Uyana Granger, Luxembourgish Athlete (400m hurdles);
Credit: FLA
On Thursday 6 August 2026, Luxembourg athlete Uyana Granger set a new national record in the women's 400m hurdles and qualified for the semi-finals at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon, United States.
According to the Luxembourg Athletics Federation (FLA), Uyana Granger clocked 58.54 seconds, setting a new Luxembourg national record as well as new national U20 and U23 best performances. To secure automatic qualification, athletes had to finish in the top four of each of the six heats, with only the next three fastest times across all heats also progressing.
Despite making a significant mistake at the fifth hurdle, the Grand Duchy runner produced a strong finish to qualify with the twelfth fastest time of the heats. The semi-finals are scheduled for Saturday 8 August at 18:15 local time (03:15 CET).
Coach Nicolas Morot commented: "I knew she was capable of more than the 59.09 seconds she ran at the start of the season, but it is never easy to make your debut at a major championship. She needed to go out fast and run a strong middle section to maximise her chances of qualifying, which she managed to do despite her mistake at the fifth hurdle." He added: "The global standard has improved significantly in recent years, and Uyana can be proud of herself. In 2024, 60.65 seconds was enough to reach the semi-finals; today, it took 59.97 seconds. We will analyse her race calmly and prepare a plan for what comes next. For now, I want her to enjoy the moment."
