Finals await Hull and Starc in Budapest

Australia’s love affair with middle-distance running is set to continue as 2023 World Cross Country medallist Jessica Hull hunts her second global medal, while Olympic finalist Brandon Starc makes a bid for glory in the Men’s High Jump on Day Four of the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest.

Arguably one of the strongest events in international middle-distance running, the Women’s 1500m championship will be a race for the ages. A world record holder in Faith Kipyegon (KEN), a global force in Dutch woman Sifan Hassan, an Olympic silver medallist in Laura Muir (GBR) and a prodigious teen in Birke Haylom (ETH) concoct a recipe for a white-hot race, and add in an Australian chasing hardware and spectators will be salivating. 

A smiling assassin, athletics fans know not to be fooled by Hull’s (Simon Hull, NSW) sunny disposition. The Olympic finalist is fierce and unforgiving on the track, demonstrated this year with a World Cross Country medal, three national titles, two national records and Olympic qualifiers over both 1500m and 5000m.

Despite clocking 3:57.85 in Sunday’s Semi-Final for her second fastest time over the distance, Hull is seeded eighth in the field on personal best times and knows that it will take some serious grit to grab onto a new piece of hardware.  

“To be honest, I want the final to be lightning fast,” Hull said after the Semi-Final. 

“I’m in really good shape and I want to see what that looks like. I really hope I race faster. I’ve got 48 hours to prepare so I’m pretty confident I can recover in that time and hope I get to pull a PB out in the final.”

“Faith (Kipyegon) is the greatest of all time and I have massive respect for her, but everyone has to show up on Tuesday. When there’s championships and tactics involved, anything can happen, and I think you have to believe that you have a chance. Otherwise, why are you lining up?” she said.

In the realm of high jump, Australia’s hopes are held high by Birmingham 2022 silver medallist Brandon Starc (Alex Stewart, NSW). The 29-year-old from Sydney will be looking to reaffirm his status as one of the world’s best, after bowing out of the 2022 edition of the championships due to injury.

With a season’s best of 2.29m and a reputation as a big-stage performer, Starc has every chance of success but will be challenged by a shorter build-up to these Championships, having suffered a broken collarbone and subsequent surgery in April. 

“It’s been a tough season. I haven’t been able to jump too much, and since my collarbone surgery, things just keep coming up so it’s been a ‘management of load’ kind of season, picking and choosing what comps might be best to prepare me for this. At the same time, I know I am a performer so I know when I come to these championships I do rise,” Starc said.

“I think it is going to be tough on Tuesday but I am ready to bring my A game,” he said.

Starc’s equal Australian record of 2.36m, places him as equal fourth in a field of 13, as he faces the likes of Qatar’s Mutaz Barshim (2.43m), who jumps for his fourth consecutive world high jump title, as well as reigning Olympic champion Gianmarco Tamberi (2.39m) and Ukranian Andri Protsenko (2.40m).

Three of Australia’s fastest ever sprint hurdlers take to the global stage as team co-captain Michelle Jenneke (Gary Bourne, QLD), Celeste Mucci (VIC, Darren Clark) and debutant Hannah Jones (Sally Pearson, QLD) take on the 100m Hurdles heats.  

Jenneke, Australia’s second fastest sprint hurdler of all time, goes in as Australia’s top chance to advance, with 11 sub-13-second performances in 2023, while Mucci lines up in career-best form with seven of her ten all-time performances registered in 2023. Protege of Australian great Sally Pearson, Jones, rounds out the Australian field with a time of 12.84 to her name.

A classy line up consisting of Joseph Deng (Justin Rinaldi, QLD), Peter Bol (Justin Rinaldi, WA) and Riley McGown (Des Proctor, ACT) will take on the 800m heats, with the trio looking to make their mark in their first of three scheduled races. Budapest marks Deng’s first major championships since Gold Coast 2018, but a breakthrough season which saw him reclaim the Australian record in 1:43.99 sees him walk to the start line with confidence, while Tokyo hero Bol will use the heat to stretch his legs as he picks up where he left off on the global racing scene. Former soccer star McGown wears the green and gold for the first time, entering the stadium with a best of 1:46.08.

Tune in to the Australian action at the 2023 World Athletics Championships from 2.40am AEST on SBS or beIN Sport.

By Sascha Ryner, Athletics Australia
Posted: 22/8/2023