It was a heartbreaking end for promising 19-year-old Australian athletics star Cameron Myers at the World Championships in Tokyo. He was defeated in the first round of the 1500m event. This comes on the heels of an impressive run only weeks ago, where he finished 6th in Silesia, Poland. The days after that race turned out to be difficult, even dangerous, for the young runner.
Myers received a health scare just days after his sixth-place finish. On the day after the race, he collapsed on a training run. He attributed the incident to dehydration and lack of nutrition. “I unfortunately got ill last week and haven’t had a very good run,” Myers explained, shedding light on the difficulties he encountered leading up to the championships.
Even with these disappointments, Myers had been flourishing in the previous months. With a solid Diamond League campaign under his belt, his accomplishments, such as taking silver in the 1500m at last year’s World Junior Championships in Peru, made him newsworthy. Since then, he’s continued to turn heads, including at the 2023 Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne. At only 16 years of age, he turned pro and went on to become the second-youngest athlete in history to run a sub-four-minute mile!
Myers made comparisons to Norwegian superstar Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who did even greater things at an even younger age. Ingebrigtsen, now 24, boasts two Olympic gold medals and two world titles, while Myers continues to carve out his path in the competitive world of athletics.
During the World Championships, Myers started each of his heats from a mid-pack starting position but couldn’t seem to get into his rhythm. His on-course performance, while beyond the scope of comments, severely underwhelmed, raising questions over where his current fitness level is. “Everyone going into championships isn’t going to be 100 percent,” he noted, reflecting on the challenges that athletes often face during high-pressure events.
In all, the Australian athlete’s Olympic journey has not been without its drama. He was controversially not selected for last year’s Paris Olympics despite fully meeting the qualifying standard, sparking an uproar and raising questions about his future in athletics.
Cameron Myers toasts his triumphs and communes with his defeats, the shadow of his sport. His resilience will be tested as he addresses some of the recent fires he’s been thrown into. This championship resulted in a great disappointment for him. His past accomplishments and future potential make it clear that he is an incredible talent to watch, irrespective of this injury.
