--- title: "Tate Taylor and Gary Card sprint in 100m final at World Athletics U20 Championships, Eugene; Sets stage for Olympic showdown toward LA28." sdDatePublished: "2026-08-07T13:14:00Z" source: "https://www.olympics.com/en/news/tate-taylor-gary-card-rivalry-world-athletics-u20-championships" topics: - name: "sport" identifier: "medtop:15000000" - name: "athletics" identifier: "medtop:20000827" - name: "Olympic Games" identifier: "medtop:20001177" locations: - "Oregon" - "Eugene" - "Île-de-France" - "United States" - "Jamaica" --- Tate Taylor and Gary Card sprint in 100m final at World Athletics U20 Championships, Eugene; Sets stage for Olympic showdown toward LA28. Tate Taylor and Gary Card invoke memories of storied rivalries at the 2026 World Athletics U20 Championships Tate Taylor and Gary Card invoke memories of storied rivalries at the 2026 World Athletics U20 Championships After going head-to-head in one of the greatest U20 100m races in history, Team USA's Taylor and Jamaica's Card took stock of their budding rivalry and teased what it could mean for the sport ahead of the LA28 Olympic Games. The modern era of sprinting has been defined by iconic rivalries and clashes of personality. There was Donovan Bailey and Michael Johnson in the 1990s, Maurice Greene and Ato Boldon in the 2000s, and most recently, Noah Lyles and Letsile Tebogo at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games . But few have commanded the media attention, or led to such incredible times, as the rivalry between Jamaica's eight-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt and five-time Olympic medallist Justin Gatlin of the U.S. Athletics fans have waited patiently to see Jamaica and the USA's best revive that battle on the world stage. However, after what transpired in the men’s 100 metres final at the 2026 World Athletics U20 Championships on Thursday (6 August), it seems as though the next chapter has begun. With the lead up to the championships dominated by the Tate Taylor versus Gary Card discourse, the two did not disappoint. They starred in one of the fastest races ever held at the championship, with Taylor crowned world champion in 9.94 seconds and Card finishing runner-up in 10.05. “All the seniors have been U20, and there’s not many generations who have performed how we performed out here,” Card told reporters after the race. “It really could have went any way.” Taylor concurred: “To say the least, Jamaica and USA, they’re going to be battling for a minute.” World Athletics U20 Championships 2026: Tate Taylor reigns supreme in men's 100m final World Athletics U20 Championships 2026: Full schedule and all results Anatomy of a champion: Michael Johnson on Usain Bolt Four-time Olympic gold medallist Michael Johnson analyses the technique that has helped make Usain Bolt the greatest sprinter of all time. Tate Taylor and Gary Card eye Olympic showdown While there were rumblings about something special surrounding both Taylor and Card before this season, each has really come into their own over the last few months. Card announced himself to the world at the Jamaican National Championships, finishing second behind reigning world champion Oblique Seville in the men’s 100m at 9.93 seconds. Taylor, meanwhile, turned heads by beating reigning Olympic champion Tebogo at the Prefontaine Classic on 4 July, earning his maiden Diamond League win in 19.75. Thursday’s final at the 2026 World Athletics U20 Championships was billed as their first major showdown, with both eyeing a move to the senior ranks in the years to come. Ultimately, Taylor came out ahead in this grand introduction, touting his abilities, while acknowledging Card’s work ethic and meaningful challenge. “The build up was crazy,” Taylor said of the hype surrounding their 100m showdown in Eugene. “I personally loved it though, because I knew Gary was gonna come, I knew he wanted it bad, but I knew I was going to get there as well.” While there is no love lost on the track between the teenage rising stars, there’s plenty to be had off of it, as both provided the media with glowing praises of one another. “Tate is such an amazing person, both on the track and off the track, so I’ve been honoured to be seen as his rival in this event,” Card stated. “ We’re already the best – or some of the best – that we’ve ever seen, so it’s going to get better. It’s only a matter of time before we end up on that level as well .” Refusing to be one-upped on the track or in the mixed zone, Taylor echoed Card’s comments, adding, “I love that dude. I’ll be excited to continue racing him throughout the years, and we’ll see what goes on.” Both agreed they have what it takes to become track’s next great rivalry, with Taylor foretelling an Olympic showdown: “Me and Card are going to go back and forth so many times. “I pray that he stays healthy and continues to work, because that man is good, so I’m looking forward to going back and forth with him in 2028 and 2032 and years on .” Athletics | U20 World Championships | Oregon | United States of America