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Breaking world records takes months, sometimes even years, of training and dedication, but imagine an amateur track and field star setting not one but three records in a single season. To top that, imagine doing all of it at just 13 years of age. That is surely impressive. And even more so? Camryn Dailey topping it at 14.

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The track and field star has done it yet again, breaking her own record, although in different circumstances. The teenager competed in the women’s Olympic Development race at the Pepsi Florida Relays against professional athletes and set an age-group world record in the 200m.

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Lowering her own world record from 22.92 seconds to 22.73 seconds, she finished second in a field that included two-time Olympic gold medalist Shaunae Miller-Uibo. The Bahamas icon finished first with a time of 22.44, while another 14-year-old, Melanie Doggett, also broke Dailey’s previous record with a time of 22.80 to finish third.

What’s more shocking, outside the fact that Camryn Dailey broke another world record, is that she did it in a field filled with professional sprinters and Olympic athletes. Aside from Miller-Uibo, who is making her comeback after giving birth in 2023, the field includes Maia McCoy (two-time African Games silver medalist), Jadyn Mays (a runner-up at the NCAA Indoor Championships in 2025), and 2024 Olympian Niesha Burgher.

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Coming back to Camryn Dailey, she spent the entire 2025 season smashing records—so much so that by the end of it, she had set an age-13 world record for the fastest 400m in 51.67 seconds, becoming the first-ever middle schooler to break 52 seconds.

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To put that in perspective, Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone only clocked in 51.87 seconds in the same discipline when she was a high school senior. Intestingly, Camryn Dailey came into the 2026 season with a vengeance, having not been pleased with her performance in the indoor season.

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Camryn Dailey reflects on her world record time in the 200m

That’s even though the then-13-year-old went on to clock 23.76 in the 200m and then 22.90 seconds to set more age-13 world records. She also holds the age-13 world record in the 100m with a time of 11.37, and while she doesn’t hold the record in the 60m, her time of 7.40 isn’t that far off.  

Her times in the 60m and the 400m short track (55.33) both came during her indoor season, and Camryn Dailey wasn’t happy with her performance. The 14-year-old reflected on that and admitted that while her times were good, her performance wasn’t.

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“Um, I had a really big vengeance coming back because I was not happy with how my indoor season ended,” Dailey said in an interview. “Well, I mean, I still ran a great time. Uh, it wasn’t up to my standards. But I went back to the lab, you know, really worked on it. Asked my coach what I needed to do, and execute.”

Dailey, however, was extremely hyped up to perform in a field packed with professionals. It was the first time that she had done something like that, but her excitement outweighed her nervousness.

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“Yes, ma’am,” Dailey said when asked if she was excited. “Of course. Still a little nervous. It’s my first time in Olympic development, so had to, you know, test the waters a little bit. But it was awesome. I had great competition.”

With her latest record, Camryn Dailey has once again proven that age is no barrier when it comes to redefining what’s possible on the track. And if this is just the start of her 2026 campaign, the rest of the field may already be running to keep up. 

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Siddhant Lazar

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Siddhant Lazar is a US Sports writer at EssentiallySports, combining his background in media and communications with a diverse body of work that bridges sports and entertainment journalism. A graduate in BBA Media and Communications, Siddhant began his career during a period of unprecedented change in global sport, covering events such as the postponed Euro 2021 and the Covid-19 impacted European football season. His professional journey spans roles as an intern, editor, and head writer across leading digital platforms, building a foundation rooted in research-driven storytelling and editorial precision. Drawing from years spent in dynamic newsroom environments, Siddhant’s writing reflects a balance of insight, structure, and accessibility, aimed at engaging readers while capturing the evolving intersection of sport and culture.

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Deepali Verma

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