Daniel Williams U20

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.

Before starting a preview of this weekend’s action – with the Eugene Diamond League / Prefontaine Classic the highlight – let’s reflect on some recent highlights over the past week or so.

Some recent highlights

So many highlights its hard to believe its two weeks ago we saw Peter Bol break the Area Record in the 1000m, winning in Ostrava in 2:15.13.  At the same meet Gout Gout sets a World U20 best over 150m with 14.96 (0.0) in third, just 0.29 behind Noah Lyles' new World Best.  Also in the same week Eleanor Patterson clears 2.00m for the first time since her World Champion year of 2022, when winning in Essen.

And the record breaking continued.  Last week Cameron Myers becomes the 12th best metric miler in the World ever, setting a new Area Record with 3:28.00. He breaks the Australian record by 1.41 seconds, the biggest jump since Herb Elliott broke John Landy’s record back in 1958.

Earlier in the evening at the Paris Diamond League, Sarah Billings breaks the 800m Area Record.  Billings has tended to favour the 1500m in the last few years, and this run has now, for the first time since 2019, put her World Athletics result score in the 800m (1216) ahead of her 1500m best (1215).

Staying with the 800m, Daniel Williams has been training at altitude (perhaps for the first time?) with his ON team.  It seems to have had the desired effect, with him taking on his first international senior field in Poland, pushing to the lead after 400m, and cruising to victory in 1:44.48, his 2nd best time.

Elsewhere we saw Jack Anstey run his second 1500m PB in a week, 3:33.32, and his 4th PB over all distances for 2026. And just the other night Rohan Browning got swept down the straight by a +4.7 m/s wind, to record 9.89 over 100m – 3rd fastest Australian all-conditions.

Eugene Diamond League / Prefontaine Classic

Myers and Williams both make an appearance this weekend in Eugene and it’s fascinating their main competition will be athletes around their own age – Myers faces defending Bowerman Mile champion, 21-year-old Niels Laros, and Williams is up against the 17-year-old phenom Cooper Lutkenhaus.

The Youth is out in force.  But we also have seasoned campaigners such as Jessica Hull and Oliver Hoare who have fond memories of winning NCAA titles at Hayward Field.  For Daniel Williams this will be an important learning experience, before he returns in one months tiem for the World U20 Championships

Williams races on the first day (Saturday 2:07am aest) in what are non-Diamond League scoring events, with Oliver Hoare appearing in the Invitational Mile just before (1:56pm aest).  The Commonwealth 1500m champion will be looking to use this as an important tune-up before the Games in less than a month.

Ky Robinson then runs over the 2 mile distance (2:16pm).  Having just taken down Craig Mottram’s 5000m Area Record, he’ll be looking at Mottram’s last track record of 8:03.50 – a phenomenal run at the time that put Mottram #3 on the World all-time list.

The following day (Sunday morning aest) sees Matthew Denny kick things off in the discus (5:50am), which will be a tiebreaker for him Ceh and Stahl, with all three equal on top with the same points at present in the Diamond League.

Lachlan Kennedy follows next (6:37am) over the 100m, facing the current World Champion Seville on what is one of the fastest tracks in the world.

Hayley Kitching returns, after just 3 weeks, to the track where she set a massive 1.5 second PB and won silver in the NCAA 800m final.  In her Diamond League debut (7.11am) she, like the rest of the field, will be trying to latch on to the pace behind world-record seeker Keely Hodgkinson.

The days action ends with the feature races which are the miles.  And the talk is of records, perhaps not surprising, given over 30% of the top 50 men in the mile have set their PBs at Hayward Field.

For the women, Faith Kipyegon will have her eyes (and the pace lights) set on her 4:07.64 world record, and Jessica Hull will likely see this as an opportunity to challenge her Area record of 4:13.68 which puts her World #6 all-time.

For the men’s Bowerman Mile, Cameron Myers will have some confidence that the record he currently shares with Olli Hoare (3:47.48) is achievable.  But as the current holder of the Wanamaker Mile trophy, he’ll also be focusing on winning, and adding to his trophy cabinet.  Only two men have ever won both these prestigious miles in the same year (Bernard Lagat 2003, '06, Steve Scott 1984).

Other Weekend Events

There's many other events of interest this weekend, including the Gold Coast Marathon Festival with Haftu Strintzos and Vanessa Wilson the key Australians in the marathon.

Don't miss early Saturday morning Jack Anstey & Jude Thomas over 1500m, and Chris Mitrevski in the long jump at Meeting Stanislas Nancy 

And early Sunday morning there are a number of European meets with Australian athletes listed to compete.

In Lyon, France we see Jye Edwards and Luke Shaw over 1500m, while Klara Dess steps down to the 800m.  Teenager Tate van Camp is listed to run the 800m, along with Mason Cohen.

In Spain, Morgan Mitchell will have another race over 400m at the X Ordizia Meeting, while in Belgium Bec Bennett goes in a 200m while Kiran Tibballs races over the 1500m.

Not to forget Portugal where we'll see Christopher Ius  & Joshua Azzopardi race over 100m, and Alanah Yukich changes to the 400m flat.

I like stats.  They keep you grounded.  It’s hard to do hyperbole if the numbers don’t support you.

So when I say this Maurie Plant Meet could see some of the 'greatest' races ever seen in Australia – and that includes the Sydney Olympics – you know I’ve done the numbers on that.
(Some of the potential 'great' races underlined below)

FRIDAY

But first starting with Friday evening’s events, a new initiative that brings in community relays interspersed with mainstream events, including a senior Mixed 4x100m relay.

In the pole vault [Lakeside record: 5.50m]* Dalton di Medio (5.53m) and Lachlan Burns (5.41m) have both set PBs this year and will be looking to fly higher.  As too will the high jumpers.

This is the third time Victoria’s three best high jumpers [2.33m] face off at what is becoming a Maurie Plant Meet tradition.  Roman Anastasios had his first win amongst this trio last year, while overall Yual Reath has finished ahead three times and Joel Baden two.

In the women’s 400m [51.35] Ellie Beer and Carla Bull are building form as they come into Nationals, while Alexia Loizou and Alice Dixon will be looking to continue their PB setting trend this year.

SATURDAY

IN THE FIELD

Saturday's meet starts with the men’s triple jump [17.23m] where Shemaiah James has been upfront about seeking that 16.50m+ jump to put his 2018 PB behind him. He’s improved each comp this year so Saturday could be his day.  Connor Murphy has come back to the field somewhat this season, which has enabled 20-year-old Awan Akuen to finish ahead of him for the first time, with Awan now consistently over the 16 metre mark.

Australian’s are outnumbered by the international field in the women’s discus [66.81m] which will make for a fascinating competition.  Sixty metre plus throwers from Nigeria, Obiageri Amaechi, Cameroon, Nora Monie, and Italy, Daisy Osakue, could well push Taryn Gollshewsky to go over that mark for the first time this season, and potentially edged Ashlyn Blackstock ever closer.

For the first time this year we see Chris Mitrevski compete and it’s always a tight competition when he’s up against Liam Adcock.  They have been long jumping [8.10m] against each other for well over a decade, and despite being 21 days older than Mitrevski, it took Adcock until 2023 before he finally got the better of him.  Since then they are 3-3 head-to-head, and with little between their PBs (Adcock 8.34m / Mitrevski 8.32m), this is a contest to watch.  Jalen Rucker and Shay Veitch (NZ) are both eight metre men and will be keen to cause an upset.

It’s thrills all-around with Olympic Champion Nina Kennedy back competing: thrills for the crowd, thrills for the junior Australian pole vaulters [4.71m] with an opportunity to compete alongside her, thrills to see the competition with Amanda and Hana Moll, the twins from the USA, and no doubt thrills for Kennedy herself to break the monotony of training and recovery.  Thrilling!

Likewise how lucky are we to have Nicole Olyslagers performing in the high jump [1.99m] days after taking silver at World Indoors.  Olyslagers is now one of five Australians with seven global championship medals, but will still have to contend with Izobelle Louison-Roe who is just 1cm off Eleanor Patterson's Australian junior record of 1.96m.

Still on the champions theme, Matthew Denny.  We’ve come to expect big things from him – but when he says he’s feeling in his best form and this is the last event before he heads to “throw town” Ramona, then this discus [68.17m] comp is one you need to watch.  Particularly when another Olympic Champion, Roje Stona (JAM) is here to compete.

TRACK

Women’s 400m hurdles [56.01] in Australia had become a two-way contest between Sarah Carli and Alanah Yukich.  But Marli Wilkinson is approaching career best form and had her first summer series win in Hobart and first victory over Yukich.  Winning can become a habit, but Carli still looks to have the edge, given her recent PB form over the 400m flat.

Australia’s second-youngest ever to break the 4-minute mile, and second fastest junior ever over 3000m, Charles Barrett, gets his chance to run against some of the big names in Australian distance running.  Stewart McSweyn has been building back, as too has Morgan McDonald who visits Australia from his US-base.  Jack Rayner drops down distance for this 3000m [7:41.38] after his recent National half marathon record run.  Throw in NCAA alumni Jackson Sharp & Toby Gillen, steeplechasers Ben Buckingham & Ed Trippas, and two of the fastest in this field, Seth O’Donnell and Irishman Brian Fay; whichever way you look at this, its going to be a cracker of a race.

The state of men’s sprinting in Australia is such that a sub 10.18 PB is what you need to get to race at the Maurie Plant Meet 100m [10.17].  It took almost 25 years to find 11 Australians who could run sub 10.18 after Damian Marsh first did it in 1994, and now only 6 years to find the next 11.  While the record 5-under-10.20-in-the-same-race from the Nationals final last year in Perth is unlikely to be broken, this race still holds plenty of intrigue:  Lachlan Kennedy’s first race over 100m this season, Rohan Browning’s second, Alexander Colgan surprised with a windy 10.01 earlier this year, and New Zealand record holder Tiaan Whelpton (NZL).

In a world where juniors seem to be as competitive as ever, it shouldn't surprise that the fastest woman in Australia this year is an 18-year-old, Zara Hagan (11.16).  She’ll be joined by U16 National record holder Emilia Reed, fastest over 60m this year Olivia Dodds, Ebony Lane who ran 11.16 as well albeit windy, and Chloe Mannix-Power who took the victory in Adelaide.  This women's 100m [11.20] is looking like it could be a blanket finish and settled by the best dip on the line.

On the theme of returning champions working back to their best, the 3000m [8:34.30] features Rose Davies and Georgia Griffith, over a distance that best pits Griffith’s speed with Davies’ strength.  They are joined by a host of juniors who are in a tight battle for an edge before their cut-throat Nationals in April where first two across the line are likely selected given most have the standard.

Australia's three sub-45 men, Reece Holder, Aidan Murphy and Cooper Sherman take on Jacory Patterson (USA) in this 400m [45.14] which is likely the race of the meet.  Consider Luke van Ratingen has had two races back on the track this season and PB’ed in both, now down to 45.10.  This makes Thomas Reynolds the “slowest” man in the field with his 45.17 PB.  Not slow! ... that time would have qualified him for the Sydney Olympics final, a final in which 3 men went under 45 seconds, the record number in Australia on 3 occasions.  With this field boasting five men with sub-45 PBs, and two very close, there’s a good chance Australia will never have seen a 400m race like this.

A few years ago if you said there will be five Australians in an 800m [1:44.78] field, and the slowest was 1:44.38, people would questioned your predictive powers, particularly given it took 50 years for Ralph Doubell's 800m National record of 1:44.40 to be broken.  The front running, 2024 National champion, Luke Boyes, won’t be phased at being the 'slowest' as he knows how to win against this field, particularly with Peter Bol & Bob Abdelrahim travelling back from Europe.  It was Perth Nationals last year where we first saw three Australians under 1:45 in the same race, and a Sydney Olympics semi-final saw four internationals sub-1:45s, something these Australians could better with Peyton Craig & Daniel Williams making up the five under 1:45.

When then John Landy 1500m [3:34.98] has a 1:45 800m man in Brad Mathas (NZL) to pace, then it suggests the pacing is going to be fast.  You can almost guarantee Cameron Myers will be slotting right in behind him.  Or will he?  There’s a few others who like that on-the-front-shoulder positioning: World Indoors bronze medallist, Adam Spencer, US-based German, Robert Farken, and Australian indoor 1000m record holder, Jack Anstey.   Callum Davies has shown he’s the form athlete this year, while Jude Thomas will look to make his mark on his return to the track in 2026.  Doubtful we'll see eight athletes under 3:38 which is the record in Australia from when the IAAF Grand Prix FInal was hosted in Melbourne, 2001.  But could we see an Australian challenge Myers home soil record of 3:33.30?

Women’s 100m hurdles [12.49] sees Michelle Jenneke, after facing the worlds quickest at World Indoors, now facing the challenge domestically.  With Celeste Mucci back racing, Emily Britton and Danielle Shaw showing good form this year, and Delta Amidzovski always looking for that next level, Jenneke won’t be taking this race lightly.  Unlikely this will be a Japanese clean-sweep of the podium as it was last year.

Olympic, World Championship and World Indoors Champions are competing at Maurie Plant, but none so recently crowned as Georgia Hunter-Bell. Not surprisingly the elite of Australian women’s distance running are turning out – save Jessica Hull having a well-deserved break after her double-medal effort at World Indoors.  Linden Hall was the first Australian to break 4 minutes for the 1500m, and surprisingly Claudia Hollingsworth is just the second to do so in Australia, with her recent 3:58.09 the fastest by any woman on Australia soil. Tactics may prove crucial in this race - could we see these two look to push the pace to take the sting out of Hunter-Bell's kick, as well as the other two Australian fast-finishes in Abbey Caldwell and Sarah Billings.  Likely we'll see the Lakeside stadium record of 4:05.97 broken, and could we see more than three Australians under that time in the same race in Australia for the first time?  Watch also for the battle between juniors Emma Fryga and Milla Roberts who will soak up this experience.

The women’s 200m sees World U20 bronze medallist Jessica Milat take on Monique Hanlon, undefeated over 200m this year.  With Kristie Edwards, Mia Gross and junior Amaya Mearns also looking to challenge for the win, this race may well come down to the line.

The difference between the Peter Norman Memorial 200m [20.26] this year and last year is there's no doubting Lachlan Kennedy can run a fast 200m (he started last year's event with a 20.93 PB).  Another difference is we have two sprinters who have recently PBed under 20.60 seconds, Christopher Ius & Rory Easton, joining Calab Law (20.42 PB).  While all eyes will be glued on Gout Gout to see if he can reverse the result from last year, we may also witness for the first time four Australians sub 20.60 in the same race in Australia, which would surpass three that happened way back in 1998.

Safe to say this is an incredible display of the burgeoning Australian athletics talent, along with some highly-credentialled international athletes visiting our shores.  The fact we are talking about 'greatest' races ever seen in Australia points to the competitiveness of these events, as much as the quality.  The excitement levels will run high in the Lakeside Stadium ... any sports fan would be crazy not to be there!    

* Lakeside track records [in square brackets] sourced from InsideAthletics 

Other Events this weekend
Sound Running's "The TEN" sees Brett Robinson and Ky Robinson race against each other for the first time since the 2023 World Cross Country.  They race in what is usually one of the fastest 10000m of the year, with Ed Marks in the "B" 10000m.  Oliver Hoare has a hit out over 1500m.

A much anticipated second half marathon (Berlin) by former professional cyclist Jimmy Whelan has got people excited given his debut effort was 61:37.