Greensboro Native Le’Ezra Brown Makes History With World-Class U20 Hurdles Performance

EUGENE, Ore. — Greensboro native Le’Ezra Brown has made history on the international track and field stage, delivering one of the fastest performances ever recorded in the men’s U20 110-meter hurdles.

Brown, a former Dudley High School standout who now competes for the University of Georgia, clocked 12.72 seconds at the 2026 World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon. The performance earned him a gold medal and matched the world U20 record previously established by France’s Sasha Zhoya at the 2021 World U20 Championships in Nairobi.

Brown had already made headlines earlier this summer after running 12.95 seconds at Hayward Field, a mark that he surpassed in spectacular fashion on the international stage.

His 12.72 performance came in what is being regarded as the deepest U20 110-meter hurdles race in history. For the first time at the U20 level, three athletes broke the 13-second barrier in the same race.

Brown separated himself from the field, defeating Japan’s Jeremy Koga by 0.25 seconds. Koga finished in 12.97 seconds, while his personal best of 12.95 places him third on the all-time U20 list.

Brown’s performance is particularly notable given the strength of American sprint hurdling in 2026. The United States currently boasts five athletes among the seven fastest men in history in the event, including Ja’Kobe Tharp, Grant Holloway, Devon Allen, Jamal Britt and Cordell Tinch.

Several other Americans have also broken the 13-second barrier this year, including Trey Cunningham, Bradley Franklin and Kendrick Smallwood.

While Brown’s 12.72 ties Zhoya’s world U20 record, the circumstances surrounding the two performances add another layer to his accomplishment. Zhoya recorded his fastest times at altitude in Nairobi, while Brown produced his 12.72 at sea level in Eugene.

By that measure, Brown’s performance is the fastest sea-level time ever recorded by an U20 athlete over the 39-inch hurdles, putting the Greensboro native in a class of his own.

For Brown, the achievement represents another major milestone in a rapidly developing career. From Dudley High School to the University of Georgia and now the international stage, his latest performance has positioned him among the most exciting young hurdlers in the world.