Cooper Lutkenhaus, a 16-year-old high school student, shocked the American track and field world by finishing second in the men's 800m final at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a time of 1 minute 42.27 seconds. He not only broke the world U18 record but also became the fourth fastest American in history at this distance, surpassing veteran runners like Bryce Hoppel and Brandon Miller. Lutkenhaus also secured a spot at the World Championships in Tokyo in September, becoming one of the youngest American athletes to participate in this event. (Photo: AP)

Gout Gout, likened to a replica of the legendary Usain Bolt, broke the Australian 200m record in his first international professional competition at the Ostrava Golden Spike. The 17-year-old athlete outpaced many veteran competitors to finish first with a time of 20.02 seconds, achieving a personal best (PB) and also 0.02 seconds faster than his previous record set at the Australian High School Championships in 12/2024.

Gout began to make a name for himself in 2022 when he ran the 100m in 10.57 seconds at the age of 14. He gained more attention in August when he ran the 200m in 20.60 seconds at the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships, 0.01 seconds faster than Bolt's record set at the age of 15 in 2002.

At the All-Schools Athletics Championships in 12/2024, Gout's time of 10.04 seconds, at the age of 16, was not recognized due to a 3.4 m/s tailwind. Therefore, his official personal best in the 100m remains at 10.17 seconds.

Mia Brookes, at the age of 16, won a gold medal at the 2023 FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboarding World Championships in the slopestyle event, becoming the youngest world champion in the history of this sport. Brookes stunned the snowboarding community by becoming the first woman to successfully land a CAB 1440 in an official competition - an extremely difficult technique that requires the athlete to rotate four and a half times in the air. (Photo: Reuters)

Cooper Lutkenhaus, a 16-year-old high school student, shocked the American track and field world by finishing second in the men's 800m final at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a time of 1 minute 42.27 seconds. He not only broke the world U18 record but also became the fourth fastest American in history at this distance, surpassing veteran runners like Bryce Hoppel and Brandon Miller. Lutkenhaus also secured a spot at the World Championships in Tokyo in September, becoming one of the youngest American athletes to participate in this event. (Photo: AP)

Mia Brookes, at the age of 16, won a gold medal at the 2023 FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboarding World Championships in the slopestyle event, becoming the youngest world champion in the history of this sport. Brookes stunned the snowboarding community by becoming the first woman to successfully land a CAB 1440 in an official competition - an extremely difficult technique that requires the athlete to rotate four and a half times in the air. (Photo: Reuters)

Mirra Andreeva, born in 2007, reached the fourth round of Wimbledon 2023 at just 16 years old, surprising the tennis world. The Russian player possesses a calm, intelligent, and courageous playing style against older competitors.

In 2024, she went on to reach the quarterfinals of Roland Garros, becoming one of the youngest players to do so in the Open Era. With her consistent performance and remarkable maturity, Andreeva is expected to be the successor to icons like Maria Sharapova and Simona Halep.

Yu Zidi, born in 10/2012, became the center of attention at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.

In the qualifying round of the women's 200m individual medley, Yu achieved a time of 2 minutes 9.21 seconds, surpassing a series of seasoned swimmers to enter the final - an unprecedented achievement for an athlete under 13 years old.

Three days later, she joined the team for the women's 4x200m freestyle relay, earning a bronze medal despite not competing in the final, and becoming the youngest athlete to ever win a medal at the World Aquatics Championships at the age of 12.

Summer McIntosh, born in 2006, first attracted attention as the youngest member of the Canadian team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (14 years old). There, she finished fourth in the women's 400m freestyle, less than a second away from the podium.

At the 2022 World Aquatics Championships, McIntosh won two gold medals in the 200m freestyle and 400m individual medley. She became the youngest world champion in over a decade and the first Canadian athlete to win two gold medals at the same World Aquatics Championships.

In 2023, McIntosh broke two world records in just five days at the Canadian National Trials, in the 400m freestyle and 400m individual medley, demonstrating her all-around ability. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Canadian swimmer won four individual medals, including three gold and one silver.

Arisa Trew, born in 2009, is a rising star in Australian skateboarding. In 2023, at the age of 13, she became the first female athlete in history to successfully land a 720-degree jump (two rotations in the air) in an official competition - a move first performed by legend Tony Hawk over 20 years ago.

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Trew made history again by winning the gold medal in the park skateboarding event, becoming Australia's youngest Olympic gold medalist at the age of 14.

Qiu Qiyuan, born in 2007, is currently one of the most outstanding young talents in world gymnastics.

At the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, Qiu caused a sensation by winning the gold medal in the women's all-around, considered the pinnacle of gymnastics. This achievement made her the youngest Chinese all-around world champion since legend Liu Xuan in 1999, and the first Chinese person to win this title in over a decade.

Qiu is a two-time Chinese all-around champion and won a silver medal on the uneven bars at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Her flexibility, resilience, and competitive spirit are considered by international coaches to be close to the level of veteran athletes like Simone Biles and Sunisa Lee.

Hong Duy

Photo: AP, Reuters, Xinhua, Sky Sports