Myers defeats Olympic champs in stellar win; Kennedy cracks 10 seconds
Australian middle-distance prodigy Cameron Myers beat two Olympic gold medallists and a host of other world-class stars to be crowned champion at the Diamond League final on Saturday (Australian time).
Caught in congestion, the 20-year-old from Canberra was in a precarious position as the men’s 1500-metre field poured into the home straight in Brussels.
Cameron Myers salutes. AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert
But he wriggled out of it and flashed home to be the toast of a field that included Olympic champions Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Cole Hocker.
Olympic medallists Yared Nuguse and Timothy Cheruiyot were also in the field, as was 19-year-old Kenyan phenom Phanuel Koech.
Australia’s Kurtis Marschall starred in the Belgian capital, too, finishing third in the men’s pole vault with a clearance of 5.82m.
And Australia’s fastest man, Brisbane speed demon Lachlan Kennedy, again cracked the 10-second barrier in the 100m. The 22-year-old clocked 9.99 seconds (+0.1) to finish fourth.
But Myers became only the eighth Australian in history to be crowned a Diamond League champion, and just the second track athlete, behind hurdling royalty Sally Pearson.
Myers, who is the under-20 world record holder in the mile, took victory in Brussels with a time of 3:30.14, ahead of Koech (3:30.18) and the USA’s Ethan Strand (3:30.50).
“I’m pretty relieved, to be honest. It’s nice to get a win. I’m super pumped,” the Commonwealth Games silver medallist said.
“I was feeling good. I contemplated making a move on the back straight, but I didn’t really need to, so I just waited as long as possible and a gap opened up and I was able to take it.”
The men’s 100m was won by Brazilian ace Oblique Seville – the reigning world champion – in 9.90 seconds.
Emmanuel Eseme of Cameroon finished second in 9.93 and Nigeria’s Kanyinsola Ajayi took third in 9.97.
Myers celebrates becoming a Diamond League champion. AP Photo/Omar Havana
Kennedy beat former world champion and 9.76-second guy Christian Coleman, as well as world championship medallist and 2022 Diamond League champion Trayvon Bromell.
Five Australians will be gunning for Diamond League glory on day two: Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson (women’s high jump), Jessica Hull and Abbey Caldwell (women’s 1500m), and Sarah Billings (women’s 800m).
Sprint phenom Torrie Lewis will also line up in an invitational women’s 100m race.
