Source : ABC NEWS
Australia’s Cameon Myers has recorded the most significant win of his young career by taking out the men’s 1,500 metres at the Diamond League Final in Brussels.
Myers became only the eighth Australian to win a Diamond League Final title when he clocked a time of three minutes and 30.14 seconds at the King Baudouin Stadium.
The 20-year-old beat home a stacked field featuring the two most recent Olympic champions in the event, the USA’s Cole Hocker and Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen.
“I wouldn’t say this victory comes as a surprise to me,” Myers said after the race.
“It’s more a relief to finally showcase what I’ve been building toward over the last couple of years.
“It feels surreal, even though I always believed I had it in me. But it’s so different to actually do it and actually execute it when it matters.
“This is going to be a fun memory to look back on.”
Cameron Myers (right) pipped Kenya’s Phanuel Koech to claim victory. (Getty Images: Tim Clayton)
Myers timed his final sprint in the home straight to perfection, narrowly edging out Kenyan teenager Phanuel Koech (3:30.18) and American Ethan Strand (3:30.50).
Ingebrigtsen, who was the Tokyo Olympic gold medallist, posted a time of 3:30.52 to finish in fourth place, with Hocker seventh in 3:30.80.
Coached by Dick Telford, Myers is the best Australian prospect in the men’s 1,500m since 1960 Olympic champion Herb Elliott.
The Brussels victory is the latest chapter in the Canberran’s stellar season.
Myers set a national record of 3:28.00 in winning the 1,500m at the Paris Diamond League meet in June.
The time is the second-fastest run in the world this year.
Myers won the mile (3:46.06) at another Diamond League meet, Eugene’s Prefontaine Classic, in July and finished second to Scottish world-record holder Josh Kerr in the same event at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
Less than a week ago, Myers triumphed in the 1,500m (3:30.96) at Berlin’s prestigious ISTAF meet.
Kurtis Marschall finished third in the men’s pole vault. (Getty Images: Richard Heathcote)
Among other Australian results in Brussels, Kurtis Marschall was third on countback in the men’s pole vault.
Marschall and second-placed Sondre Guttormsen of Norway both cleared 5.82m, with Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis winning with a meet record of 6.12m.
Sweden’s Olympic and world champion, Mondo Duplantis, was a late withdrawal due to leg tightness.
Lachlan Kennedy ran under 10 seconds for the fifth time this season in the men’s 100m, posting 9.99 to be fourth behind winner and reigning world champion, Jamaica’s Oblique Seville (9.90).
Matthew Denny was also fourth in the men’s discus with a best throw of 68.04m.
Slovenian Kristjan Čeh produced a meet record of 71.29m to claim victory.
Two-time Commonwealth Games champion Rose Davies also just missed the podium in the women’s 5,000m, finishing fourth in 14:37.47 behind Ethiopian victor Freweyni Hailu (14:35.20).
Fellow Australians Georgia Griffith (14:38.69) and Linden Hall (14:40.62) were sixth and 10th respectively.
