Jaco van Dyk wins bronze in shot put at World Athletics U20 Championships, Eugene, Oregon; First South Africa medal at U20 Worlds

Athletics: South Africa’s Jaco van Dyk eyes Dakar 2026 selection after shot put bronze at World U20 Championships

Walking away with a bronze medal as the youngest shot put athlete in Eugene, the 16-year-old from Menlo Park has another target in his sights: gold at the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026.

At first glance, it’s easy to see that South Africa’s Jaco van Dyk is the youngest man in the shot put ring at the 2026 World Athletics U20 Championships . His baby face gives up the game early, even if he is built more like Table Mountain than your average teenager.

But what stands out most is his maturity, poise and confidence at such a young age. Advancing to the final against throwers often two or three years his senior in Eugene, Oregon, the casual and stoic throws specialist showed no signs of nerves under the bright lights at Hayward Field.

Instead, he got work on what is undoubtedly his greatest masterpiece up to this point in his career. Beginning with a safety throw of 17.86 metres in the second round, the teenager – often pictured smiling on social media – built nicely into an impressive sequence of throws.

First, he improved by more than a metre to 18.90m, bumping that up to 19.36m in the fourth round. Sitting in fifth place, he was now within sniffing distance of a podium finish. With two throws left to get the job done, Van Dyk stepped into the ring.

Gripping the 6kg shot put (8kg is used at the senior level) with his right hand in the fifth round, he settled quickly into the back ring. And then, almost as if by instinct, he steadied himself, spun and let it fly.

Soaring out to 19.80m, his fifth-round effort was enough to earn the bronze, making him both the youngest and one of the most decorated athletes on the start list. Putting that achievement into words shortly after the competition, he spoke like a veteran at the senior level.

“I stayed patient throughout the final and knew I could produce a better throw at the end,” Van Dyk told the press. “I am glad to have won the first medal for South Africa here. All my team members are eager to compete and I am sure they will perform well here."

In an exclusive interview with Olympics.com a few minutes later, the newly minted junior medallist outlined his next goal. “ I’m going to focus on the Youth Olympics now ,” he confirmed. “It would be amazing to get back on the 5kg [shot put] and show that I can do it.”

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From the schoolyard to the World Athletics U20 Championships

While one could simply look at Van Dyk and come to the rapid conclusion that he was born to be an elite thrower, the teenage rising star wouldn’t have travelled this path if it wasn’t for an opportunity to try the event at a young age.

Trying his hand at many of the events on the Olympic athletics programme, or at least their grassroots equivalents, Van Dyk was eventually handed a shot put and told to give it a go. And true to the ever-popular idiom, the rest was history.

“ I’ve been doing it since I was young and haven’t stopped loving it ,” he told Olympics.com of competing in shot put. Reflecting on what he accomplished at the World Athletics U20 Championships, the stoic teen harnessed some of the emotion he showed on the field.

“ It was one of the best feelings I’ve had ,” he added. “After a rough start like that (fouling in the first round), it’s the best you can ask for.” He was also quick to credit his most faithful supporters for turning him into the throwing machine that he’s become.

“It’s the people around me,” he responded, when asked about his maturity and poise under pressure. “The people I train with, my coaches, my parents, my friends. It all helps me out.”

One of the latest athletes from the Rainbow Nation to assert themselves on the global scene, Van Dyk is the youngest amongst an emerging crop of talented throwers from Sub-Saharan Africa, with Olympic bronze medallist Jo-Ané du Plessis leading the way.

Asked about living up to standards of South Africa’s growing pedigree of throwers, Van Dyk showcased his maturity once more. “I’m just focusing on myself right now,” he said, brushing aside any notion of feeling pressure to perform. “If I do that, then good things will come.”

Still, there’s a lot he’d like to accomplish in the next few seasons, especially when it comes to putting the world on notice at the U20 level: “I’m not sure what comps there are yet [next season], but I’m just going to do the best I can… Jacko Gill ’s U20 record is also in my mind .”

Of course, there’s also the small matter of chasing gold at Dakar 2026. With athletes set to throw a 5kg shot put, instead of the 6kg and 8kg implements he’s become accustomed to, Van Dyk remains confident in his abilities if selected to represent South Africa.

“It’s been a hard training camp with the six coaches,” he teased. “I’ll be fine to throw again with the 5kg [shot put].”

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