Cameron Myers is someone to watch as he builds his career. Photo: Cameron Myers.
Veteran Australian track and field coach Dick Telford has guided many a gifted runner to the next level over the course of his lengthy career.
There have been many highlights, including Lisa Martin’s silver in the marathon at the Seoul Olympics in 1988, as well as multiple Commonwealth Games gold medallists.
The latest potential champion is 18-year-old Canberra middle-distance runner Cameron Myers.
Cameron has taken all before him at a junior level, including age group junior world records.
Even though he is still eligible to run in the junior age groups, Dick says those days are well and truly over.
“Cam is a genuine world-class athlete,” he says, “We won’t be running in any more junior races.”
Dick was speaking in the wake of Cameron’s victory in the men’s 3000 metres at the Zatopek meet in Melbourne, where he opted to race in the opens instead of the under 20s.
Dick Telford (centre) with Commonwealth Games marathon runners Lisa Weightman and Michael Shelley. Photo: Supplied.
His time of 7:41.11 was an Australian under-20s record, five seconds faster than his time in March this year.
Like Gout Gout, the hype is starting to build around Cameron, but Dick isn’t one to get carried away. He knows there is still a long way to go.
“I get excited when somebody runs faster than they have ever run before. We don’t know how good Cam is going to be. He is already an international runner, but we don’t want to overdo things. He has developed so quickly in the past three years that we now have to work out ways to improve. We need to make sure that as an 18-year-old, he stays on top of things physically and mentally.”
Cameron is in good, experienced hands with Dick Telford, responding to the athlete’s growth and willingness to learn.
Telford says, “He provides incredible feedback. He understands, for instance, what sort of training will cause injuries. He is a student of the sport. He listens and takes notice of what others are doing. Already at 18, he understands what the sport is all about.”
Comparisons have already been made with Norway’s two-time Olympic champion, 24-year-old Jakob Ingebrigtsen.
Ingebrigtsen won gold in the 1500 metres in Tokyo, followed by a victory in the 5000 metres in Paris.
In 2023, Cameron, then 16, became the second youngest runner ever, behind Ingebrigtsen, to run a sub-four-minute mile.
Cameron Myers when he was in Year 11 at Lake Ginninderra College. Photo: Cameron Myers, Facebook.
Cameron Myers has also broken Ingebrigtsen’s age group world records in the mile, the 1500 and the 3000 metres.
This is the reason why there is so much international interest in Cameron as he hits the world stage in the next 12 months, culminating in the world titles in Japan.
It will be a significant learning curve.
The bonus for Cameron is that he is being guided by one of the best in the business.
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