History for Hull| Weekend Recap

Jessica Hull’s record-breaking heroics headlined a busy weekend for Australian athletics, with the Olympic star racing to the world’s sixth fastest short track 3000m performance in history to lead the way for fierce competition all around the world.  

Jessica Hull (Simon Hull) continued her white-hot start to 2024 with the sixth fastest short track 3000m time in history, roaring to victory in a new Australian and Oceania record of 8:24.93 in Boston.

Breaking away with US rival Elle St Pierre on the 200m circuit, Hull made the winning move in the final lap to clinch the win and qualify for the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships to be held in Glasgow from March 1-3.

Until now the convention has been that what were previously “indoor” now “short track” performances that were superior to Australian “outdoor” records were recognised as the Australian Record.

However, with the considerable changes in indoor track construction, the improvements in shoe technologies and World Athletics’ introduction of the competition and rules concept of Short Track, Athletics Australia will undertake a review into whether it remains appropriate for marks achieved in short track competition to be recognised as national records other than as short track national records. It is anticipated that this review will be completed by 29 February 2024 and any determinations made would be operable as from 1 January 2024.

2019 World Championships representative Carley Thomas (Washington) also staked her claim for victory in Boston, hitting the front over 800m with a strong mid-race move before fading in the run home to finish in fourth place in 2:01.96 – a new short track personal best.

Tom Willems (Colorado) showed signs of the form that carried him to the 2022 World Indoor Championships with a performance of 46.50 over 400m on an oversized 300m track at the Colorado Invitational, while Alanah Yukich (Jackie Streete-Thompson) set a new short track 400m personal best of 53.40 for the win at the Texas A&M Charlie Thomas Invitational.

On the roads of Japan, Australian record holder Brett Robinson (Nic Bideau) raced to a time of 1:01:27 to record the second fastest half marathon of his career at the Kagawa Marugame Half Marathon, closely followed by fellow Australian Tim Vincent (Jackson Elliot) in a new personal best of 1:02:01.

Also on international soil, Joel Baden (Sandro Bisetto) soared over 2.20m to take out the Capital Classic in New Zealand. Meanwhile at the Sharjah International Meet, Australia’s wheelchair racers built on their form shown at the Chemist Warehouse Australian Wheelchair Championships, led by Rheed McCracken (Louise Sauvage, T34).

McCracken posted a ‘B’ standard for the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris with a push of 1:41.69 over 800m, while also posting 15.76 in the 100m. World Para Athletics Championships teammate Samuel Rizzo (Richard Colman, T54) set a new personal best of 1:33.09 over 800m, followed by Sam Carter (Fred Periac, T54) in 1:34.44.

Back at home in Brisbane, a hurdling prelude to the Maurie Plant Meet – Melbourne went down as Michelle Jenneke (Bronwyn Thompson) narrowly defeated Liz Clay (David Reid & Sharon Hannan), with the Olympic duo clocking swift times of 12.90 (+2.3) to 12.91. Three-time Olympic long jumper Henry Frayne (self-coached) will dare to dream in 2024 after a season opening leap of 7.96m (+0.6) on a blustery Brisbane day.

The World Under 20 qualifies rolled in with Queensland proving a happy hunting ground, as Terrell Thorne (Sharon Dale) clocked a breakthrough run of 47.02 to finish ahead of fellow junior Seth Kennedy (Brett Robinson) in 47.51, while 21-year-old Daniel Blest (Sharon Dale) took out the race in 46.76.

Fellow Queenslander Jett Grundy (Montana State) also registered a run of 47.01 over the short track 400m to make his mark in the NCAA, while Zane Eldridge (Sharon Hannan & Peter Hannan) posted his second qualifying performance in the 110m hurdles when clocking a personal best of 13.84 (+0.9) in Brisbane.  

By Lachlan Moorhouse, Athletics Australia
Posted: 5/2/2024