‘This is nuts’: Aussie blows world away before Paris Olympics

Jessica Hull has made history with one of the greatest runs Australian athletics has ever seen on an insane day of records.

Jessica Hull — and most of the athletics world — was in disbelief after the Australian smashed one of the fastest 1500m runs of all time on Monday morning.

The 27-year-old was one of the headline acts on an insane day at the Paris Diamond League meet where bonkers records tumbled.

Hull obliterated her personal best in the 1500m by more than five seconds as she ran second to Faith Kipyegon, in a race where the world champion set a new world record mark of 3:49.04.

Hull’s time of 3:55.97 is the fifth quickest ever run by a female athlete and it leaves her in sizzling form just weeks before the Paris Olympics opening ceremony on July 26.

“It’s so fresh but I did just see the all-time list and to see my name in fifth is nuts,” she said.

“The whole point of the way I have trained this year is to put myself in a position to medal in Paris. That goal doesn’t change, I just have to stay healthy and do it on the day that matters – August 10.

Jess Hull couldn't believe it. Photo: Athletics Australia and Diamond League via Twitter.

“I was a little kid with an Olympic dream and I grew up wanting to go to the Olympics. I didn’t think 3:55 would ever be possible, so to be thinking about breaking 3:50 now is insane.”

She was far from the only one who couldn’t believe it.

Her ability to put heat on Kipyegon during the final lap of the race has particularly got tongues wagging.

Hull was breathing down the Kenyan’s neck until the final turn when the champ showed her class.

There were no other runners in the same camera frame as they ran onto the back straight.

“Having grown up watching Faith and then competing against her on the circuit, I have always believed in what she was doing and to get so close to her today is mind-blowing. She was the first one to humanise these times for us girls,” Hull said.

“I said to myself that I’m basically running a 1100m race today, and if I get further, then I get further.”

Athletics commentators were stunned by Hull’s dramatic improvements.

🔥Jess Hull can't believe it🔥

Hull's🇦🇺 just run a 5 second PB behind a Kipyegon🇰🇪 world record, running 3:50.83

🔥 5th all-time in the world ever#unbelievable 3:50.83! 🤯🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/3ZO0fH1pQe

— @athsSTATS (@athsstats) July 7, 2024

Legendary athletics commentator David Culbert posted on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Watch how Jess takes on Kipyegon till the last 200m. Incredible running”.

Aussie Olympic runner Tamsyn Manou posted: “Paris Diamond League results are crazy. Women’s 1500 was insane! Kipyegon is out of this world & Jess Hull has serious wheels”.

Athletics journalist Jonathan Gault called it an “insane” race.

Sport commentator Tim Rosen posted: “One of the most remarkable track performances in Australian Athletics history.

“Jess Hull becomes the 5th fastest ALL TIME IN THE WORLD after running 3.50.83 and breaking her own national/area record by over 5 seconds.”

Kenya's Faith Kipyegon (R) was watching her back for Australia's Jessica Hull. Photo by Geoffroy VAN DER HASSELT / AFP.

Aussie sport commentator Jason Richardson wrote: “Jessica Hull produced one of Australia’s greatest ever track performances overnight”.

Sport radio producer Laurence Rosen wrote: “This is absolutely ridiculous from Jess Hull. Huge medal chance in Paris now”.

Hull has been building her Olympics campaign nicely in recent years after finishing seventh in the final at last year’s world titles.

She heads to Paris now as one of the favourites to win a medal.

However, it’s hard to see anyone challenging Kipyegon.

She is already a double Olympic 1500m champion, and also has three world titles. Last year at the Budapest worlds, she did the double by winning the 5,000m alongside the 1500m.

“It feels amazing to break the world record. I am in the right direction towards the Paris Olympics,” Kipyegon said.

“I have come from far because of the injury and recovering. After the trials I knew that I was in world record shape. I have run the quickest time in Kenya with the altitude.

“It showed me that I was capable of breaking the world record again. We just tried, because everything is possible.”

She praised Hull after the race.

“Jessica was really good. I felt that she was behind me and I had to be careful because you never know if something can happen,” she said.

“But I just relaxed and ran my race,” said Kipyegon.

“I knew that she is strong because she has broken the area record many times. The crowd was really cheerful, that was why the energy was so strong, it is really pushing us towards the finish line.

“With my injury I was really scared because I didn’t know if I was going to make it. But I took my time and trusted my team and stayed out of competition for long.

“I will absolutely do the double in Paris, in the 1500m and 5000m!”

On the same day in Paris Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh broke the women’s high jump world record that had stood for 36 years.

Her leap of 2.10m finally bested the 2.09 metre record set by Bulgaria’s Stefka Kostadinova in 1987.

— with AFP

Originally published as ‘This is nuts’: Aussie blows world away before Paris Olympics