Crazy record makes Aussie Stewart McSweyn Olympic favourite

Stewart McSweyn has broken an iconic Australian athletics record and put the world on notice with a stunning run on the world stage.

Aussie middle distance runner Stewart McSweyn is going to be one of the biggest stories at the Tokyo Olympics after he put the world on notice Friday morning with a record-breaking run at the Diamond League meet in Oslo.

The 26-year-old stole the show in the high-profile Bislett Games meet by running the quickest mile the world has seen for more than seven years.

His run of 3:48.37 is the new Australian record after he shaved half a second off Craig Mottram’s record set in 2005. It is also a personal best for McSweyn.

It puts McSweyn right in the middle of discussions surrounding the medal favourites in the men’s 1500m events at the Tokyo Games, beginning July 23.

He has qualified in the 1500m, 5000m and 10,000m events, but is yet to make a final decision on which events he will compete in.

After his impressive run on Friday morning, Australia will be hoping McSweyn chooses to run in the 1500m.

His run marks him one of the men to beat in Tokyo, however, Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who opted out of the race with a sore throat, remains the biggest threat in the 1500m.

Stewart McSweyn with his new record.

McSweyn was simply thrilled to have finally knocked off Mottram’s record, after falling just short in December when he again won the Dream Mile at the Bislett Games last year.

He also knocked off one of Mottram’s most iconic national records last year when he won bronze in the men’s 3000m event at the Diamond League meet in Rome.

In a personal best run of seven minutes 28.02 seconds, McSweyn shattered Mottram’s iconic time which famously saw him defend his World Cup title in 2006.

Just like that, McSweyn emerged as the likely face of the men’s athletics team heading into next year’s Olympics in Tokyo.