Ethan Williams 2026 World U20 Athletics Championships

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Australian U20 400m hurdles champ heading to the World U20 Athletics Championships in Eugene

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I grew up in Singleton and got into athletics through school carnivals. I just liked running, nothing else too it. That turned into Little Athletics, Little Athletics turned into training at Singleton Track and Field, and along the way hurdles became my event. Initially, both a sprint and long hurdler, until this year is when I decided to focus on the 400m hurdles. This year I&#39;m heading to Eugene, Oregon to compete at the World Athletics U20 Championships from the 5th to the 9th of August. For any U20 athlete, this is the biggest competition there is — it&#39;s the world championships for my age group, and it only comes around every two years. For me personally, it means even more. It&#39;ll be my first world championships and my second time wearing the green and gold. The first time I represented Australia was at the 2024 Oceania Athletics Championships in Fiji, where I won gold in the 400m hurdles. That experience, competing internationally and racing for your country, is something you can&#39;t really put into words until you&#39;ve done it. Going into it, I hold a PB of 52.16, I&#39;ve collected five national medals over my career, and I came away from the 2026 national championships as the U20 champion. I&#39;m not heading to Oregon just to compete, I&#39;m racing for a medal to see how I match up against the best in the world at my age. The team levy to attend is $6,000, which covers all transport, accommodation, and meals throughout the championships. Any support goes directly toward getting me on that start line in Eugene.