At just 17, Australian middle-distance prodigy Cameron Myers displays maturity that is just as impressive as his outstanding performances on the track have been during the past 12 months.
This was evident during Thursday night’s Maurie Plant Meet at Melbourne’s Lakeside Stadium, when the Canberran lined up for the prestigious John Landy Mile.
Among the field was Great Britain’s Jake Wightman, who won the 1,500 metres at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, and Tasmanian Stewart McSweyn, a finalist in the “metric mile” at the Tokyo Olympics.
Myers refused to be intimidated by the quality of his rivals, while he showed poise during the early jostling for position that is common in the middle-distance events.
He used his smooth running form to put himself in contention for victory alongside McSweyn and Wightman in the final 50 metres when the race came down to a desperate sprint.
The greater experience of McSweyn and Wightman came to the fore as they finished first and second in 3:52.00 and 3:52.11 respectively, but Myers was not far off in third place after posting a personal-best time of 3:52.44.
Myers smashed the national under 20 record of 3:55.44 he set at the same meet last February when he became the second youngest athlete in track and field history — behind Norway’s reigning Olympic 1,500m champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen — to break the four-minute mile barrier.
The weight of expectation can be a heavy burden for any young athlete to carry, but Myers went from strength to strength during his 2023 overseas campaign while juggling year 11 studies at Lake Ginninderra College.
Last July, when making his Diamond League debut in the 1,500m against the likes of Ingebrigtsen in Chorzów, Myers ran a PB of 3:33.26, which went down in the record books as the world under 18 best performance over the distance.
It also broke the Australian under 18 and 20 records and gave Myers a qualifying time for the World Athletics Championships, which were being held in Budapest the following month.
Myers, though, chose not to compete at the world titles, instead returning to Australia to focus on preparing for the 2024 Olympic season.
His effort in Chorzów meant he already had an Olympic qualifier under his belt and the extended off-season appears to be paying off.
Aside from his performance in Melbourne, Myers won the 1,500m at last weekend’s Adelaide Invitational in 3:34.55, the second-fastest time he has run.
Giving up the chance to make his world championships debut illustrated the mature approach Myers is taking. He knew he would be better off returning to the training track in his pursuit of a berth on Australia’s team for the Paris Olympics.
“Last year I was lacking a little bit of that strength that these guys would have over the longer distances,” Myers told ABC Sport at the Maurie Plant Meet.
“So working on that weakness is really showing now and I’m happy.”
Myers wants to compete against the best
A lack of fear when facing world-class competition is another aspect of Myers’s make-up as an athlete that suggests he may become one of Australia’s middle-distance greats.
He thrived on the opportunity to race in Melbourne against Wightman, who will be among the medal contenders in Paris if fully fit after experiencing an injury-marred 2023 season.
“I want to get into those bigger meets and start competing on the world stage against the best,” Myers said.
“So having a guy like Jake here is always good to test the fitness and see where I’m at.”
Beyond the domestic season, Myers — who trains under revered coach Dick Telford — will head overseas for races in the United States, before basing himself in Germany.
He is one of three Australians to have run an Olympic qualifier in the 1,500m — the other two being McSweyn and Adam Spencer — but is not guaranteed a spot in the team for Paris, with the selection process still to play out.
An Olympic debut this year would be a well-deserved achievement, however Myers — who turns 18 in June — still has the Los Angeles (2028) and Brisbane (2032) Games to look forward to when he will be closer to the peak of his career.
“I’m improving as an athlete and I’m getting better year on year,” Myers said.