Australian runner Jessica Hull has broken her Oceanian record in the 1500 metres in a stunning performance, putting herself on the map as a contender for the Olympic title.
Hull improved their own record in the Diamond League event at Stade Charlety on Sunday, but were no match for Kenyan elite athlete Faith Kipyegon, who set a new time of three minutes and 49.04 seconds.
Ukrainian Yaroslava Mahuchikh also set a world record in the high jump during a special competition, which not only served as a warning for the Olympics but also as an inspiration to her Australian rivals Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson.
The two milestones were broken within an hour, with two-time Olympic champion Kipyegon improving her own time by 0.07 seconds after world champion Mahuchikh broke one of the oldest women’s times by clearing 2.10 metres in the high jump.
In the metric mile, Hull finished second with a time of 3:50.83, bettering her own Australian and Oceania time of 3:55.97 by more than five seconds and moving her to fifth on the all-time world rankings.
“Seeing my name in fifth place is crazy! The whole point of the way I’ve been training this year is to put myself in a position to win a medal in Paris,” said the 27-year-old.
‘That goal doesn’t change, I just have to stay healthy and do it on the day that matters: August 10th.
“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 was ever possible, so to think about breaking 3:50 now is insane.”
Jessica Hull is the fifth fastest 1500m runner in history after a stunning performance in Paris put her in contention for a medal at the Games
Hull (pictured right) broke her national record by a whopping five seconds to take second place in the Paris Diamond League
Kipyegon rang the bell to open a lead over Hull, breaking the world record she set in Florence last year.
Hull came second in the first ever race involving 12 women, finishing within four minutes of her compatriot Linden Hall, who came fourth in a personal best of 3:56.40.
Earlier, Mahuchikh had already jumped 2.09 meters, which Bulgarian Stefka Kostadinova surpassed by one centimeter 37 years ago at the 1987 World Championships in Rome.
World indoor champion Olyslagers, who impressed after being injured for a month, challenged the Ukrainians by both jumping over 2.01m on the second attempt.
But the 27-year-old NSW jumper failed three times at 2.03m, while Mahuchikh succeeded on the second attempt and won the competition.
She then jumped 2.07 meters, a Ukrainian record, raised the bar to a world record of 2.10 meters and passed on her first attempt.
“I have finally put Ukraine in the history of athletics,” said the 22-year-old Mahuchikh.
‘My coach said maybe I should stop because the Olympics are coming up – and that’s more important of course – but I felt inside that I could do it and honestly I wanted to try to break the world record.’
President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted: “Thank you, Yaroslava, for raising the Ukrainian flag so high and achieving this victory for our country and people.
“Every victory like this is incredibly important for our strength and unity.”
Hull has now joined the list of Australian track and field stars who could be on the podium when the Olympic Games begin in less than a month
Patterson, the 2022 world champion, finished only fifth with a jump of 1.95 meters.
“It wasn’t just Yaroslava’s win, it was the history of women’s high jump, and that’s our whole win. Once you see someone do it, it opens the door,” Olyslagers said.
“She’s a great competitor and friend. Her doing that has given me the key to striving.”
Australia’s Stewie McSweyn performed promisingly in the 3000 metres, finishing second behind Kenyan Jacob Krop in a time of 7:28.83.
Pole vaulter Kurtis Marschall cleared 5.75 meters to finish sixth in a competition inevitably won by Armand Duplantis.