Hull and Hoare smash records in Oslo

New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) athletes Jessica Hull and Oliver Hoare tore the national record book to shreds in Norway on Friday morning (AEST), with incredible performances at the Oslo Diamond League.

Hull’s ‘rolling thunder’ season – one in which she has made a welcome habit of either breaking or claiming national and Oceania titles – continued when she recorded 4:18.29 in a race dubbed the “dream mile.”

She finished third behind Ethiopian teenager Birke Haylon (4.17.13) and the USA’s Cory Ann McGee (4.18.11).

By doing so Hull, from Wollongong, broke the national women’s record of 4:19.89 she set in 2022 at Portland.

“It feels good to officially have the Australian mile record and run it in a bit more in a big time race this time around,” said Hull. “It’s nice to run a little PB and back up a strong performance in Florence and hopefully it keeps me rolling into Stockholm.

“I was pretty confident that the record could go today. I know how I’m training compared to last year when I ran my then-PB, which was the [unofficial] record, so I was happy that I could give it a nudge today. I’m a different athlete to who I was a year ago.

“It’s exciting knowing that the momentum is there and I am amongst the top women in the world. It’s different to stand on the start line and even in the race this time to feel like maybe I had a shot of winning this one. We had some absences from the top women in the world but it’s exciting to consider how I could win a race like this.”

Hull’s incredible start to her 2023 campaign includes her heroic second leg in the 4 x 2 km mixed relay which helped Australia secure the bronze medal at the world cross country championships in Bathurst, while she has broken the Australian women’s 1500m and 3000m records and claimed the national 1500, 3000 and 5000 metre titles.

Hoare – who was a member of the Aussie team that took the bronze world cross country medal – then flew the NSWIS and Australian flags at Oslo by finishing the men’s 1500m race in 3:29.41 in a race which contained eight of the world’s top-10.

Despite finishing in seventh place, the race was run at such a blistering pace Hoare shattered the Australian men’s record of 3:29.51 by finishing behind Olympic and world champion Jakob Ingebrigsten in a time of 3:29.41.

He also played his role in athletics history because Ingebrigsten’s winning time of 3:27.95 broke the 3:28.00 barrier for the first time.

“To be able to run that Australian record; the amount of brilliant, talented and fantastic athletes that have come through like Herb Elliott, Ryan Gregson, Craig Mottram and Stewy McSweyn in this event is incredible,” said Hoare “It’s a privilege to be a part of that history and hopefully I can keep building up Australian track and field in this event.

Running sub 3:30 was the goal today but it was also to compete and finish in that top section. A lot of those guys are going to be in the Olympic and World final so I wanted to be aggressive and put myself in a position where I could be amongst the top,” Hoare said.

“I was in a really good position, I tried to stay focussed as best as I could and I wasn’t able to hold on for that last 100m. But it’s June 15 and we have two months until the World Championships and I can’t complain with an Australian record or an Area record or the fastest race I’ve ever run with an amazingly talented field. Seventh place isn’t what I wanted but I have to come away with a positive attitude and know that I’ll be able to improve and keep going as an athlete.

“I’m looking forward to the next few months, not just for me but for all 1500m athletes. It’s such a competitive event at the moment. All the guys are running really fast and competing well. Everyone is going to grow and excel from this, and that’s my plan too.”

The Diamond League season will continue in Lausanne, Switzerland on July 1 (AEST).

Daniel Lane, NSWIS