Team USA wins men’s 4x100m relay at World Athletics U20 Championships 2026, Eugene; 38.16 seconds provisional U20 world record
World Athletics U20 Championships 2026: Team USA set new U20 world record en route to men’s 4x100m relay victory
World Athletics U20 Championships 2026: Team USA sets world U20 record en route to men’s 4x100m relay victory
Three perfectly-timed exchanges saw the United States dazzle home fans with a provisional U20 world record of 38.16 seconds on Sunday, 9 August.
Team USA’s teen dream team of Blake Hamilton , Dillon Mitchell , Kyler Brown and Tate Taylor delivered one final bit of glory to the home team on Sunday (9 August), claiming men’s 4x100m relay gold at the 2026 World Athletics U20 Championships .
Powering down the home stretch far ahead of the competition in Eugene, anchor Taylor delighted in his third title of the championships, which has seen him catapulted into the national limelight.
And while he didn’t need to go full gas down the home stretch, the 18-year-old from Texas couldn’t help himself, crossing the finish line in a provisional world U20 record time of 38.16 seconds* , followed by Great Britain in a European U20 record in 38.90 .
“It means a lot winning this gold medal,” Taylor said after the race. “We knew we were ready for something special.” Teammate Brown agreed: “This is a fast team, we never had a thing like this before, we were very excited here yesterday and now we have the gold.”
There was plenty to celebrate for the British squad of Divine Iheme, Jake Odey-Jordan, Ethan Franklin and James Arminio , as they became the fastest 4x100m team aged 16-19 in European history.
“To break a record that has stood for so many years, it is a great feeling,” said anchor Arminio, who pulled away from Jamaican anchor Sanjay Seymore in the closing metres, securing silver for Team GB.
“I had to push hard, but I knew that where I was, I was going to catch him,” he added. “I just had to get my head down and keep pushing.”
Despite the inclusion of rising star Gary Card on the second leg, the team in green and gold weren’t able to reach the top step of the podium, with Jamaica finishing third in a season’s best of 39.01 .
“It is very special to know that even though I had some disappointments in this championship, I have teammates to bring me back up and win even more awards,” Card said, complimenting the effort of teammates Kyle Bodden , Nyrone Wade and Seymore.
“It feels very special to have them and this whole team,” he concluded, with Seymore adding, “It has been a long season for everybody.
“Coming out here with my teammates and setting a new national record, we are showing that we put in the work.”
And now, with the championships concluded, they can finally relax.
*Pending usual World Athletics ratification procedures
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Picture by USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Athletics | U20 World Championships | Oregon | United States of America