Jayden DeLeon

Jayden DeLeon
Personal information
Born (2007-12-26) December 26, 2007 (age 18)
Elkridge, Maryland
Sport
CountryUnited States
SportAthletics
Event
Sprint
ClubHAWI Management
Achievements and titles
Personal bests
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing the  United States
World U20 Championships
Gold medal – first place2026 Eugene400m
Gold medal – first place2026 Eugene4 × 400 m relay

Jayden DeLeon (born December 26, 2007) is an American track and field sprinter who specializes in the 400 meters.

Early life

He attended Oakland Mills High School in Columbia, Maryland, where he competed in track and field. He committed to attend LSU. He trains with The House Running Club based in Washington, D.C.

Career

In 2025, DeLeon attended New Balance Nationals Outdoor to run the 200 meters and the 400 meters. He ran a then PR of 21.03 seconds and 46.33 seconds respectively in the events.

In January 2026, as a senior in high school, he ran the 300 meters in New York for the Puma New York International Showcase, winning the event by running 32.75 seconds. He also ran 6.93 seconds in the 60 meters, placing third. In March, he competed in the New Balance Indoor Nationals in the 400 meters, placing second behind Quincy Wilson with a time of 45.38 seconds. The result was a photo finish, with DeLeon finishing 0.009 seconds behind Wilson. In the same meet, he ran 20.77 seconds in the 200 meters.

On June 19, DeLeon competed in the 400 meters at the USATF U20 Outdoor Championships held in Eugene, Oregon and competed in the 200 meters at the Nike Outdoor Nationals, which were adjacent to each other. This time, he beat Wilson with a PB of 44.52 seconds, qualifying for the World Athletics U20 Championships on the U.S. team. This made DeLeon the second fastest 400m high schooler in the US ever after Wilson. Two days later, DeLeon won the 200m at Nike Outdoor Nationals with a time of 20.68.

On the evening of August 7, DeLeon won the 400 meters at the 2026 World Athletics U20 Championships with a Championship Record and personal best of 44.47 seconds to win ahead of Wilson and Leendert Koekemoer. Two days later, he ran the anchor leg for the 4 × 400 metres relay to win gold for the USA with a World U20 Lead of 3:01.39, the third fastest time in the age group's history.

In October 2026, DeLeon forwent his commitment from LSU to turn professional, signing with HAWI Management.

References

  1. 1 2 "Track & Field Signs Class of 2026 Maryland Sprinter Jayden DeLeon". LSU. March 5, 2026. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  2. ↑ Simms, Brandy (August 8, 2026). "One of Track's Fastest-Growing Rivalries Has a New Winner: Jayden DeLeon Beats Quincy Wilson". High School On SI. Retrieved August 9, 2026.
  3. ↑ "Jayden DELEON | Profile | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  4. ↑ Hof-Mahoney, Paul (April 21, 2026). "Q&A: Jayden DeLeon On His High School No. 2 All-Time 400m, Racing Quincy Wilson, Goals For Outdoor Season". CITIUS MAG. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  5. ↑ Creasy, Jason (March 14, 2026). "Quincy Wilson Breaks National Record In 400m At New Balance Nationals". FloTrack. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  6. ↑ "USA Track & Field | 2026 USATF U20 Outdoor Championships". usatf.org. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  7. ↑ Lou Weaver, Blake (June 19, 2026). "Nike Outdoor Nationals vs New Balance Nationals: Which Meet Is Better?". LetsRun.com. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Jayden DeLeon's Breakthrough Win Over Quincy Wilson Changes the Conversation in U.S. Junior 400 Meters". High School On SI. June 20, 2026. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  9. ↑ Weir, Grayson (June 20, 2026). "Quincy Wilson's Upset Loss Proves He Isn't The Top Track And Field Phenom In USA, Which Is A Great Thing". BroBible. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  10. ↑ Johnson, Robert (June 20, 2026). "Jayden Deleon upsets Quincy Wilson for US U20 400m title". LetsRun.com. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  11. ↑ Denney, Jarrid. "Zacchaeus Brocks shatters high school hurdles record at Hayward". The Register-Guard. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  12. ↑ "Nike Outdoor Nationals - Videos - Jayden Deleon Champion Boys 200m - Nike Outdoor Nationals 2026". www.runnerspace.com. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  13. ↑ "AthleticLIVE". live.athletictiming.net. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  14. ↑ Ernst, Colin (August 7, 2026). "Kiprono and Deleon break championship records in Oregon". World Athletics. Archived from the original on August 9, 2026. Retrieved August 9, 2026.
  15. ↑ Nelsen, Matt (August 7, 2026). "World Athletics U20 Championships 2026: Jayden DeLeon edges out Olympic gold medallist Quincy Wilson to claim 400m title on home soil". Olympics. Retrieved August 9, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Team USATF sweeps men's 400 medals at World U20 Championships". USATF. August 8, 2026. Retrieved August 9, 2026.
  17. ↑ Wehrly, Ash (August 9, 2026). "Uță and Mancha strike gold as Jamaica and USA win relays in Oregon". World Athletics. Archived from the original on August 10, 2026. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  18. ↑ "Men's 4X400 Metres Relay - Final - Results" (PDF). World Athletics. August 9, 2026. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  19. ↑ "FloTrack - JAYDEN DELEON TURNING PRO". Facebook. FloTrack. October 2, 2026. Retrieved October 5, 2026.