History made as Jess Hull joins Aussie medal flurry

Australia has made history at the world championships with Olympics hero Jess Hull joining a medal flurry.

Jess Hull has produced another classy performance as Australia picked up a third medal at the world athletics indoor championships on Saturday night.

Hull and fellow middle distance runner Ky Robinson both finished on the podium as the pair secured two medals for Australia in Nanjing, China.

The pair’s success in the 3000m came after Lachlan Kennedy caused a huge surprise by snatching silver in the red-hot men’s 60m sprint on Friday.

It leaves Australia on the brink of equalling its own record of four track medals at a major international meet, which was previously set at the 1993 world indoor championships, according to Angus Barnes — the athletics guru behind the X profile “athsSTATS”.

With one day of competition remaining Australia has every chance of medalling again in the women’s 4 x 400m relay and in the women’s 1500m with Georgia Griffith.

Off the track, Australia is almost certain to pick up another medal with Paris Olympics medallists Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson competing in the women’s high jump.

Hull’s run was particularly eye-catching on Saturday night.

Second placed Shelby Houlihan (left), first placed Freweyni Hailu (centre) and third placed Jessica Hull (centre). Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images.

The Paris Olympics silver-medallist led the race from the front during the second-final lap and picked up the bronze. She missed out on silver by just 0.02 seconds.

“After the last two championships in Belgrade and Glasgow, I know it’s just a washing machine in those packs. I wanted to be in front with my own stride and to be free, because we didn’t come to China to run nine minutes,” Hull said, according to Athletics Australia.

“My goals are so high now that I can disappoint myself pretty easily. I just needed to focus on today and not get carried away with trying to be better than Paris [Olympics]. I was sixth in Belgrade and fourth in Glasgow, and I’m already thinking about Poland next year.”

Robinson was equally as impressive when he made the bold move to set the pace of the race before world champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen produced a devastating final kick to win the gold.

The 23-year-old Aussie says the pressure is now on for him to remain in the hunt for medals in coming events.

There was nothing in it when Lachlan Kennedy won silver. Photo: SBS.

Nicholas Kennedy is a star. Photo: SBS.

He said it was only “instincts” and sheer grit that got him over the line in the bronze medal position with competitors breathing down his neck.

“I remember thinking that I don’t want to live with any regrets and if I saw a move on this stage, I didn’t want to miss that opportunity,” he told Athletics Australia.

“I wanted to give the gold a crack and some world-class athletes managed to kick me down which hurts.”

Those impressive results came after Kennedy earlier produced the run of his life to take silver in the 60m dash.

The 21-year-old was just 0.01 seconds off gold, won by Britain’s Jeremiah Azu

“I know I can do so much more, this is only the beginning. I’m a bit upset I didn’t win, but I definitely got the next best thing,” Kennedy said.

“Racing three events, with eight hours in between them was weird for me, but in the heat I stumbled and almost fell over after crossing the finish line. When I got to the semis, I was hesitant and tensed up a bit and then I thought, if I fall over in the final, I fall over and I just went for it.”

His run broke the national record of 6.52 seconds set by Matt Shirvington in 1999.