Quincy Wilson, Tate Taylor, Shanoya Douglas lead stars at World Athletics U20 Championships 2026, Eugene, Oregon; Includes first-ever mixed 4x100m at U20

World Athletics U20 Championships 2026: Quincy Wilson, Tate Taylor, Shanoya Douglas lead stars in action, how to watch live

Discover the top athletes competing in the 2026 World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon from 5-9 August, and how to follow the action live. Learn more on Olympics.com.

Warm weather, knowledgeable crowds and the iconic Hayward Field – what more could you want for the 21st edition of the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon?

Building on its credentials as host of the 2014 World Athletics U20 Championships, 2022 World Athletics Championships and 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, Hayward Field will welcome more than 1,800 of the world’s best track and field athletes aged between 16 and 19 .

Competition will take place across five action-packed days amongst the open fields and towering pine forests of the Willamette Valley, with one of the world’s top athletics venues opening its doors to the next generation of athletics stars from 5-9 August .

The Championships boast a proud lineage of stars, including Olympic champions Noah Lyles , Nina Kennedy , Joshua Cheptegei and Yulimar Rojas , with the likes of Shanoya Douglas , Tate Taylor , Izobelle Louison-Roe and Frankline Kibet hoping to join their number soon.

A total of 46 events will be contested at this edition of the World Athletics U20 Championships, split evenly between men and women (22 each). There will also be two mixed events contested, including the mixed 4x100m, marking its first appearance at the U20 meet ahead of its debut at the Olympic Games LA 2028 .

With no shortage of intriguing storylines on offer in Eugene, find out everything you need to know about the 2026 World Athletics U20 Championships below.

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Rising stars to watch at the 2026 World Athletics U20 Championships

The entry lists in Eugene are flush with athletes who shone at last edition of the championships in Lima, Peru, and will hope to do again at Hayward Field.

Jamaican sprinters Shanoya Douglas and Gary Card can count themselves amongst that number, earning relay gold as part of the Caribbean nation’s women’s and men’s 4x100m squads two years ago.

Douglas owns the U20 world lead in both the women’s 100m and 200m. Entered into both events, she’ll chase the sprint double achieved by South Africa’s Bayanda Walaza on the men’s side in Lima.

Card, who finished second in the men’s 100m at the 2026 Jamaican National Championships in a U20 national record of 9.93 seconds, will look to solidify his standing as the Caribbean nation’s most promising men’s talent by winning the 100m title.

That’ll bring him face-to-face with teenage sensation and home favourite Tate Taylor , who won the men’s 200m at the Pre Classic in July. The 18-year-old from Texas will vie for victory in both the 100m and 200m, hoping to earn the plaudits of a crowd that already knows him well, while impressing those beyond.

Likewise, Texas-based twins Mia and Mariah Maxwell will aim to deny Douglas the highly coveted sprint double. Mia won the 100m and 200m at the US U20 Championships earlier this season, while Mariah finished runner-up in both events.

Italy’s Kelly Doualla will also be eager to throw her tricolour hat in the ring, after achieving the women’s sprint double at the 2026 U18 European Athletics Championships.

Olympic 4x400m champion Quincy Wilson will be on a mission to win over the home crowd, and continue his ascendency in the men’s 400m by taking the individual crown at Hayward Flied.

Australia’s Izobelle Louison-Roe, runner-up in Lima, will headline the women’s high jump, with Jaslene Massey of the United States set to lead the host nation’s charge to glory in the throwing events.

Kenya’s world U20 cross-country champion Frankline Kibet will look to continue the reign of East African athletes in the distance events, while Slovenia’s Živa Remic will look to put the mountainous nation on the map in the women’s 800m.

How to watch the 2026 World Athletics U20 Championships

The 2026 World Athletics U20 Championships from Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, will be streamed live in a number of territories on World Athletics+ (territorial restrictions may apply), as well as by broadcasters around the world.

In the United States, the meet will be streamed live on Peacock. Australian fans can to tune into streaming and television coverage on Seven, with Canadian viewers can catch the action on CBC and Gem.

Eurovision Sport holds the broadcast rights in much of Europe, while SuperSport will be the place to catch the action in much of Africa, including Nigeria and South Africa. JTV will broadcast the meet in Jamaica.

Picture by USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Athletics | U20 World Championships | Oregon | United States of America