Hull and Starc strengthen Australian campaign in Budapest

A pair of top-eight finishes from Olympic finalists Jessica Hull and Brandon Starc headlined the action on Day Four of the 2023 World Athletics Championships, while a trio of Australians booked semi-finals berths with the championships nearing their halfway mark.

Six-time Australian record holder Jessica Hull (NSW, Simon Hull) raced to seventh place in the Women’s 1500m World Championship bout for the second consecutive year, with the ever consistent Australian clocking 3:59.54 as the race was won by Kenyan world record holder Faith Kipyegon (3:54.87).

The see-sawing affair witnessed Kipyegon dictate a slower pace before amping it up at the bell, with Hull fighting over the final lap to secure the result she had earned over three rounds.

“It’s the same result as a year ago, but I am a different athlete and I am proud of it,” Hull said.

Delivering the sixth sub-four minute reading of her career over the distance, and second in as many days, Hull was quick to draw positives from the experience as she looks ahead to the Paris Olympic Games of 2024. 

“I never thought 48 hours apart I could break four minutes twice. The last 12 months, I have literally thought about that final in Eugene (2022 World Championships) and it’s been in my head every training session. I have to go out in 58 seconds this year, and I have to be able to do it and hang on,” Hull said.

“After the Semi-Final, we recognised that it is 12 months away. If we look at the landscape of the event, with Faith (Kipyegon), Sifan (Hassan) and Laura (Muir), they are 29 or 30 and I’m 26. I think we are starting to see peaks a bit later in this event, so we said let’s pivot and be mature, and race where we are at right now as a 26-year-old. I know that this next Olympic cycle is my peak.”

Hull is set to return for the Women’s 5000m heats scheduled for Day 5 of competition tomorrow. 

2022 Commonwealth silver medallist Brandon Starc (NSW, Alex Stewart) may have missed out on a medal tonight but bows out of Budapest competition in equal eighth place after battling a world-class field in the Men’s High Jump. 

Despite consecutive first-attempt clearances at 2.20m and 2.25m, the Olympic finalist needed a successful last-ditch clearance at 2.29m to catapult him into medal contention, but was unable to weave together the motions - considering whether a short-season build up due to collarbone surgery in April was to blame. 

“Knowing that I didn’t jump to what I’m capable of really sucks. The short-lead up would have played a part but I was definitely feeling much better in the body than I did in the qualifier. Warming up I felt really good but maybe limited comps and not as much jumping this year probably meant I didn’t execute it very well,” Starc said.

With his wife Laura and son Oliver in the crowd, the 29-year-old said the sting will only fuel the fire in his belly for Paris 2024.

“It hurts that I couldn’t deliver with them here. I’ll come back stronger next year, I know it.”

Just last month Joseph Deng (QLD, Justin Rinaldi) became the first Australian to break the 1:44 barrier over 800m and tonight he solidified himself as a force to be reckoned with when clocking a classy 1:45.48 to finish third in his heat.  

Making himself known early in the race, the Australian of South Sudanese heritage eased the breaks as he crossed the line, happy to be back representing Australia after a five-year hiatus, making his last appearance in the green and gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

“I felt quite good coming into this championships. It’s my debut, I’ve never run at a World Championships before, and it was awesome,” Deng said.

“Since 2018, it was pretty rough. I lost interest in the sport for a while since I had been doing it since 2012, or earlier than that. I needed that time off but it has been really good since then.

“I believe anything is possible at the moment. Top-two is the main goal on Thursday, so I can see what I can do in the final.”

Compatriots Peter Bol (WA, Justin Rinaldi) and debutant Riley McGown (ACT, Des Proctor) joined Deng in contending the two-lap event, with both run out of their respective heats. Olympian Bol made his return to the world stage, stopping the clock at 1:46.75 for sixth in Heat 6, while former soccer star Riley McGown cut his teeth amongst the likes of Olympic champion Emmanuel Kipkurui Korir, with a time of 1:48.38 for eighth place in Heat 5. 

Australia’s sprint hurdlers struck at a strong rate in the first round of the Women’s 100m Hurdles, led by an Olympic qualifier of 12.71 (+0.4) from Michelle Jenneke (QLD, Gary Bourne) to clinch automatic qualification with third place in Heat 5. The result sees Jenneke advance to a fifth straight semi-final from her five World Championships appearances. 

“The game-plan was to go with her for as long as I could. Towards the last couple of hurdles I played it a little bit safe. I had a bit of an incident about a month ago in one of my races where I clipped one of the last hurdles and almost fell flat on my face, so that was a little bit in the back of my head. I just made sure that I go through, and won’t be holding anything back tomorrow.”

Also earning automatic qualification was Celeste Mucci (VIC, Darren Clark) who bolted to a top-four finish in Heat 4 in a time of 12.90 (0.0), while World Championships debutant Hannah Jones (QLD, Sally Pearson) concluded her maiden campaign with a run of 13.05 (+0.1) in Heat 3. 

The 2023 World Athletics Championships continue tomorrow until August 27. The Australian action will commence tomorrow at 6.05pm AEST as a trio of Australia’s middle distance stars line up in the 800m, while 2022 global medallist Nina Kennedy hunts for gold. 

By Sascha Ryner and Lachlan Moorhouse, Athletics Australia
Posted: 23/8/2023