Jaylah Hancock-Cameron storms onto the national junior team

Published Mon 17 May 2021

16 May 2021

Jaylah Hancock-Cameron storms onto the national junior team

Broulee middle-distance athlete, Jaylah Hancock-Cameron (BAN) has overcome a challenging 2020 to achieve two brilliant results in the national junior championships, securing selection in the Australian U20 team. The team was expected to travel to Kenyan for the World Junior Championships in August, however Australian withdrew and the team will now compete on the Gold Coast in June.

For Hancock-Cameron, the 2017/18 season was near perfect, PBs galore over 800m and 1500m and winning a silver in the 1500m/XC event at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games. But after a 4:16.03 1500m PB in February 2019, things became challenging.

“Last season was a very broken season for me, starting the season off with a stress reaction, then while starting to come back into form I then had another four weeks off due to sickness from the fires,” recalled Hancock-Cameron who at the height of the fires had to evacuate her Broulee home and shelter on the beach.

“We were going to wipe the season, but a few weeks later I won the state open 1500m after that I was just struggling to build back up fitness while holding speed after having so much time off. I just had to preserve with the highs and lows and accept that every season isn’t going to be your best.”

She was outside the World U20 Championships standard, but that became void when the championships were postponed to 2021.

She didn’t dwell on the disappoint.

“It made me stronger and more determined to work towards my goal this season.”

Next she had to negotiate a year of COVID.

“Covid gave me the opportunity to build a stronger base and foundation for the following season while being able to focus on recovery to prevent any injuries while on higher kms. The only competitions/opportunities missed were the World U20 championships, other than that the season would have been very quiet with only doing the winter cross country season.”

She eased into her 2020/21 summer campaign and after a couple of promising races in January and February she was superb in March and April. Over 800m she set a PB 2:05.98, but still arrived at the nationals ranked fourth junior, but in an all-NSW contest, she won silver in the national under-20 800m.

Her 800m podium finish was icing on the cake as two days prior she had decisively won the 1500m, guaranteeing her selection. After taking up the pace from the start, approaching the bell, Hancock-Cameron needed to raise an effort as Nicola Hogg (UTN) seized the initiative by passing her at the bell. It was just what Hancock-Cameron needed to rejuvenate her momentum, lifting at the 300m mark and storming home for victory in 4:18.40 to stamp her selection in the Australian junior team.

“It was good she (Hogg) kind of came through with 400m to go, it took the pressure off me on my own on the last lap.”

Last week Hancock-Cameron was announced in the Australian junior team and despite missing an opportunity to compete in the pinnacle junior competition, the World U20 Championships, Hancock-Cameron was still chuffed to be in the green and gold again.

“When I saw myself named in the team, I was excited and grateful to be given the opportunity to represent Australia on my third junior team. It’s always such a privilege to be able to represent your country and to be rewarded for all the hard work that you’ve put in on and off the track.”

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW

Image: Jaylah Hancock-Cameron approaches the bell in the U20 1500m final with Nicola Hogg and Imogen Gardiner in close pursuit. (courtesy of David Tarbotton)

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The 15 NSW athletes named last week in the 49-member Australian U20 team to compete in the Oceania Athletics Invitational Series on the Gold Coast in June:

• Caitlyn Ferrier (ASW, Marilyn Pearson) – 200m, 4 x 400m relay and mixed relay

• Joshua Atkinson (HIL, Graham Garnett) – 400m, 800m, 4 x 400m relay and mixed relay

• Jasmin Guthrie (UTN, Angus McIntyre) – 400m, 4 x 400m relay and mixed relay

• Charlie Jefferson (KIG, Penny Gillies) – 800m, 4 x 400m relay

• Matilda Ryan (UTN, Penny Gillies) – 800m, 4 x 400m relay

• Jaylah Hancock-Cameron (BAN, Andae Kalemusic) – 1500m

• Nicola Hogg (UTN, Ben Liddy) – 1500m

• Imogen Stewart (ILL, Owen Stewart) – 3000m

• Erin Shaw (UTN, Jack McArdle) – high jump

• Rosie Tozer (WOL, Michael Hamlyn Harris) – high jump

• Tomysha Clark (ILL, Renee Clark) – long jump

• Rashid Kabba (WES, Dan Suchy) – 4 x 100m relay