Cooper Lutkenhaus Breaksdown His 1:42.27 800m At 16 To Make History & Qualify For Worlds | INTERVIEW
CITIUS MAGAugust 6, 20250:0014.6K views
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My guest for today’s episode is Cooper Lutkenhaus — the 16-year-old Texan who just ran one of the most astonishing races in American track and field history. At the U.S. Championships in Eugene, Oregon, Cooper placed second in the men’s 800 meters in 1:42.27 — a world U18 record, a three-second personal best, and the fourth-fastest time ever run by an American. He finished just behind Donavan Brazier, the former world champion making his own remarkable comeback. To put that performance in context: Cooper’s time was faster than any high schooler has ever run. It would have been the American record as recently as last year. It also beats the age-17 and age-18 world records. Even more remarkable: Cooper was in seventh place with 150 meters to go. He stayed calm, executed his race plan, and closed in a blistering 12.48 over the final stretch — surging into second and nearly catching Brazier at the line. This was a performance that defied age, experience, and expectation — and announced Cooper Lutkenhaus as the future of American middle-distance running. It wasn’t just a great high school race. It was a great race, period. Take this interview on-the-go in podcast form SPOTIFY: APPLE PODCASTS: FOLLOW CITIUS MAG ▶ Subscribe to the podcast: https://apple.co/3Byp72I ▶ On Twitter: http://twitter.com/CitiusMag ▶ On Instagram: http://instagram.com/citiusmag ▶ On Facebook: http://facebook.com/citiusmag ▶ Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/citiusmag ▶ On our website: http://citiusmag.com For other inquiries, contact us: chris@citiusmag.com Thanks for watching - please like, share and comment, and subscribe! Help us continue to bring track and field to your home and become a member today! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjyDlyHPHLhcIT8ov53d5qg/join