Taylor sets championship record in 200m gold run
Tate Taylor won the 200m men's final at the 2026 U20 World Championships with a record time of 19.83, completing the 100m/200m sweep in Oregon.
Video Transcript
As the cameras turn their attention to what could be one of the sparkling performances of the five days.
It promises a lot, doesn't it?
So Gary Card, second in the 100 meters, goes from the outside lane.
He was originally disqualified and he said he was reinstated.
He didn't run a great semifinal.
Here's Jaydon Green of Barbados, second in his semifinal.
Blake Hamilton, who pushed Tate Taylor to the limit in the US championships on this track, and he goes to school about two and a half hours away from him in Texas.
Ide was great, the 17-year-old, in the semifinal and winning.
And here is the man of the moment.
No American male has won the 100 and 200 at the world under 20s.
It's been done four times, firstly by Ato Boldon in 1992.
He beat Tobogo on this track, the Olympic champion, in the pre-classic around 1975.
Woods is a fast starter.
He will give Taylor something to think about early.
Taylor's on his outside.
Trinidad and Tobago have a fine record in this race.
As we said, Afonso was good late from Portugal in the semi.
Mutantala left a lot to be done until late in his semifinal, the Swiss.
He's tall.
The inside draw probably doesn't suit him.
And Jun of Korea ran a personal best, third in the semifinals.
So Taylor broke Noah Lyles' high school record in Florida in April.
He lowered that in June in Texas.
He went under 20 seconds.
He went faster again in Eugene in the American championships down to 19.94, and then went faster again at 19.75.
So four times he's been quicker than Lyles as a high school athlete in the last three months.
He's achieved so much, but this is the biggest race of his life so far.
It'll be fascinating because Hamilton is a real shot here, and I think he'll lead him early.
Forget the stagger, I think he'll be first to the turn.
And what about Card?
Can he Excuse the pun, but can he play one here in the final?
Just feel the nerves, don't you?
You know something big could happen.
Men's 200 final.
The favorites in the middle, hoping to do an historic double.
Set.
Away.
Taylor okay.
Hamilton flew out.
Taylor's running a good bend.
He gets up to Ide.
Woods inside of him.
Out wide, Card into the straight.
Hamilton just leads.
Taylor goes up to him.
Card running well.
Taylor's taken the lead.
Hamilton can't go with him.
Now it's all about the time.
How fast is he?
Oh, it's 19.83.
He is brilliant.
He's done what no other American has done before, and that is saying something when you're talking about sprinting.
He's won the 100 and the 200.
Hamilton gave him something to chase.
Green came through for third.
It's still his track, Rosie.
It's still his track, Rob.
He might have to share it.
He is special.
He ran a magnificent bend because we've seen Hamilton tear chunks out of everybody, but he held him level.
And when they came into the straight, there was only ever one winner.
For a fleeting moment, I thought Gaut Gaut's world record might go.
Agreed.
It was that impressive.
And, and as an Australian, I had skin in the game.
It, it was It had the feeling of one of those nights.
It did.
But let's take nothing away from that.
994 for the 100.
19.83 for the 200.
He's so raw, so young, and so confident.
This lad has a very, very, very big future in athletics.
And he is so nice.
I got to meet him the other night.
He is an absolute gentleman.
He gives so much of his time.
He's a class act, Rob and Rosie, both on and off the track.
W- World Athletics have got a couple of new stars tonight in a 110 hurdler and a sprinter, a 100/200 man.
There's nothing more exciting, Rosie, than a 100/200 double, and he's done it.
He's the fifth to do it.
He's the first American.
So, so good to watch.
So exciting.
You're right, Bruce, there's nothing like watching somebody do the double.
I mean, it You, you hear the double, you hear the triple.
We spoke about it the other day on air, and you think Usain Bolt, right?
Exactly.
These sprint legends, it takes you straight back to him.
What a bend this was.
Hamilton went really well around the bend as well.
Card just wasn't in it really, was he?
No.
He came off the bend, he just wasn't there.
I wonder if the emotional rollercoaster of the last few days was just too much for him.
Wow, look at this.
Hardly any sideways motion.
He's so, so compact, so efficient.
It's a beautiful image.
It really is.
Rob, it's an absolutely stunning, beautiful image.
And I thought when we saw him on the start line, he looked incredibly relaxed, and that takes some doing, bearing in mind the expectation on him after the 100 meters.
Must be a world record for glasses being worn, don't you think?
I think so.
Ah, there we go.
We were looking forward to it.
So Tate Taylor does the double.
19.83.
Nobody's been as fast as him in the world junior final.
Hamilton and Green go silver and bronze.
