Paris Olympics, 2024: Medal hope Jess Hull, Georgia Griffith, cruise through 1500m heats

Jess Hull is one of the favourites in the 1500m, and proof of her growth as a contender came when there was a clipping of heels and pushing with 350m left in her heat. Her reaction shows why she is a great Aussie medal hope on the track.

Jess Hull knows she is a different athlete now and there was a moment in the final lap of the 1500m heat where the new, improved and medal-ready model kicked in.

The Australian has come into Paris as one of the favourites and when there was a clipping of heels and pushing with 350m remaining, she was calm and strong.

“It’s physical out there so you’ve just got to respond and stay on your feet,” Hull said.

“I think we do a lot of work in the gym to make sure those moments don’t rattle me and that’s kind of like a strength I have now.

“I know when I go out there and it’s physical I can hold my own ground out there.”

Jessica Hull crushed her heat of the Women's 1500m. Picture: Getty Images

There was no messing around by Hull who comfortably progressed through finishing second in her heat in 4min02.70sec, a step behind Kenya’s Nelly Chepchirchir.

She will be joined in the semi-finals by Australian teammate Georgia Griffith who ran well to finish fourth (3:59.22sec) while Tokyo Olympic finalist Linden Hall, who suffered a calf injury 10 days ago, will have to go through the repechage after finishing eighth (4:03.89sec) in her heat.

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Hull, who broke the world 2000m record in Monaco last month, said she was helped in dealing with the pressure of being a title contender by watching the men’s 1500m heats.

“I think honestly watching the men’s rounds go earlier this week was a blessing, kind of watching them and sort of seeing that, hey, there’s no guarantees here,” Hull said.

“You can be a superstar and you are going to have to come back in the repechage or you can be a superstar and you can be watching the semi finals from home.

“So I think that kind of helps me alleviate that, like, wait a little bit, because I was like, ‘Well, hey, I’ve got to get through the heat. I’ve gotta get through the semi’. I think that’s kind of just breaking the process down a little bit for me.”

Hull, 27, who is now coached by her father Simon, has had a brilliant season highlighted by a five-second personal best when she pushed reigning world champion Faith Kipyegon in a world record breaking race at the Paris Diamond League meet.

While she made the final at the Covid-impacted Tokyo Olympics, the heat run at Stade de France was the first time she’d run in front of a capacity stadium.

Georgia Griffith also qualified for the 1500m semi finals. Picture: Getty Images

“I’ve never raced in a full Olympic Stadium like that so it was pretty cool,” she said. “On the start line I was just telling myself to focus on my position and not think about everything going on around me.

“It was different coming in today, in previous years this is the most nerve wracking round, whereas in a way there weren’t any nerves today. It was more like anticipation.

“I was just ready to start and get into these like next five days, it’s now a little simpler as you’re just focused on what I need to do next, what I need to do to advance and what I need to do now to recover and then what I need to do to get ready for Thursday night.

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“It’s a little more like my comfort zone now, I’m in the thick of it and ready to go and I can manage that.

“I have to trust my prep, I’ve been healthy, I’ve hit every workout., I’m really fit and I’ve got great races behind me that makes me confident.

“I couldn’t be in a better position coming in so now it’s just time to unlock that and see what that looks like as we go through the rounds.”