Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
Leendert Koekemoer, a South African 400m runner, enters the World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26 aiming to win the event. Earlier this year, he set a national U20 record with a time of 44.94 seconds, becoming the first South African in his age group to break 45 seconds in the 400m.
Koekemoer brings experience from the senior international stage, having run in the heats of the men’s 4x400m relay at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, where his team won bronze. Despite this, he values the U20 competition for giving him the chance to compete among his peers—an opportunity he describes as a chance to "experience being a kid with everyone else." This junior-level participation also helps to reduce his competition stress compared to senior events.
His preparation for the championships has benefited from training with South African senior athletes like Olympic champion Wayde van Niekerk and Olympic silver medallist Akani Simbine. Koekemoer also trains with former South African world U20 400m champions Lythe Pillay and Udeme Okon, both of whom have claimed world titles in recent years. This reflects a strong training environment that has produced three successive world U20 400m champions from South Africa.
Koekemoer credits the support and advice from these athletes for aiding his preparation and inspiring confidence as he competes on the global junior stage.