Hall makes history, Little backs up bronze at Diamond League Final

Australian middle-distance sensation Linden Hall has become the first Australian woman in history to shatter 3:57 over 1500m on Day One of the Diamond League Final, while World Championships medallist Mackenzie Little sailed to bronze at the historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. 

Hall (Ned Brophy-Williams) saved her best for last in 2023, lowering her Oceania record to 3:56.92 in her final race of the season - just two years after becoming the first to break the four-minute barrier. 

Finishing in fifth place of the esteemed Diamond League Final which was won by Kenyan world record holder Faith Kipyegon (3:50.72), Hall charged through the field in the closing stages to show no sign of tired legs, despite the long season.

“It’s exciting to end the season on a high. It’s been a year that has thrown a few curve balls but I’m really proud to have run my three fastest-ever times this season, and I’ll head into the new season and an Olympic year with so much confidence from this run,” Hall said.

“Any chance to add to an Australian record is something to be proud of, and this year I’ve really appreciated these moments because the other girls at home are making these records harder to get and even harder to hold! These past few races since Budapest, I’ve definitely wanted to be able to use all the fitness that I didn’t quite get to show off at Worlds, but I knew there were faster times in there.”

Closely followed by Jessica Hull (Simon Hull) who finished in eighth place in 3:57.57 to grab onto her second fastest time of her career, 32-year-old Hall is only growing in confidence ahead of what she hopes to be a third Olympic campaign at Paris 2024.

“I’m pretty ready for a break but finishing on this high makes me excited to get back into it and prepare for Paris. We’re going to all have to be on our A-game to be selected for the Women’s 1500m so we will be on for a hotly-contested domestic season no doubt.” 

The Hall/Hull combination now holds the 14 fastest 1500m times by Australian women in history. 

Weeks after claiming bronze for Australia at the World Athletics Championships, doctor-in-training Mackenzie Little (Angus McEntyre) proved that placing on the podium was no fluke, as the javelin star threw 61.24m for third place.

While the field led by Japan’s Haruka Kitaguchi (63.78m) weren’t able to replicate the sizeable distances seen in Hungary, Little’s first attempt dictated the tone of the event as the bronzed Aussie launched her best of the six-throw series, just six-centimetres shy of the silver won by New Zealand’s Tori Peeters.

In one of the fastest mile races ever assembled, King Island product Stewart McSweyn (Nic Bideau) raced to 10th placed in a time of 3:49.32, as Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen became the third fastest miler in history (3:43.73) ahead of the USA’s Yared Nuguse (3:43.97).

McSweyn raced prominently in the chase pack before being caught up in traffic over the final lap, with many of the Australian’s fast-finishing rivals proving superior in the run for home in the race that will go down in history. 

World champion Nina Kennedy (Paul Burgess) closed out a standout 2023 campaign with fifth place in the Women’s Pole Vault.  A fortnight after claiming the Oceania indoor record at 4.91m, the Western Australian cleared 4.56m, failing three attempts at 4.71m.  

The Diamond League Final concludes tomorrow, with five Australians taking to Hayward Field for another shot at stardom:

4.30am AEST
Women’s High Jump 
Nicola Olyslagers 

4.40am AEST 
Men’s Discus
Matthew Denny

5.57am AEST
Men’s Pole Vault
Kurtis Marschall

6.42am AEST
Women’s Long Jump
Brooke Buschkuehl

7.19am AEST
Women’s 800m
Catriona Bisset 

By Lachlan Moorhouse and Sascha Ryner, Athletics Australia
Posted: 17/9/2023