Aussies claim 14 medals in stellar world junior athletics campaign that sets up run into Brisbane Olympics

Rising middle distance star Cameron Myers led the charge as Australia capped a stunning world junior athletics championships with four medals on the final night of competition in Peru.

There’s been cheers and tears for the Australians on the final day of a massively successful world junior athletics championships in Peru, with stunning medals and relay changeover bungles.

Australia claimed four medals on the final night of competition in Lima to take their medal tally over the championship to 14, the second best of any nation behind the US.

But with just two gold — to the mixed 4x400m relay on the opening day of competition and long jumper Delta Amidzovski, who also claimed bronze in the 100m hurdles — along with seven silver and five bronze, the Aussies fell to seventh on the medal table.

It’s still an outstanding result and one that bodes well for the LA 2028 and Brisbane 2032 Olympics, especially on the back of Australia’s results in Paris, which was the best medal haul in track and field since the Melbourne Olympics.

Cameron Myers led the charge on the final night in Lima, finishing with a courageous silver in the 1500m, pipped on the line by Ethiopia’s Abdisa Fayisa after making all the running in the final.

Myers, one of the favourites for the title after just missing an Olympic berth in Paris, kept himself at the front of the pack throughout the race and led into the final 400m where he put a gap on the rest of the field leading into the home straight, looking like he had the gold medal in his keeping.

But Fayisa came at him in the final metres and the 18-year-old could not find a final kick to get himself to the line, eventually finishing 0.09sec back in second.

Cameron Myers won a silver medal at the world junior athletics championships. File photo/Getty Images

It was one of four medals claimed by Australia on the final night of competition at what has been a highly successful meet.

Izobelle Louison-Roe won silver in the high jump after clearing a personal best of 1.89m on her first attempt - a point at which she led the competition and looked as if she would claim gold as her main challengers faltered at the height.

But Estonia’s Karmen Bruus and Serbia’s Angelina Topic cleared the height on their final attempts, with Topic - a European championship medallist with a personal best of 1.98m, who injured her ankle badly at the Olympics just weeks earlier - eventually clearing 1.91m to take the title.

Australia’s third silver of the night came in the women’s 4x400m relay, an event the Aussies led into the final leg when American anchor Zaya Akins was able to run down Sophia Gregorevic to hand the gold to the US.

The final medal of the night came in the men’s 4x400m, where anchor Jordan Gilbert ran Australia into third place in a strong leg.

The sprint relays were a different story though.

The Aussie women crossed the line second in the 4x100m but were later disqualified after a review of their second change, between Torrie Lewis and Olivia Inkster, showed Inkster had not taken possession of the baton in the changeover zone.

Final runner Jessica Milat, who had gone toe to toe with Alana Reid down the straight before the Jamaican crossed the line first, showed little emotion on finishing, knowing that the Aussies were likely in trouble with one of their changes.

Things improved little in the men’s race, despite them avoiding disqualification.

The Aussie 4x100m relay was disqualified after a review of their second change, between Torrie Lewis and Olivia Inkster. Picture @worldathletics

To do so though, they ruined any chance they had of a medal when teen sensation Gout Gout had to slam on the brakes at the top of the home straight to take the baton in the allowed zone after going too early on the changeover from Zac Della Rocca.

Earlier in the race, Frankleen Newah-Jarfoi, Sebastian Sultana and Della Rocca had put the Aussies in the frame for a medal, with Gout set to chase the leaders down with a flying start.

But he was forced to slow to almost a stop at the top of the straight, ruining any chance he had of gaining ground on those in front.

Ethan Ayodele was sixth in the discus, just 1.04m from gold in a massively tight final in which each of the top six throwers fouled their last attempt while trying to improve their position.

Originally published as Aussies claim 14 medals in stellar world junior athletics campaign that sets up run into Brisbane Olympics