American Teen Runner Just Beat the Olympic Champion
Newser • • sports
Key Points:
- Seventeen-year-old Cooper Lutkenhaus won the 800-meter Diamond League race in Oslo, narrowly defeating Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi by 0.01 seconds with a personal best time of 1:42.08, the fastest in the world this year.
- Lutkenhaus surged ahead with 200 meters to go and sealed his victory with a headlong dive at the finish line, despite sustaining minor grazes.
- The young American has been on an impressive streak, remaining undefeated in his last six 800-meter finals and recently winning the world indoor title in March.
- Emmanuel Wanyonyi, 21, expressed respect for Lutkenhaus’s performance, while the teen downplayed claims of being the new No. 1, emphasizing that one win doesn’t surpass the Olympic champion.
- The event also highlighted a reality check for 18-year-old Australian sprinter Gout Gout, who finished sixth in his first senior 200-meter Diamond League race, with Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo advising patience in his development.