NATIONAL RECORDS TUMBLE | A HISTORIC WEEK

NATIONAL RECORDS TUMBLE | A HISTORIC WEEK

On the Australian athletics scene the times are changing both figuratively and literally, with the latest crop of Australian stars looming as the next wave of record-breakers.

Australian athletics records have long been spoken about, yet seldomly broken.

That is until now.

The scintillating performances of our Australians overseas have illustrated just that, with two national records falling in the space of five days thanks to Stewart McSweyn and Jessica Hull.

When Craig Mottram put the country on his back by running 7:32.19 over 3000m at the 2006 World Cup in Athens to take the win ahead of Kenenisa Bekele, you would have been forgiven for essentially giving the record books a tattoo.

But you would have also been unaware of an 11-year-old by the name of Stewart McSweyn.

14 years later to the day, the now 25-year-old McSweyn obliterated Mottram’s 3000m Australian and Oceanian record by over four-seconds when running 7:28.02.

The field in the Rome Diamond League for the Men’s 3000m favoured McSweyn’s record hopes, with 19-year-old duo Jakob Ingebgrigtsen and Jacob Kiplimo headlining the pointy end.

When most would have been content to latch onto the back of the pair in the hope of being dragged along, McSweyn was hell-bent on winning, charging to the front of the field and dictating terms.

“I was unsure how the race was going to unfold but I came into the race trying to give myself the best chance to win it,” he said.

“I was more worried about trying to drop Ingebrigtsen and Kiplimo.

“Each lap I was looking up at the big screen and with two laps to go I felt as though I had kind of dislodged Kiplimo and thought if I could pick it up I would be able to drop him.”

Whilst McSweyn was valiant in defeat, his gutsy efforts were rewarded with not only being crowned the fastest Australian ever over 3000m, but also placing him 17th in history over the distance on the all-time list.

“You see some of the guys around you or that you are in front of and those guys are all-time greats that I have looked up to and been in awe of, so it’s crazy to see my name on that list,” he said.

“Kipchoge is only 0.4 second in front!”

The Australian was fond of his new title as the third fastest non-African runner in history over 3000m, but could also see the funny side of it.

“Unfortunately the guy who is number one [Jakob Ingebrigtsen] was in front of me last night,” he laughed.

Heading into an Olympic year, McSweyn is starting to realise his capabilities as he looks to emulate Craig Mottram’s notorious capacity to mix it with the Africans.

“Going into the Olympics next year you have to be comfortable trying to beat and compete with these guys,” he said.

“Obviously I will be setting pretty high goals, the guys I am competing with now are the guys who will be right around the medals so you start to realise what you could potentially do.

“Compared to Mottram, he’s done a lot more than me at major championships so I’ve got a long way to go in that regard.”

Whilst McSweyn is up in lights after his success, the importance of his coach Nic Bideau has not been lost on him, along with his Melbourne Track Club teammates.

“Nic [Bideau]’s training definitely helps,” he said.

“I’ve got so many strong teammates that I train with, whether it’s doing the aerobic stuff with the marathon boys or speed stuff with the quicker guys like Jordy Williamsz.”

Bideau has put on somewhat of a coaching masterclass in Europe with his athletes racing superbly over a range of distances within a small time period.

There was only one thing missing from McSweyn’s record-breaking performance - his arm warmers.

“Sub-20 degrees I will wear them, but after that it’s just too hot,” he said.

McSweyn now has three national records to his name - the 1500m indoor record, along with both the 3000m and 10,000m outdoor records.

And one would suspect he is only just getting started.

Another Australian with three national records to their name at a young age comes in the form of 23-year-old Jessica Hull, whose rapid improvement has landed her in the upper echelon of women’s middle distance running globally.

When Hull claimed the indoor 1500m national record in January of this year in a time of 4:04.14 it was clear she had entered the year in superior shape to that of 2019.

But not many could have predicted what was to come.

It was only in Monaco that Australian fans started to fathom just how well Hull was tracking, after she dropped a bomb in the form of a 14:43.80 5000m to eclipse Benita Willis as the national record holder.

When Hull’s name appeared on the start list for the 1500m at ISTAF in Berlin, talks of a second national record in the space of a month ensued.

Linden Hall’s mark of 4:00.86 stood as a strong one and a clinical performance would be required to dethrone her.

Much like McSweyn, Hull found herself in a world-class field and could concentrate on racing rather than the clock, adamant that the race would be fast.

The field assembled in single file formation early - a firm indication that the pace was hot.

Progressing gradually throughout the three and three-quarter lap journey, Hull found herself in a favourable position heading into the bell lap, but there was still work to be done.

With race leader Laura Muir in control as the pilot, Hull locked horns with England’s Lisa Weightman in an enticing duel over the final lap.

It was Weightman who would prevail by the narrowest of margins, dragging Hull to the now Australian and Oceanian record of 4:00.42.

Despite the significant achievement, the 23-year-old’s mindset immediately shifted to planning mode, displaying her determined mindset.

“Now I’ve got that elusive sub-four 1500m to reset for,” she said.

“I tried not to clock-watch, but I was very alert in the last 500m so I thought I was going to dip under the record, but I was also holding the hope that I might have run 3:59.” 

Hull has even surprised herself in 2020.

“If I looked back to 12 months ago, I never would have thought I would break a national record in the 5000m before the 1500m,” she said.

“To have the 1500m record now is pretty special, that’s the one that I was gunning for and the 5000m was a bonus along the way.”

With the added incentive of becoming the first Australian woman to break four-minutes for the event, Hull’s main goal remains to compete with the best athletes in the world.

“I want to keep competing and I want to keep finishing higher and higher,” she said.

“Now I know I can finish in the top handful with these women, I am backing myself in to be in it and not just thinking about times and records but to be competitive at the top level.”

Ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, Hull emphasises the importance of the versatility she has shown this campaign.

““We see the importance of range on the world stage when it comes to being able to get through rounds and close races in championships so it’s definitely something I’m working on growing,” she said.  

Both McSweyn and Hull have found another gear on the world stage in 2020, and ahead of an Olympic year will no doubt be honing their craft over the next 12 months to ensure the best chance of success in Tokyo.

By: Lachlan Moorhouse, Athletics Australia
Posted: 19 September 2020