Jessica Hull hangs tough to claim 1500m bronze in Tokyo
John Salvado |
Staying absolutely true to her word, Jessica Hull bravely took it up to peerless Kenyan Faith Kipyegon in the women’s 1500m final at the world championships.
She was willing to risk silver to give herself an outside shot at gold.
Bronze was the very least she deserved on Tuesday night and that’s how it panned out.
But only just, with a tiring Hull holding off another fast-finishing Kenyan, Nelly Chepchirchir, in the dying stages.
Kipyegon won her fourth world 1500m title in commanding style in three minutes 52.15 seconds, with Hull the only runner prepared to go with her from the outset.
Fellow Kenyan Dorcus Ewoi ran down the Australian in the final straight to grab a surprise silver in 3:54.92.
Hull dug deep to cross the line third in 3:55.16, just nine hundredths of a second ahead of Chepchirchir, who was closing fast.
“I was so committed to giving myself a chance,.” said Hull.
“And I thought, ‘if it’s hard for me, it’s hard for all the women, it’s even hard for Faith’.
“So I just kept reminding myself to stay in it.”
Hull’s bronze was the first by an Australian in an 800m or 1500m race at a world championships, coming a year after she pocketed Olympic 1500m silver behind Kipyegon in Paris.
Just last month in Zurich, Hull was edged out by Chepchirchir in the Diamond League final after dramatically running out of gas in the shadow of the line.
This time, the Australian would not be denied a spot on the podium.
“I think maybe running a little too fearlessly early on cost me one higher medal,” said Hull.
“But I’m on the podium again and that’s really important and something to be proud of.
“It’s hard to make the podium, but to make it two years in a row is really, really special.”
Kipyegon has been untouchable for the past five majors, including Olympic gold in Tokyo and Paris, three straight 1500m world titles and multiple world records over 1500m and the mile.
“I don’t know if we’ll really appreciate that until it’s never done again,” said Hull, who claimed Australia’s second medal of the Tokyo championships, 24 hours after pole vaulter Kurtis Marschall finished third behind another alltime great in Mondo Duplantis.
At least Hull has a shot at outlasting Kipyegon as at 28 she’s three years younger than the legendary Kenyan.
Fellow 28-year-old Marschall is three years older than Duplantis, who continues to push the world record to improbable new heights.
Earlier on Tuesday night, Peter Bol had a luckless return to the venue of his heroic fourth-placed finish at the Tokyo Olympics.
This time around at the National Stadium, Bol could manage no better than fourth in his opening-round 800m heat in 1:45.15, missing out on a berth in the semis by one spot.
It was a disappointing result for a man who has twice bettered the Australian record in 2025.
Last year’s world junior silver medallist Peyton Craig and Luke Boyes were also eliminated.
Reece Holder ran on gamely to finish third in his 400m semi-final, but his time of 44.63 wasn’t enough to get him a spot in the final.
Yual Reath never got going in the men’s high jump final with his only successful clearance coming on the last attempt at 2.20m. New Zealand’s Hamish Kerr won, adding to the Olympic gold he collected in Paris.
AAP
