Who is Cameron Myers? Know more about the 17-year-old who beat former World Champion Jake Wightman and ran the fastest 1500m on Australian soil
17-year-old Cameron Myers once again hogged the limelight after clocking the fastest 1500m time by an Australian on home soil with a 3:33.30 in the men’s 1500m open A event at the NSW Milers Series 2024.
He achieved a world-leading position in 2024 in both indoor and outdoor disciplines. Clocking just 0.04s shy of his personal best at the meeting, he ran below the Paris Olympic standard time set at 3:33.50.
In doing so, he produced an upset, eclipsing the World Athletics Championships 2022 gold medalist Jake Wightman, who finished third, with a time of 3:34.31. Victoria’s Jesse Hunt placed second as he ran a time of 3:33.64.
He broke the previous Australian record set by Tokyo Olympian Jye Edwards on April 18, 2021, at the Australian National Athletics Championships.
Let’s dive into knowing more about the 17-year-old Myers, who has been making waves in the Athletics world.
Who are Cameron Myers’ coach and training partners?
He started his training at the age of 10, under middle and long-distance coach Lee Bobbin. Bobbin began coaching Myers (at 14) with the elite running group of Dick Telford, former Australian footballer turned coach, comprising Edwards. In addition, he also represents the Bankstown Athletics Club based in Sydney.
What world records has Cameron Myers broken so far?
Cameron Myers has broken multiple world records in his career as he holds the U16 age group record in the mile, and the U18 record in the 1500m.
At the Maurie Plant Meet 2023, Myers broke the four-minute mark in the mile as he became the second-youngest person in the world to achieve this feat. He clocked 3:55.44s at 16 years and 259 days to become the new U16 world record holder in the discipline.
On his way to the WR, Myers ran more than two seconds faster than the reigning Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen as he had clocked 3:58.07 in May 2017.
He then went on to break another record as he ran a 3:33.26 in the 1500m at the Diamond League event in Silesia. This saw him break the previous mark attained by Nicholas Kiptanui Kemboi of Kenya in 2006 of 3:33.72 to become the U18 world record holder in the 1500m.
What are some of Myers’ other achievements?
Myers is presently the national record holder in the U20 mile. Additionally, he has claimed the Albie Thomas 1 Mile Australian Championship in 2022, and the Adelaide Invitational 1500m event in 2024.