Australians shine bright in Brussels | Podium finishes for Patterson and Olyslagers, record in sight for McSweyn

As international records tumbled on the track, three Australians shone bright at the Brussels Diamond league with high jumping duo Eleanor Patterson and Nicola Olyslagers landing on the podium, while Stewart McSweyn will now eye off an Australian record thanks to a brilliant performance in the 5000m.

Australia’s equal national record holders and global medallists took charge of the eight-strong Women’s High Jump field, with Patterson (Alex Stewart) placing second, and Olyslagers (Matt Horsnell) behind in third in the penultimate Diamond League showdown of the season.

Facing four other athletes who have previously cleared 2.00m or higher, the pair had their work cut out for them but catapulted to a podium placing early in the competition when clearing 1.91m on their first attempt.

While an early miss at 1.88m tarnished Patterson’s series, the world champion suffered only her third loss of the year, with a result of 1.94m after missing all three attempts at 1.97m.

Though a strong result, the clearance was admittedly modest for the world champion who finished behind world championships silver medallist Yaroslava Mahuchikh (Ukraine) who equalled her national record and a bettered her world lead with a best jump of 2.05m.

“I feel like I am still in very good shape and can jump high, I am frustrated with today’s results for myself. My first attempt at 1.97, I took off awkwardly and felt like I almost hyper extended my knee. It was frustrating I wasn’t able to clear it from there. It is the end of the season where emotion energy can flow in peaks and troughs. But we female high jumpers are at a high standard and I am competing with phenomenal women and athletes. It was an incredible performance from Yaroslava today," Patterson said.

“I love competing in Diamond Leagues and to be able to make the Diamond League final is such a big goal. Unfortunately going into today, mathematically, it was impossible for me to make it to the final, unless other athletes no heighted. Unfortunately for me, I am currently in 7th position. So I hope to potentially get a call up but obviously it is heartbreaking I am not in the top 6. I have only competed in two Diamond leagues this year. Stockholm in which I won and today in which I placed 2nd. Unfortunately I was injured with a stress hotspot/stress fracture prior to World championships and so I wasn’t not able to compete in more Diamond leagues to gain points. They had one other Diamond league post World Championships, which was in Silesia. This frustratingly was placed on the same day as the Commonwealth Games Final. I'm gutted not to have had the same opportunity to qualify for the final."

In her first appearance after withdrawing from the Commonwealth Games final, Olyslagers found herself unable to clear 1.94m on her first attempt and made a strategic, yet fruitful decision to pass in her remaining attempts at the height for a chance at advancing. With the rest of the field failing to progress past the troublesome height, Olyslagers cemented her third Diamond League podium placing of the year despite missing her next attempt at 1.97m. Skipping her next attempt at 1.97m, the Olympic silver medallist attempted 2.00m and was forced to settle in third with a final result of 1.91m.

After running his second fastest ever time in the 1500m last week in Lausanne, Stewart McSweyn (Nic Bideau) proved that his comeback after a season of illness was no fluke with a sensational sub-13 minute time in the 5000m.

Stopping the clock at 12:56.50, McSweyn set a new personal best over 12 and a half laps and now knocks on the door of Craig Mottram’s 12:55.76 Australian record. The Tasmanian also officially puts himself into contention for the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, dipping well below the global 13:07.00 standard needed to qualify.

Despite the swift time, the Australian placed sixth as Kenya’s Jacob Krop set a new world lead time of 12:45.71, while second-place getter Grant Fisher (USA) set a new area record of 12:46.96, and another three national records tumbled in what was arguably the race of the meet.

"I think I was in pretty good shape and thought I could run a PB, but to run 12:56 is a big step forward for me in this event," McSweyn said.

"Obviously I have had a up and down year training wise so to build a good block last few weeks of endurance held me and good stead for the race.  I wasn’t really focusing on records to much tonight just focusing on being compatible as I can be in the race. Hopefully in a better preparation there is a lot more time there to take off my PB."

Kelsey-Lee Barber’s (Mike Barber) winning streak came to an end, with a fourth-place finish in Women’s Javelin.

Fans were waiting until her final throw to see if another clutch attempt would send her to the podium, but two-time world champion was only able to muster a best of 61.07m, recorded on her second attempt.  USA’s Kara Winger who’s fourth throw sent her to first position, won the Diamond League meet with a world lead and meet record of 68.11m.

In other results, Georgia Griffith (Nic Bideau) and Jessica Hull (Pete Julian and Sonia O’Sullivan) contested the hot-paced Women’s 1500m, with Griffith finishing in eighth place recording her third fastest time of her career in 4:02.96 – one that sees her meet the global standard for the Budapest world championships next August.  Hull finished in 12^th place, record 4:07.20.

The race was won by Ireland’s Ciara Mageean, who clocked 3:56.63, smashing a 27-year-old national record previously held by Sonia O’Sullivan.

Olympic marathoner Brett Robinson (Nic Bideau) too competed in Brussels, registering a DNF in the rarely-contested Men’s Hour Run. The race was taken out by a trio of Kenyans including Sabastian Sawe, who set a new national record of 21,250m as well as Kibiwott Kandi and Albert Tonui.

The culmination of the Diamond League series takes place next week, with the two-day final set to begin on Thursday, 8 September (AEST) in Zurich, Switzerland.

By Sascha Ryner, Athletics Australia
Posted: 3/9/2022