Story audio is generated using AI
South Africa will return home with eight medals after claiming three more podium places on the final day of the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon, on Sunday. During the final session of competition, hurdler Tumi Ramokgopa and sprinter Leendert Koekemoer secured their second medals of the showpiece.Ramokgopa produced one of the best performances of her blossoming career, taking second place in the women’s 400m hurdles final in 55.88sec and clipping 0.02sec off the personal best of 55.90 she set last year. She closed out a memorable campaign in Eugene after she had also grabbed silver in the 100m hurdles final the day before.Up front in the final of the one-lap barriers, Alexandra Stefania Uta of Romania won gold in 55.33, breaking the European junior record. Eleni Iakovaki of Greece finished third in 55.99.🚨 🇷🇴 AREA U20 RECORD 🇷🇴 🚨🥇 Alexandra Uta 🇷🇴 wins GOLD in the women’s 400mH at the 2026 WU20 Championships in 55.33s AU20R!🥈 Tumi Ramokgopa 🇿🇦in 55.88s PB!🥉 Eleni Iakovaki 🇬🇷 in 55.99s NU20R!!!Shevaughn Thomas 🇯🇲 DNF! pic.twitter.com/CHADzMIKUx— SprintForge (@Tweeterfinger1) August 9, 2026
In the men’s 4x400m relay final, Koekemoer led the national team to second place in a new African U-20 record of 3:02.76, slicing 0.05sec off the 10-year-old continental mark of 3:02.81, set by Botswana in Poland in 2016.Koekemoer, who had secured bronze in the individual 400m final earlier at the championships, ran the fastest split (44.35) of all athletes who competed in the relay final.He was well backed by teammates Ryno Riekert, Kryn Romijn and Abelines Schoeman, who helped set up the record result. The US won gold in 3:01.39, and France ended third in 3:04.80.Matodzi Ndou also bagged a medal in the men’s 400m hurdles final, taking third position in 49.90 to earn bronze.🚨🇺🇸 WU20 LEAD 🇺🇸🚨USA 🇺🇸 wins heat 3 of the men’s 4x400m at the 2026 WU20 Championships in 3:04.55s WU20L!2nd South Africa 🇿🇦 with a spectacular anchor from Leendert KOEKEMOER in 3:05.08s SB.3rd Jamaica 🇯🇲 with a great anchor from Jabulani MCLEOD in 3:06.44s SB. pic.twitter.com/J0h0sqrVDl— SprintForge (@Tweeterfinger1) August 8, 2026
