Young Australian track star Cameron Myers is on top of the world after triumphing in the 1500m final at the Diamond League Final in Brussels.
The 20-year-old delivered one of the biggest wins of his career when taking down Olympic champions Cole Hocker (USA) and Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR) amongst a star-studded field on Saturday AEST.
Fresh off a win over a quality field in Berlin earlier in the week, Myers timed his run to perfection before surging to victory in 3:30.14, getting past Kenya's Phanuel Koech (3:30.18) over the final few strides after they and third-placed Ethan Strand (USA, 3:30.50) had hunted down long-time leader Ingebrigtsen.
“I’m super pumped,” Myers 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."
Olympic champion Ingebrigtsen, continuing his comeback after Achilles surgery in February, dictated the pace for much of the race and looked on course for a morale-boosting victory before the effort began to tell in the home straight and he faded to fourth.
"It feels great to participate in my first Diamond League Final and to immediately take the victory," Myers said.
"Everyone was pushing each other, but I felt that I could stay relaxed and save my energy until the final stretch.
"I wouldn´t say that this victory is a surprise to me. I would more say that it´s a relief that I can finally show what I was building in the last couple of years."
Australian pole vault star Kurtis Marschall also got on the podium on the opening night of the Diamond League Finals following an eventful contest which saw world record holder and Olympic champion Armand Duplantis (SWE) withdraw pre-competition.
Marschall soared over 5.82m to finish third on countback behind Sondre Guttormsen (NOR), as the event was won by Emmanouil Karalis (GRE) with a new meet record of 6.12m.
“It’s another 5.80 and 5.80 doesn’t get enough credit! It’s still a hard bar to jump and if you do it when it counts, that’s what really matters,” Marschall said.
“I’ll take the third place, but all eyes are on Budapest next week. Everything is coming together at the right time.”
Australia’s fastest man Lachlan Kennedy delivered his fifth sub-10 second performance of 2026 when flashing to fourth place in the 100m in 9.99, finishing just 0.02-seconds off the podium.
Racing from lane one, the Commonwealth champion returned to top form as the race was won by reigning world champion Oblique Seville (JAM) in 9.90.
“Under 10 seconds again in objectively not the best conditions. The crowd was good, the field was good and it was a close race,” Kennedy said.
“It’s high stakes and not good conditions, but they are the same for everyone else.”
Adding to Australia's fourth-place finishes, Matt Denny signed off on his 2026 campaign with a 68.04m performance in the discus, less than a metre short of the podium which was topped by Kristjan Ceh (SLO) with a meet record of 71.29m.
Fellow Commonwealth champion Rose Davies also finished one position shy of the podium in the 5000m, clocking 14:37.47 in a race won by Freweyni Hailu (ETH) in 14:35.20.
Davies was left disappointed after the race which she felt suited her, as fellow Australians Georgia Griffith and Linden Hall finished sixth and 10th in 14:38.69 and 14:40.62 respectively – Hall’s time a personal best.
“I was in a really good spot with a lap to go and I thought I was going to win. To come away fourth, I’m a little bit disappointed,” Davies said.
The Diamond League Final continues on Saturday when high jumpers Eleanor Patterson and Nicola Olyslagers will headline the action for Australia.
with AAP
