Cooper Sherman and Lachlan O’Keefe ready for world under-20 aths titles with one eye on the 2026 Commonwealth Games

St Patrick’s College’s Cooper Sherman and Lachlan O’Keefe are hoping their world athletic under-20 championships selection could lead to a home Commonwealth Games in 2026.

For St Patrick’s College students Cooper Sherman and Lachlan O’Keefe it is hard not to think ahead to the 2026 Commonwealth Games, despite the fact that more pressing international duties await in the next month.

The talented athletes will be leaving Ballarat in the next few days to travel to Colombia to compete in the world athletics under-20 championships, which start next month.

Sherman is competing in the 400m with O’Keefe taking on the world in high jump.

For Sherman, 18, who is the schools athletics captain, representing Australia in the event has come as a surprise after 12 months of sustained success.

Usually competing in the 100m and 200m, and holding the current Victorian record in the 200m at under 18, under 19 and under 20 country age groups, Sherman has instead found recent success in the 400m, qualifying for the world titles with his time of 47.22 seconds in January.

“The 400m is a bit of a weird event,” Sherman said.

“I’ve been doing ones (100m) and twos (200m) all my life and fours have just come in for training really and I’ve gotten really fast at them.

“I hate doing them (400m) but, it is what it is, so I’m doing the 400m.”

The move to the 400m came from his coach Neville Down.

“When I do train, I (used to) focus on the short and sharp stuff,” Sherman said.

“But ever since I’ve switched to my new coach Nev Down I’ve done more 400m training for the speed and endurance in the 200m.

“I’ve done some competitions in the 400m and they have gone much better than I planned.”

St Patrick's Cooper Sherman will compete in the 400m at the World Youth Athletics Championships. Picture: Shane Jones.

Sherman enters the event with limited racing after not competing at the national championships in April due to a torn hamstring.

While he hasn’t got race form, he is ready to give the event a hot crack.

“My aim is to run a personal best, there are a lot of fast people at this competition,” Sherman said.

“I’ll be happy with whatever I run just as long as I finish.”

If Sherman manages a personal best in Colombia it would place him among the top few 400m runners in the country, at any age level.

While this year’s Commonwealth Games are out of the question, his eyes are firmly focused on future senior international opportunities, particularly the 2026 Commonwealth Games, which will be held in regional Victoria with athletics events to be held in his home town.

Sherman said it would be incredible to compete in Ballarat before an international audience.

“It’s really exciting and at the time I’m going to be at a peak age,” he said.

“It’s really surprising to see but it’s also really amazing.”

O’Keefe is also hoping to be at the 2026 Commonwealth Games but his first task is to impress at the world titles.

The high jumper has the sixth best jump this year by an Australian at 2.15m and knows a good performance could get him into the final against the best juniors from around the world.

St Patrick's Lachlan O'Keefe is hoping for a personal best in his first World Athletic Under-20 Championships. Picture: Shane Jones.

All this at the age of 17.

“I’m going in as one of the youngest, at 17, so I'll be able to go back in a couple of years,” O’Keefe said.

“My heights are good enough to get me into the finals and compete against them (rivals).

“But if I don’t seem to jump as well as I want to I'll take it as an experience and learn from it.”

O’Keefe is aiming for 2.20m in the event, a new personal best.

It is something he’s confident of achieving with the support of his friends, family, coaches and Sherman.

O’Keefe said both being on the trip together would inspire them.

“It’s really good to have somebody there who I know and can go to if I need anything,” he said.

Sherman starts his 400m campaign on August 2 with O’Keefe to compete on August 3.