Australia's emerging middle-distance sensation, Cameron Myers, has been forced to withdraw from the national mixed-relay team set to compete at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Florida, next January.
Medical Reasons Force Withdrawal
In a brief statement released on Sunday, the 19-year-old athlete confirmed his withdrawal, citing "unforeseen medical reasons". Myers expressed his disappointment, stating he was planning to be in Boston on January 24th and wished the best to the Australian team.
This development is a significant setback for the highly anticipated squad, which was poised to feature Olympic 1500m silver medallist Jessica Hull, Commonwealth Games gold medallist Oliver Hoare, and the in-form veteran Linden Hall.
Anstey Steps Up to the Plate
Australian Athletics moved swiftly to name a replacement, confirming that 28-year-old middle-distance runner Jack Anstey will take Myers' spot in the mixed 4x2km relay event.
An official AA statement announced that Anstey is ready to step up for Australia, while Myers will focus on his recovery with a planned return to competition scheduled for late January. The exact nature of Myers' latest medical issue remains unclear, though earlier this year in mid-August, he experienced a fainting episode during a run, which he attributed at the time to dehydration and poor nutrition.
A Rising Star's Path and Team Ambitions
Myers had earned his place on the team with a commanding victory at the World Cross Country Championships Selection Trials in Canberra this past November. The incredibly gifted teenager holds a string of records over distances around the 1500m and one mile.
He has often been compared to Norwegian superstar Jakob Ingebrigtsen, especially after becoming the second-youngest person ever to run a sub-four-minute mile at the 2023 Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne when he was just 16. Ingebrigtsen, who achieved the feat only nine days younger, is now a multiple Olympic and world champion at 24.
The Australian team will be looking to build on past success. At the last world cross country event held in Bathurst in 2023, the quartet of Hull, Hoare, Abbey Caldwell, and Stewart McSweyn secured a bronze medal in the same mixed relay event. That medal was a breakthrough global achievement for several team members and heralded a period of success in middle-distance track events at subsequent Olympic, Commonwealth, and World Championship levels.
Australia will send a total of 28 athletes to the United States for the championships. The team includes Leanne Pompeani, who will contest her fourth world cross country championships, and Ky Robinson, who aims to improve on his fourth-place finish in the men's 10km at this year's worlds in Tokyo.
Andrew Faichney, Australian Athletics' General Manager of High Performance, highlighted the team's potential earlier this month, noting that "a world cross country medal is one of the hardest things to achieve in our sport" and that having a contending team is a testament to the growth of distance running in Australia.
