Tumi Ramokgopa Leads Team SA’s Eight-Medal World U20 Haul

The young hurdler claimed silver in both the 100m and 400m hurdles, helping South Africa enjoy its biggest U20 medal haul since 2021.

Eugene, Oregon (11 August 2026) – Two races. Two medals. One seriously impressive World U20 Championships for Tumi Ramokgopa.

The South African hurdler signed off from Eugene, Oregon, with another silver medal in the bag, helping Team SA finish the championships with an impressive eight-medal haul.

Ramokgopa saved one of her best performances for the final day, racing to silver in the women’s 400m hurdles in a personal best of 55.88 seconds. She shaved 0.02 seconds off her previous best and added another international medal to her growing collection.

And that came just a day after she had already stormed to silver in the 100m hurdles, finishing just 0.03 seconds outside her South African U20 record.

Not a bad way to spend five days in Oregon!

 

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Ramokgopa wasn’t the only South African making waves on the final day. Matodzi Ndou powered to bronze in the men’s 400m hurdles, while Leendert Koekemoer helped the men’s 4x400m relay team sprint to silver in a new African U20 record of 3:02.76.

Koekemoer, who had already picked up individual 400m bronze earlier in the championships, produced the fastest split in the relay final, with Ryno Riekert, Kryn Romijn and Abelines Schoeman helping the team make history.

There were plenty more encouraging performances from the young South Africans, with Tiisetso Malungane finishing ninth in the 1 500m, Joshua Gerber taking ninth in the discus and the men’s 4x100m relay team finishing sixth.

By the time the final medals were handed out, Team SA had collected eight medals to finish 10th overall.

It is South Africa’s biggest medal haul at a World Athletics U20 Championships since the nine medals won in Nairobi in 2021.

Eight medals, a new African record and a double-medal performance from Ramokgopa. Team SA certainly left Eugene with plenty to celebrate.

Sources: Athletics South Africa 

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by Karabo Peter

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