A breakthrough bronze medal by unknown Ky Robinson puts Australia on track for best world indoors result

Australia has nabbed two bronze medals at the World Indoor Athletics in China thanks to established star Jess Hull and the relatively unknown Ky Robinson.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Team Norway, Berihu Aregawi of Team Ethiopia and Ky Robinson of Team Australia compete in the Men's 3000m Final. Picture: Getty

Ky Robinson, a Queenslander based in the United States, has claimed a breakthrough bronze medal in the world indoor athletics championships in Nanjing, China.

Just 20 minutes after Australia’s established middle distance star, the Paris Olympic silver medallist Jess Hull won the indoor bronze medal in the 3000m in Nanjing on Saturday, Robinson followed suit over the same distance in the men’s race.

The two bronze medals, added to the superb silver medal won by 21-year-old Lachlan Kennedy in the men’s 60m on the opening day, has put Australia on track to record its best indoors result. Australia’s Olympic medal winning high jumpers Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson are still to compete.

“Watching Lachie [Kennedy] last night, it just started us on such a high and meant that none of us were chasing that today – we were on the board already. It allowed us to our jobs and it set the tone really well,” Hull said after finishing behind Ethiopia’s Freweyni Hailu who clocked 8:37.21. She had been edged out by just two hundredths of a second for the silver by American Shelby Houlihan, who had posted 8:38.26 in one of her first races back after serving a four year drug suspension.

Unlike Hull, who has charmed Australians with her broad smile and tough racing mantra, Robinson has been amassing solid results in the background.

Jess Hull at the Kerryn McCann Athletic Centre in Wollongong. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Originally from Brisbane, Robinson was a reluctant runner, only taking up the sport seriously when 16, winning some steeplechase events and then taking up an athletics scholarship at Stanford in the United States to study management science and engineering.

After switching to the flat after having 26 stitches in his face from a racing accident while hurdling Robinson won the NCAA 5km and 10km double in 2023.

In Nanjing Robinson, 23, decided to take the lead and up the slow pace midway through the race but the masterful Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen took control in the final lap and drew away with Ethiopian Berihu Aregawi. Robinson then battled with Great Britain’s Sam Gilman, dipping on the line to collect the bronze with a time of 7:47.09.

“Maybe four weeks ago I thought this is where I thought I was at, but the last few weeks of training have been really tough and I lost a bit of confidence,’’ Robinson said.

“I came out here and knew I had to mix it with the big boys, and that’s what I did. “This is something I hoped to achieve at some point in my career and it has come a bit early, so I’m not going to complain, but now the pressure is on to keep the standard up and keep going.”

Robinson said his bold moves in the middle of the race was just “instinct”.

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