16-year-old Jonathan Simms breaks three-decade-long world record in 400m

Jonathan Simms recently broke a nearly three-decade-long junior world record in the 400m at the AAU Junior Olympic Games on Saturday, August 5. The Texas native not only broke a long-standing world record but also smashed a state record as well, showing his athletic prowess.

16-year-old Jonathan Simms recently completed his sophomore year at Allen High School. During his high school year, he achieved a Class 6A state title in 46.48 seconds at the 400m race at the UIL.

The sprinting prodigy also possesses a national title for his stunning time frame of 46.09s at the 2023 Nike Outdoor Nationals. Recently, he achieved another milestone victory at the 400m event at the 15-16 age division

Jonathan Simms at the AAU Junior Olympic Games (Image via Instagram/Jonathan Simms)

On August 5, Jonathan Simms ran a terrific 45.12s to win the AUU Junior Olympics. With this, he managed to put down the 28-year-old U16 world record of 45.14s by athlete Obea Moore in 1995. Nevertheless, as per Texas Track and Field Coaches Association (TTFCA) record books, Simms also surpassed the state record of 45.19s set by Mansfield Timberview’s Aldrich Bailey in 2012.

Apart from breaking records, this is the second time this year that Simms broke the 46-second mark in a 400m event. Earlier this year in June, he ran 45.90s at the Brooks PR Invitational.

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Teen athlete like Jonathan Simms has created remarkable records

Issam Asinga at a championship (Image via Instagram/Issam Asinga)

Surinamese teenager, Issam Asinga, recently made headlines for his record-breaking win in the U20 100m category at the 53rd South American Championships, held in Sao Paulo, Brazil. It was the 18-year-old’s first international competition and he made the most of the opportunity.

He clocked an impressive 9.89s at the U20 100m event, breaking Botswana sprinter Letsile Tebogo’s dominance of 9.91s that he set at the 2022 World U20 Championships in Cali. Moreover, with his time frame, Asinga smashed the 10.00s mark, a senior South American record set by Brazil’s Robson da Silva in 1988.

Earlier this year, he also stunned the world by breaking another star athlete, Noah Lyles's record at the 100m event. Asinga competed at the PURE Athletics Spring Invitational in Clermont, Florida, on April 23. There, the young athlete ran an impressive time of 9.83s, beating Lyles’s time frame of 9.92s.

The 18-year-old is currently a high school student at Montverde in Florida, and will soon join the prestigious A&M University in Texas.