Angus Barnes | Jul 08, 2026
Australia has two World #1
The World Athletics ranking algorithm churns through the results database every Wednesday, and this week the output has special interest for Australians. It has concluded that Cameron Myers is the new World #1 in the 1500m event category. It also re-confirmed Jessica Hull as the female World #1 in the same event category, a position she’s held since 6th January 2026.
Two Australian athletes ranked #1 in the World for 1500m/mile – extraordinary and unprecedented.
Myers moves ahead of Olympic bronze medallist Yared Nuguse, and current World Champion Isaac Nader, based on his astounding series of races this year. The combination of fast times plus wins & podium placings in high calibre races is what boosts his ranking points.
At just 20 years of age, Myers is well over a year younger than Jakob Ingebrigtsen when he first gained the #1 ranking.
Myers is only the second Australian male athlete to be ranked #1 under the World Athletics system which started in 2019. Brandon Starc had an 11 week spell as the High Jump #1 back in that initial year of rankings.
To find the last Australian male #1 track athlete you have to sift through the Track and Field News annual rankings, which held sway in the athletics world prior to the World Athletics weekly system.
And sift indeed, because it’s way back in 1969 you find Ron Clarke, ranked #1 in 5000m & 10000m. Keep going and Clarke's name repeats five more times, and you’ll also find Ralph Doubell, Herb Elliott and John Landy, the latter two being Australia's only other male 1500m World #1s.
On the women’s side in the distance events its just Hull and Dixie Willis, who was ranked #1 in 1962 for 800m. There are a number of other female track athletes ranked #1, including more recently Sally Pearson, Jana Pittman and Cathy Freeman. Two women have been ranked #1 under the new World Athletics system: until just the other week Nicola Olyslagers was #1 in the High Jump, a spot she held for 42 weeks; Nina Kennedy was #1 in the Pole Vault for 56 weeks across 2024 & 2025.
Back to the current day, the World Athletics ranking system is based on an athlete’s best five events (less for some categories) in the last 12 months. Therefore athletes are striving to replace high scoring events they ‘lose’ from the previous year. Myers won’t face this dilemma for a while, given his five events are all from this year. Indeed the Commonwealth Games, further Diamond League events, including the final, and the World Ultimate championships are opportunities to boost his points higher.
Hull is facing the challenge of maintaining her high ranking events from last year – as well as the challenge from athletes such as Faith Kipyegon and Nikki Hiltz adding more high scoring events if they start to race more frequently.
Australians in the top 10 World Rankings
Cameron Myers (1) 1500m
Kurtis Marschall (3) Pole Vault
Matthew Denny (4) Discus
Ky Robinson (8) 5000m
Jessica Hull (1) 1500m
Nicola Olyslagers (2) High Jump
Mackenzie Little (4) Javelin
Eleanor Patterson (6) High Jump
Nina Kennedy (6) Pole Vault
Linden Hall (10) 1500m
Upcoming Events this weekend
The feature event this weekend is the Monaco Diamond League.
Having already qualified for the DL 1500m final, Jessica Hull steps up in distance to race the 3000m against Faith Kipyegon and Birke Haylom. Given Hull is entered to run the 5000m at the Commonwealth Games, the day after her Mile heat, this will be an important test of strength. A Commonwealth medal is the last one Hull needs to complete her set of Championship medals.
A win for Nina Kennedy will qualify her for the DL Pole Vault final, but will also see her become Australia’s most successful winner on the DL circuit, surpassing Sally Pearson who had 10 wins.
Kurtis Marschall will be looking to continue his good form in Monaco, ahead of the Commonwealth Games which he enters as the back-to-back champion. Pam Kilborn is the only Australian previously to win three golds in a row at the Commonwealth Games in the same event (short hurdles, noting it was two at 80mH and one at 100mH).
Another Commonwealth medallist (silver from 2022) Mackenzie Little will hit the DL runway for the first time this season, and only her third competition this year. A good placing and throw will likely see her move back into World Ultimate Championships contention (currently ranked 9th, with eight qualifying)
Ky Robinson set a new Australian record last DL 5000m he competed in (Oslo), and wasn’t happy afterwards. If he feels there’s more to give then this could be the race to watch, especially as it looks to be a very even field.
Daniel Williams has been added to the 1000m field. Having soaked up the atmosphere in Eugene by running a non-DL 800m event, this will be his debut in an actual DL event. It seems strange to be saying this – indicative of the depth of Australian middle-distance running – but could he threaten a Cameron Myers U20 National Record (2:17.25)
Check our calendar for other events this weekend. Quite a few of the Commonwealth Games team are heading to Belgium for the Moore-Guldensporenmeeting. And the Morton Games has attracted a number of the middle-distance men currently in Europe.
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