Canberra Teen Cameron Myers Shatters Records with Historic Wanamaker Mile Win in New York
Canberra teenager Cameron Myers has become the talk of the athletics world after an extraordinary performance in New York City, where he claimed victory in the prestigious Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games.
The 19-year-old's triumph makes him the youngest winner in the event's history, surpassing American Marty Liquori's 1969 record. Myers crossed the finish line with a commanding time of 3:47:57, comfortably ahead of the competition.
Record-Breaking Performance in the Big Apple
Myers' victory wasn't just historic for his age – it also established a new Australian indoor record, beating Ollie Hoare's previous mark of 3:50:77 set on the same New York track last March. This remarkable achievement represents the third-fastest mile of Myers' burgeoning career.
"It's great," a breathless Myers said immediately after his victory, as he received flowers and a trophy on the track. "I thought it would take 3:45 or 3:46 to get the win here, but I got the win, so the time doesn't really matter."
The young athlete revealed his strategic approach to the race: "My plan was to go [for the front with] three laps to go... it was just a bit hot early, so I waited till 400 to go. I sensed a bit of weakness there and I made the move. I was making sure to stay wide in my lane so no-one could pass me. I was surprised coming off the last turn no-one was there."
Continuing a Remarkable American Campaign
This victory marks Myers' third win from three races in the United States this year, following earlier successes in a mile event in Seattle and a 3000m race in Boston where he set an Australian men's record. His performance in New York was particularly significant as it occurred on the same track where he set an under-20 world record time of 3:47.48 last year.
When asked where this victory ranked in his career, Myers told reporters: "I think it's the biggest [win of my career]. This and the 3k last week [in Boston] were probably the big ones for me. I'm off to a better start than I had last year. It's just another year of developing. I know I'm getting faster and aerobically fitter."
In Sunday's race, Olympic 1500m bronze medallist Yared Nuguse finished second in 3:48.31, with fellow American Hobbs Kessler taking third place in 3:48.68.
Overcoming Challenges and Looking Ahead
Myers' record-breaking run comes after overcoming significant health challenges. The Canberra Times revealed the teenager had experienced blackouts after two separate races last year, which led to him missing the world cross-country championships in Florida.
Australian Institute of Sport medical staff eventually cleared Myers to compete in the United States, where he has delivered exceptional performances. His coach Dick Telford indicated dehydration was believed to be behind the blackouts, which occurred after races in Poland and Sydney.
Myers demonstrated remarkable team spirit in his decision-making, explaining his choice to miss the world cross-country championships: "I just had some medical issues. I passed out [after some] runs. I don't want to go too much into detail, but I pretty much had to get cleared by cardiologist, neurologists and be able to fly over here. I got cleared the day before the team was supposed to leave so my thought process was if I can give Jack enough time to prepare that's gonna do the team better than if I tell him three days before the race. I was just trying to do what's best for the team and they came back with gold so I'm super happy for them."
Future Plans and Ambitions
While Myers hasn't confirmed whether he'll compete in the World Indoor Championships, he told media he plans to return to Canberra to continue training. The young athlete has his sights set on competing at Stockholm and Oslo in the Diamond League later this year, with the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July as a major target.
Myers faces decisions about upcoming competitions, including whether to participate in the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne on March 28 or the world indoor championships in Poland a week earlier. His primary focus remains the Commonwealth Games 1500m gold medal, along with potentially retaining his Australian 1500m title in Sydney in April.
The Canberra teenager's approach to competition reflects his determined mindset: "I really want to be as competitive as possible in the mile next week. And that means not just running for a third- or fourth-place finish. I want to compete and if that means that I blow up and don't win it, I'd rather go home satisfied that I gave it my best effort. I'm in a great position to do that. So, yeah, it should be fun."
With his historic Wanamaker Mile victory and multiple record-breaking performances, Cameron Myers has firmly established himself as one of Australia's most promising athletic talents, demonstrating both exceptional ability and remarkable resilience on the international stage.
