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Jessica Hull stuns in unprecedented moment in Australian athletics

Andrew Reid
·3-min read
Jessica Hull set a new national record in the mile after becoming the first Aussie woman to run under the 4.20 mark. Pic: Twitter
Jessica Hull set a new national record in the mile after becoming the first Aussie woman to run under the 4.20 mark. Pic: Twitter

Australian track star Jessica Hull has provided a stunning statement to her rivals in an unprecedented moment in Australian athletics history.

The middle-distance runner tuned up for this year’s world championships and Commonwealth Games by running the fastest time ever recorded by an Aussie woman in the mile, during a meet in the United States over the weekend.

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Hull broke the national mile record with a time of 4:19.89 in a mile race in Portland, Oregon.

In doing so, the 25-year-old Olympian became the first Australian woman to break the 4:20 barrier, eclipsing previous record holder Linden Hall’s time of 4:21.38, set last year.

Hull, who made the 1500m final along with Hall at the Tokyo Olympics, will contest the 5000m at the world championships in Eugene, Oregon from July 15.

The 25-year-old now owns the national records over 1500m, the mile, 3000m and 5000m.

Aussie athletics stars shine in solid tune-ups

In other promising results for Australia's track and field team, high-profile Australian duo Rohan Browning and Kelsey-Lee Barber produced hugely encouraging performances in their last hit-outs before the world athletics championships.

Sprint star Browning clocked 10.08 seconds at a Continental Tour Challenger meet meet in La-Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland - his fastest 100m time since his sizzling 10.01 at last year's Tokyo Olympics.

It was a timely return to form for the Sydneysider, who had not gone quicker than 10.28 in any of his four previous outings in Europe.

Browning was fifth in a race won by Sri Lanka's Yupun Abeykoon (9.96), who became the first man from South Asia to break the 10-second barrier.

Cuban Reynier Mena finished second in 9.99 and then went on to clock a slick 19.63 in the 200m.

Noted big-event performer Barber - who will be defending the world title she won in brilliant style three years ago in Doha - won the women's javelin with a best throw of 61.40m at a meet in Edmonton, Canada.

Pictured here, Australia's Kelsey-Lee Barber competing in a women's javelin event.
Australia's Kelsey-Lee Barber won the women's javelin event at a meet in Edmonton, Canada. Pic: Getty (Kiyoshi Ota via Getty Images)

"A great final competition before Eugene. She's ready to go," tweeted Barber's coach and husband Mike Barber.

Peter Bol - who shapes as a genuine medal shot in the 800m in Eugene and the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Birmingham - dipped under the 1:45 barrier for the 10th time in his career with a winning effort of 1:44.26 in Belgium.

The Australian squad will now head to Seattle for a staging camp ahead of the July 15-24 world championships in Eugene.

The final team is set to be confirmed on Wednesday, once a couple of appeals against non-selection have been heard.

with AAP

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