Cooper Lutkenhaus Joins The Athlete's Lounge | 2026 Rabat Diamond League
World Champion and high school senior Cooper Lutkenhaus joins the Athlete's Lounge to commentate the Men's 800m
Video Transcript
This one, a high school phenom, Cooper.
Cooper, are you here with us?
Coop.
Coop.
Cooper.
Yes sir, I am.
There he is.
There he is.
Welcome to the Athletes Lounge, sir.
How you doing?
I'm doing good.
Thanks for having me on.
Hey, I don't know if you remember, we just talked out in LA.
That was me.
After the race.
It's great to see you again.
I, I, I We're coming o- I don't know if you guy- has got to see it, but Cooper's coming off a 1500, his first ever.
Yeah.
Cooper, how you feeling since we saw you in LA?
What, what's, what you been thinking about since that 1500?
I'm just excited to race again.
I, I'm looking forward to some 800s, especially in these Diamond Leagues in the next coming weeks, so it should be fun.
Cooper, I was, I was at, the, I was in stadium last summer when you, you shocked the world and kind of ran, you ran your 1:43.
I mean, I'm sure you've talked this race to death.
what, what's it like coming out of that season, moving into this one?
And have you just You've ticked off a world title.
You're, you're now into the outdoor season after last year.
What's Where are your eyes and where's your goal for, for this year and the future?
Well, as myself, you know, a- anything's possible, so this season, going into it, be the most competitive that I can, and to every race seeing what I can do.
Yeah, that, that kind of dovetails into what I w- I wanted to know about how you're approaching this season versus how you approached last season, where it seemed like you were gonna be in a race and you were gonna try to execute something within that race and win.
That was the idea.
Now you've got all of these incredible times under your belt.
You've been there, done that.
You've seen it.
Are you approaching this year any differently, knowing kind of what it takes at the highest levels, in the rounds, in those big end of year championships, in the 800?
Do you still look at it the same way you did last year?
yes and no.
I, I think the big How has your life changed since becoming a champion?
Mom.
that's the exact same when it comes to that.
I have to mow the yard right after this, so.
yeah, not much changed for me, you know.
I mean, you didn't have to run cross country last year, this past year.
That was nice.
Yeah.
I, you know- That was nice Cooper, you, you, you probably, I mean, you were coming up probably looking at, like, future, like s- like the stars of the sports and idolizing some folks maybe and- The Andy Weeting's of the world.
Yeah.
Yeah, right.
So tell me about me.
No.
Yeah.
No, but the You're now one of those per- per- per- people, one of those persons for kids around the world.
Like, how, how do you kind of adjust your focus and Like, if you guess, what's the message to the youngsters, I guess your peers at this point, to doing what you're doing and how to get to that level?
Yeah, just to stay, stay enjoying in what you're doing.
you know, there's always gonna be bad days in running.
that's always, that's a given.
But there's also gonna be great days.
So, you know, enjoy, enjoy both of them.
you know, we're very lucky to be able to do, you know, what we do, just to be able to go outside every day and run, so that's something that I cherish every day, and I think everyone should be.
Cooper, we're gonna, we're gonna try to have you join us for this men's 800. and I got to ask as we, as we see this, there's Donovan Brazier, who you finished behind at USAs last year.
a year ago, you were not a world champ, right?
You were a high school kid trying to get into that, the races with Donovan Brazier, dreaming about that.
Now, you're looking at this and you're gonna see Wanyoni, the, the world champ, the Olympic champ, and that's the guy that you got to go against.
So how is it different watching these races as a high school kid a year ago to now a high school world champ a year later?
Honestly, not a big difference, I feel like.
you know, after I turned professional, it was just like, okay, we're racing just better people now.
it, it's almost in a way like when I used to watch high school races.
Now it's just Diamond League races.
So it, it's still pretty simple to me.
That's, that's a big There's a chasm between those two.
Yes.
Obviously.
Obviously, yeah.
But again, I think that speaks to the There's a special kind of maturity as an athlete- Yeah where you can still be competitive and it still matter, and still treat it just like what it is.
You know, the, the track is still the same and all that, but is there a part of you still, like, as we sit and talk, that wants to be out there?
Right, like right now.
Definitely.
Okay.
after I ran that 1500, you know, knowing that I was a little bit better, I was like, "I'm ready to get back out there and run a fast 800."
I think I'm ready for it, so-You know, it kind of hurts to, you know, be b- sitting back at home and, you know, watching a really good race right now.
All right, so Cooper, what, what- So who, who you got?
Yeah, I was Yeah, any picks?
On your marks.
You know, I don't like to pick favorites, but it's very I'll go with Donovan.
You're going with Don?
Donovan.
Okay.
all right, so what are you, what are you looking for early race right here?
Yeah.
Walk us through what you're seeing.
it's pretty hectic to kind of see how it gets out.
I feel like the Diamond Leagues are a little more predictable to kind of understand how it's gonna go, just 'cause with pacers and just trying to go fast.
So I always like to kind of see from 300 to 500.
You could see Donovan was trying to like- Wherever, like, the moves will be made fight for his position.
He got- Yeah kind of bumped, bumped to the back there.
Yeah, 800's all about energy conservation, so you gotta m- manage a bit of those fights.
Mm-hmm.
So are you putting yourself in this race?
Like, where would you be right now?
Where do you, where Who do you think looks to be in the best position?
One lap to go.
49.
Okay.
And Max Bergen- They're moving.
They're moving is in a pretty good series.
You said All right, so Bergen, Bergen's up there, man.
He's, he's got a step on the field, so.
This is fast, fast.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
It is, isn't it?
EB, 160.
49.7 is flying.
Opening up the season here.
Pacer, there- There's, there's Wanyoni Wanyoni.
Wanyoni's stepping in.
What do you Pacer did a great job.
So this last 200, we got our pace lights going.
Cooper, what do you got?
You think they're catching him?
I think Max might have it.
Yeah.
That, that, that 100 is an eternity in an 800 meter race.
I feel that.
He's look- he That is strong, ta- That's relaxed.
That's There's no panic right there.
Wow.
He looks real good.
There's Donovan's coming up.
There goes Brazier, trying to get in that fourth position.
Oh.
Oh.
Wow.
Oh, oh.
Freeze frame.
Oh.
We got Max Bergen obviously with the win.
1:42.8.
Cracks, cracks, cracks 1:43.
Op- opening up the season with a sub 1:43.
Man, man.
We got 1:43.56- Mm-hmm for Wanyoni.
Mouala of Algeria, 1:43.73.
Season's best there.
We're gonna have a replay coming up here in just a second.
49, that's and then Brazier.
49.7- That's hot and then coming back with a 53 is like I, I'm trying to do that in my, like, in a workout, I would be puking everywhere.
Yeah.
So there you go.
Cooper, Cooper, were you always gonna be an 800 meter man, or did you kinda find yourself in the event?
I, I think I kind of realized this was gonna be my event, in my eighth grade year, I ran 1:53, so that's kind of when I knew.
1:53.
This was gonna be what I was gonna do.
Yeah, okay.
That's a pretty good stat.
Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, I, I, I showed up to college, and coach was like, "I think, I think, I think you got some speed.
We're gonna put you at 800."
And at that point I was like, I heard that, that event was the worst event ever.
No one could ever do it.
Oh.
400 twice?
No, thank you.
Cooper, I, I, I'll get your thoughts here.
Wanyoni getting second there.
Are you surprised by that at all?
And w- and, and when you look at what Max did and where Wanyoni was, where do you, where do you need to Where are you gonna see them next?
Is it St- will they both be at Stockholm?
I know Wanyoni will.
I can't remember if Max will be there.
and honestly, there's no surprise in who wins these races.
Everyone's so good that it just depends on how you feel on the day, and, you know, it was just Max's day it seems like.
Yeah.
well, o- one last thing I wanna ask you, just where, what you saw with Donovan there.
He r- was 1:45 in LA, where you were at running the 15.
Travels to R- Rabat a week later, second off that where he was, 1:44.0.
What, where do you feel like he's at in his season, as you look ahead to, to maybe competing against him coming up?
Yeah, he seems to be in pretty good, shape so far.
obviously, you know, the first race for everyone I feel like is always gonna be, you never know exactly how it's gonna go.
But I mean, 1:44.0 is, you know, that's no joke.
So I c- he's definitely gonna I mean, he seems like he's trending in the right direction.
Mm-hmm.
So at the end of this season, Cooper, like, what's, what's gonna dictate this season being a winning season for you?
just being competitive in every r- race I enter.
I have big goals for times.
you know, there's races I wanna win, but just making sure I'm competitive wherever I go.
last one for you before we let you go.
After that 1500, I know y- I know you're fired up, and you're like, "I'm gonna get after that event again someday.
I, that's not my last."
Where's y- where's your mark for where you can, can run a 1500?
currently or just, like, a personal goal for, like- No, where, where- for, like, my career?
Like, what, yeah, where you aspire to be.
You're like, "All right, I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna tackle that event again, and I got a, I got a goal in the future for where I wanna be."
well, I believe after that 3:45, I probably Going into it, I think I could have ran 3:39 to 3:40.
Yeah.
so you know, hopefully when I get a little older, stronger, some Nowadays everyone's doing the threshold.
Maybe I can run low 3:30s.
I love it.
I love it.
All right.
Well, hey, I gotta say thank you for joining us.
I think our first repeat guest on the show.
Yeah.
Yeah.
We had you last year.
Friend of the show.
Two-timer.
Two-time.
Hey.
Two-time guest.
Ma- and, hope to see you again at one of these Diamond League events coming up soon.
but until then, yeah, safe travels overseas, and best of luck out in Stockholm.
We'll be watching.
Sir, thank you, guys.
Andrew, I'm a big fan of you, by the way.
Yay.
Thank you.
Yay.
There we go.
Weed eating.
