The 16-year-old South African breaks his own World Age Best twice in Eugene, finishing ninth in a fiercely competitive U20 final.
Pretoria, South Africa (20 August 2026) – Sixteen-year-old South African discus thrower Joshua Gerber has plenty to be proud of after an extraordinary World Athletics U20 Championships campaign in Eugene, Oregon, where he broke his own World Age Best twice and finished ninth in the world.
Gerber first set a new personal best of 61.19 metres in qualifying, before going even further in the final with a 61.43m throw. The Grade 11 learner was the youngest athlete in the final, which featured six of the top 10 competitors setting personal bests.
Despite the significance of his achievement, he says he was so focused on competing that he barely thought about the record during the championships.
“I did not really think about the record during the championship, to be honest, because I was just so absorbed in the competition itself.”
His second record-breaking throw came after he had already produced what he described as a “basically perfect throw” in qualifying.
“It was only after I calmed down a bit after the final that the realisation dawned on me, and I was overjoyed.”
With 10 athletes having already reached the automatic qualifying distance, Gerber knew he needed a big throw to secure his place in the final. Finding another 24 centimetres in the final, however, was something even he wasn’t sure he could manage.
“Luckily I just hit it a bit better or had that tiny bit more adrenaline to hit it harder.”
@joshua_throws New World Age Best (16) at the U/20 World Championships #adidas #hayward #fyp #discus #worldchampionship ♬ do i clench my fists? – ridgeclub
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His school, Hoërskool Menlopark, has also supported his sporting commitments by accommodating him when necessary, including allowing him to write missed tests as soon as possible after returning from competitions.
Gerber credits his parents, coach and personal trainer Brendan for helping him reach this level.
“Without them none of this would have been possible.”
Returning to the U18 1.5kg discus, he wants to find his rhythm before chasing a serious personal best. He also hopes to push his shot put above 1000 points before moving up to the heavier weight next year.
But above all, he wants to enjoy himself along the way.
“My main goal would be just to have fun for the rest of the season,” he says.
And admitted that he took the first half of the year “way too seriously””.
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