NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship holders Brandon Starc, Jessica Hull and Rohan Browning on hunting down medals after solid heat performances at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest.

After a season checkered with injury, Olympic finalist and NSWIS scholarship holder Brandon Starc has reasserted himself as a major contender for the Men’s High Jump title, qualifying 10th overall for the final with a 2.28m clearance. Fourth in Group B on countback, Starc found himself needing to dig deep on his third attempt to advance, with 12 other athletes jumping to the same standard.

With only four competitions under his belt over the European season, Starc will be leaning on his reputation as a big-time performer as he rises to the occasion of another major championship final.

“Since my collarbone, things just keep coming up so it has been a ‘management of load’ kind of season, picking and choosing what comps might better prepare me for this. At the same time I know I am a big time performer so I know when I come to these championships I do rise,” Starc said.

2023 World Cross Country medalist and NSWIS scholarship holder Jessica Hull will race for her second global medal of the year on Tuesday, when running to a sixth place in her 1500m semi-final.

In the deepest of two semi-finals, Hull clocked the second-fastest time of her career when crossing the line in 3:57.85, only defeated by the heavyweights of distance running including Kenyan world record holder Faith Kipyegon (3:55.14), Ethiopian Diribe Welteji (3:55.18), seven-time global medallist Sifan Hassan (3:55.48) and Commonwealth champion Laura Muir (GBR, 3:55.36).

“That’s the thing – it’s brutal. 3:57.85 for me in that heat is nuts,” the six-time Australian record holder said.

“I think last year maybe three women ran that fast and now you have to run that fast to make the world championships final. The sport is levelling up. I think we’re about a year behind the men in terms of how deep and tough it is.”

Fellow NSWIS athlete Rohan Browning became the first Australian man in 28 years to run a World Championships semi-final in the 100m, and did so in style when clocking a swift 10.11 (-0.3). Placing fourth behind Jamaica’s Oblique Seville (9.90), Letsile Tebogo (BOT, 9.98) as well as reigning world champion Fred Kerley (USA, 10.02), Browning missed out on a spot in the final but ended his season hungry to achieve more in 2024.

“You always want to keep improving, so it would have been nice to go a bit quicker than yesterday, but that is how it goes,” Browning said.

“I think the lessons that I learned and how I evaluate the year isn’t so much about times. It is more on some of the softer lessons and softer skills, and the technical lessons I’ve learned. I think I will be well equipped heading into the Olympics next year.”

Article and image courtesy of Athletics Australia

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