Cameron Myers in action in New York (© Organisers)
World U20 1500m silver medallist Cameron Myers took almost two seconds off the world U20 indoor mile record* with his 3:53.12 victory at the Dr Sander Invitational in New York on Saturday (25).
In what was the first indoor race of his career, the Australian middle-distance runner held off a strong challenge from Kenya’s Festus Lagat at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Bronze meeting to win by 0.37. Britain’s Adam Fogg was third (3:53.49).
Myers’ time is a significant improvement on the previous world U20 indoor record, set by USA’s German Fernandez back in 2009. His 1500m split of 3:37.89 is also an Oceanian U20 indoor record.
He now moves to eighth on the Oceanian senior all-time indoor list, one place behind 1976 Olympic 1500m champion John Walker.
Eighteen-year-old Myers has set numerous continental age-group records outdoors in recent years, including his 3:33.26 clocking for 1500m, his 3:50.15 outdoor mile run and, just last month, a 7:41.11 clocking over 3000m.
The women’s mile in New York was similarly close. USA’s Katelyn Tuohy won in 4:25.54 from Sweden’s Wilma Nielsen (4:25.89). Elsewhere, Nia Akins won the women’s 800m in 2:01.03, while Jeremiah Davis was a clear winner of the men’s long jump (8.00m).
At the Nordhausen Indoor Kugelstossen, a World Indoor Tour Challenger meeting, Olympic champion Yemisi Ogunleye dominated the women’s shot put to win with 19.77m, an early season world lead.
The German produced her best ever throw outside of a global championships to win by 1.70m from compatriot Alina Kenzel.
World indoor bronze medallist Eliott Crestan set a European indoor 600m best of 1:14.92 at the LBFA Allianz Championships in Louvain-la-Nueve. Crestan, who set a Belgian 800m record of 1:42.43 last year, now moves up to sixth on the world indoor all-time list.
At the Perche Elite Tour meeting in Rouen, Olympic bronze medallist Emmanouil Karalis was a clear winner of the men’s pole vault with 5.85m. Slovenia’s Tina Sutej was a similarly convincing winner of the women’s competition with 4.66m.
Denisha Cartwright recorded the fastest women's 60m hurdles time in the world so far this season, setting a PB of 7.78 at the Larry Wieczorek Invitational in Iowa. That improved on her previous best of 7.93 from last year.
*Subject to the usual ratification procedure
