‘Absolutely Ridiculous’: Aussie in huge Olympics storm

Australian athletes have made history at the pre-Olympics Diamond League meet, but it’s been overshadowed by a huge drama.

Ollie Hoare has won the Emsley Carr Mile at the Diamond League meet just days before the start of the Paris Olympics.

The Aussie crossed the line in London just 0.03 seconds ahead of Norway’s Narve Gilje Nordas in a thrilling finish that was overshadowed by a controversial moment at the start of the race.

Hoare headlined a historic night for Australian athletics at the London Stadium with world champion Nina Kennedy claiming victory in the women’s pole vault and Mackenzie Little winning the women’s javelin.

According to the Aths Stats Twitter profile, it is the first time Australia has ever had three winners on one day of competition at the Diamond League.

Hoare ran a season’s best time of 3:49.03 and ran over the top of fellow Aussie Stewart McSweyn, who led from the front for most of the race until the final lap.

McSweyn finished fifth, while Aussie rising star Cameron Myers finished sixth.

There was high drama after the race with runners calling for the event to be re-run because of the big falls that unfolded at the start of the race.

England’s George Mills was seen barking at officials after the race when his complaints fell on deaf ears.

It was carnage at the finish line. Photo: Twitter.

Three runners went down early. Photo: Twitter.

Some runners were not happy. Photo: Twitter.

Mills was one of three runners to fall down.

“It’s absolutely f***ing ridiculous,” he said.

“It was outrageous. We fell down inside 30 metres. Me and Neil.

“Literally just before we even turned, there was a fall in front of us and we both tripped over.

“I have experienced that before, but I don’t know how they didn’t restart it.

“I don’t know how they don’t call it back.

“Well, three people go down inside 30 metres, what’s the point? It’s a joke.”

It doesn’t take away from Hoare’s achievement and his run was described as “astounding” by Australian athletics commentators.

Earlier, Little threw a new personal best of 66.27m to win the javelin.

Oliver Hoare of Australia wins. Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images.

Ollie Hoare won it with his final lunge.

“I’m thrilled at my performance but there’s definitely that unsettled feeling knowing that athletes like (reigning world champion) Haruka (Kitaguchi, JPN), Adriana, and Victoria (Hudson, AUT) will be there with fires absolutely burning inside, with lots to prove,” she said.

“I think the event will be really dynamic and open but I now need to keep everything in check and use the nerves and expectations as fuel for some explosive technical throws in Paris.”

Kennedy’s win in the pole vault was her fifth consecutive victory this year.

Australia's Oliver Hoare celebrates after winning the Men's Emsley Carr Mile. Photo by BENJAMIN CREMEL / AFP.

It was a huge night for Australia on the track with the Australian women’s 4x100m relay team finishing fourth with a new Oceania record time of 42.48 seconds.

Elsewhere, US sprint star Noah Lyles fired out a timely broadside at pretenders to the Olympic 100m crown, winning the men’s 100m sprint with a personal best of 9.81 seconds

Lyles, who won the world 100-200m titles in Budapest last year, said: “I’m going to win, it’s what I always do. I’m getting faster every week.”

The London event was the final one for Australia’s athletics team before they travel to Montpellier for Athletics Australia’s pre-Olympic staging camp.

— with AFP

Originally published as ‘Absolutely Ridiculous’: Aussie in huge Olympics storm