Hull sparkles in season ending Diamond League meet

Jessica Hull signed off on a season to remember when the NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship athlete powered home in the Brussels Diamond League final to finish third in the women’s 1500m.

Hull celebrated her 15^th podium finish of the year after clocking a time of 3:56.99 in the final. It completed a dream season which included such highlights as the world 2000m record; an Australian record for 1500m and the prized Olympic silver.

“That caps it off perfectly,” said Hull. “The best finish in a Diamond League final to cap off a year that I kept surprising myself in.

“I just wanted to be a bit safer tonight. This time of the year, the wheels can fall off and I really didn’t want that to happen, so I needed to run a bit smarter.

“I knew I could pick some pieces up in the race, so with 500m to go it was instinctively getting off the race and had a battle with Freweyni (Hailu) down the home straight and I thought, how good is that! Final one for the year!”

In the high jump, Nicola Olyslagers,displayed plenty of grit in her showdown with world record holder and Olympic Champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh.

Olyslagers, who is a two-time Olympic silver medallist, and NSWIS scholarship athlete, had a first-round clearance at 1.88m and 1.92m. However, she required second attempts to clear 1.95m and 1.97m, while Mahuchikh retained a clean sheet. 

When neither athlete could clear 2.01m, victory was handed to Mahuchikh. However, Olyslagers, a devout Christian, said she had plenty to be thankful for.

“I’m finishing the season strong, healthy and really enjoying the atmosphere. I’m in this competition with a revived joy and it’s exciting,” she said. “For me, I drew strength from God and it filled me up with a different passion to be out there.

“I finished my season with 1.97m but next year I’m hoping for more. I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve so I can hopefully be jumping two-metres again and having more fun.”

Olympic bronze medallist Eleanor Patterson finished her season with a brave fourth place.  The NSWIS scholarship athlete had a clean sheet until 1.92m, meaning she rounded out her season with a clearance of 1.88m.

Another NSWIS athlete, Commonwealth Games champion Oliver Hoare,finishedthe men’s 1500m in 10^th place when he clocked 3:34.13.

In other outstanding results for Australian athletes:

• Western Australia’s champion pole vaulter Nina Kennedy added to a remarkable season – crowned by her Olympic gold medal – by seizing the Diamond League.
• Queensland’s Matt Denny, the Olympic bronze medallist, capped his career-best season with a second straight Diamond League final discus victory, going within a whisker of smashing the 70m barrier for the first time.

NSWIS