Australian teenager Izobelle Louison-Roe has claimed gold in the women's high jump at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon, clearing 1.92 metres to be crowned world under-20 champion and upgrade the silver she collected at last year's championships in Lima.
A champion performance in Eugene
The 19-year-old arrived in Oregon as the world's top-ranked under-20 high jumper in 2025, having twice posted a personal best of 1.95 metres during the season. She ultimately did not need to reach that height to take gold, with her 1.92m clearance proving decisive on Sunday local time.
Hungary's Lilianna Bátori took silver and Spain's Aitana Alonso claimed bronze, with both athletes clearing 1.90 metres.
An emotional Louison-Roe described the victory as one of the defining moments of her young career. "It was such an exciting competition, one of the moments of my life," she said. "It was an incredible feeling when I won. I was crying so much I couldn't keep it together, it was amazing."
Australia's relay teams also shine
Louison-Roe was not the only Australian athlete to stand on the podium on Sunday. The women's 4x400m relay team of Shari Hurdman, Xanthee Watts, Charlotte McAuliffe and Alice Hill ran a time of 3:31.39 to claim silver, finishing behind the United States.
"Honestly, it's surreal to just go out there and get the job done," McAuliffe said after the race. "I think we knew coming into this what we were all capable of, and we knew a medal was definitely possible."
The men's 4x400m relay team came agonisingly close to adding another medal to Australia's tally. Seth Kennedy, Fred Hamblin, Dylan Hall and Chase Grant missed the podium by just four-hundredths of a second, with Grant producing a brilliant final leg of 44.85 seconds before being edged out at the line by the French anchor runner.
Near-misses and individual highlights
The women's 4x100m squad of Thewbelle Philp, Zara Hagan, Grace Crowe and Emilia Reed also fell just short of a medal, finishing fourth after being pipped at the finish line.
In the individual track events, Kieran Shepherd delivered a strong personal best of 3:42.25 to finish eighth in the men's 1,500 metres, while Milla Roberts showed considerable resilience by recovering from a mid-race fall to place 14th in the women's equivalent event. Elijah Wilson rounded out Australia's Sunday performances with a best throw of 56.47 metres, finishing 13th in the men's discus final.
It was a standout day on the world stage for Australian athletics, headlined by Louison-Roe's gold — a result that cements her status as one of the most exciting young high jumpers in the sport.
