1:44.66).
“He’s a prodigy on the rise,” NBC Sports commentator Ato Boldon said.
The previous youngest individual world champion was 18-year-old Ethiopian Mohammed Aman, who won the indoor 800 in 2012, NBC Sports said, citing records from World Athletics.
Lutkehaus has made a swift climb from two-time Texas state champion to world champion.
Last August, he surprised the track community by finishing second at the U.S. outdoor track championships, setting an under-18 world record (1:42.27), to qualify for the world championships in Tokyo.
He subsequently gave up his high school eligibility to turn pro and sign with Nike.
Earlier this month, he claimed his first U.S. title at the national indoor championships, finishing in 1:46.68.
