3 minute read
For the first time in 20 years, two Australian track and field records have fallen on the same day.
Middle-distance runners Stewart McSweyn and Jessica Hull have continued their remarkable 2020 campaigns by breaking more Australian records at the Diamond League meet in Doha.
McSweyn produced arguably the greatest run of his burgeoning career to win the men's 1500m in three minutes 30.51 seconds.
Not to be outdone, Hull clocked 8:36.03 in a red-hot women's 3000m - meaning she became the first Australian woman to simultaneously hold the 1500m, 3000m and 5000m national marks.
It was also the first time in 20 years that two Australian athletics records had been broken on the same day.
McSweyn has enjoyed a remarkable northern hemisphere summer campaign.
Eight days ago he consigned the great Craig Mottram's 3000m mark to history.
This time around, he bettered training partner Ryan Gregson's 10-year-old national standard in the 1500m.
McSweyn dominated a high-quality field from the start.
He flew past the last of the pacemakers with 350 metres to go and held his form all the way to the finish line on a steamy Friday night (Saturday morning AEST) in Doha.
"Obviously I'm very happy," said the Tasmanian.
"I came here knowing I was in good shape.
"I've had a good European season so I just wanted to be competitive, I wanted to give it everything.
"That's why I got right on the pace because I like running and finding out how good I am and not worrying too much about other people.
"Any race you lead in such a high-quality field you know you're going to have guys hunting you.
"I just made sure I held it together because I knew if I slipped up just two per cent I was going to get caught by that whole second pack."
Selemon Barega from Ethiopia was a distant second in 3:32.97.
Hull, 23, took advantage of a stacked field to improve on Benita Willis's 17-year-old Australian record in the 3000m.
Hull stripped more than 32 seconds off her PB to clock 8:36.03, finishing 10th in a race won by Kenyan Hellen Obiri in 8:22.54 - the fastest time in the world this year.
