Jessica Hull once again rewrote the record books, lowering her own Australian and Oceanian mile records in a fiercely competitive Diamond League race in London though she had to settle for second place behind Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay. Hull clocked 4:13.68, improving on her previous best, while Tsegay stormed to victory in a new Ethiopian record of 4:11.88.
“I had distractions, but I focused on sticking with the leader,” Hull said. “I knew a national record was possible, and while I hoped to go closer to 4:10, I felt strong and happy with the performance.”
Fellow Aussie Rose Davies also delivered a stunning performance in the 5000m, slashing over nine seconds off her national and Oceanian record to finish third in 14:31.45. Only Ethiopians Medina Eisa (14:30.57) and Fantaye Belayneh (14:30.90) finished ahead. Georgia Griffith wasn’t far behind, placing fifth in a personal best 14:32.82, also below the old Australian record.
“I was ready for something big today, and I’m thrilled with the outcome,” Davies said.
In the high jump, Eleanor Patterson grabbed silver with a 1.93m clearance, despite describing it as a below-par showing. Britain’s Morgan Lake won with a jump of 1.96m. “If 1.93m and second place counts as a bad day, I can’t be too upset,” said Patterson, known for her consistency.
However, teenage miler Cam Myers suffered a setback. Running in the 1500m, the 19-year-old was poised to challenge on the final lap but collided with Britain’s George Mills, which saw both fall out of contention. Myers finished 13th in 4:24.03, far off his best, while Kenya’s Phanuel Koech won in a blazing 3:28.82 the fastest ever run on UK soil.
In the sprints, Olympic 100m champ Julien Alfred of St Lucia stole the show by clocking 21.71 seconds in the 200m, setting a new national record and the fastest time in the world this year. Australia’s Torrie Lewis finished last in 23.05.
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