The meteoric rise of Australian running whiz-kid Cameron Myers encountered a hiccup at the national athletics championships, but he hasn't given up on his Paris Games dream.
The 17-year-old from Canberra is conscious of avoiding a "damaging mindset" as he eyes a series of races in the US and Europe, in which he's hoping to become a 3:30 runner.
To put his 3:30 goal into perspective, his personal best of 3:33.26 is already the under-18 men's world record.
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While Myers has twice met the 3:33.70 Olympic entry standard within the qualification period, he stumbled in his Paris Games pursuit when he finished fifth at the national championships in April.
Australia can pick three men for the Olympic 1500m.
He said his result at nationals in Adelaide was "pretty poor", but remains hopeful of racing at the Stade de France in August.
"I haven't ruled myself out, by any means. I think that's a pretty damaging mindset to have when you're going overseas and trying to prove yourself," Myers told Wide World of Sports.
"I back myself to run fast; hopefully fast enough to prove to the selectors that I'm fit enough to represent Australia.
"I would love to be a 3:30 guy when I come back home in September … I said to myself last year that if I wanted to make the Olympics that I was going to have to run 3:30-3:31. That goal still stands because that's going to put me in a good position, running 3:30."
Myers will begin his international tour with a 1500m at the Los Angeles Grand Prix on Sunday (AEST), before running the mile at the Prefontaine Classic on May 26, his manager James Templeton said.
He's also set for three races in Europe: a 1500m in Nice, France on June 16 (AEST), a 1500m in Bydgoszcz, Poland on June 21, and a 1000m in Hengelo, the Netherlands on July 8.
When Myers lines up for the mile at the Prefontaine Classic, also known as the Eugene Diamond League, he won't have raced in a more competitive field.
Among the top names listed are Olympic 1500m champions Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Matthew Centrowitz, British 1500m world champions Jake Wightman and Josh Kerr, and American 1500m record holder Yared Nuguse. Ollie Hoare, the gutsy Australian who won 1500m gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, is also locked in.
"The fields for both LA and Pre are pretty stacked. It's good to take on a field with that sort of calibre," Myers said.
"My goal is just to be as competitive as possible in those races and run as quick as I can. That being said, I'm not putting too much weight on the times when I'm over in those super races … The ultimate goal in races like those will probably be to win it, and then further down the track if I can get into some races where I can run really quick that'd be good."
The Nike-sponsored prodigy, who will turn 18 in June, is also looking forward to visiting the company's famous headquarters in Beaverton.
He's keen to run on the Michael Johnson Track, named after the legendary US sprinter with four Olympic gold medals.
He visited Nike HQ on a trip to the US last year, when he was a pacemaker for the mile at the Prefontaine Classic.
"That's a pretty cool place to run," he said of the Michael Johnson Track.
"That'll be awesome."
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