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The Victory Lap
Paris Preview
Mitch Dyer & Kristopher Humphries
July 08, 2024
Track and Field doesn’t take a break just because the Olympic selection window has closed. In fact, things are heating up with athletes sharpening their skills for the Olympics and chasing fast times at the Diamond Leagues.
Meanwhile, down under, winter is in full swing, and we're kicking off the first of Australia’s three major marathons with the Gold Coast Marathon. With Mitch and Jacob now in Europe, expect live updates on the Straight At It Instagram and some fresh shots from Jacob both on Instagram and in this newsletter.
Let’s dive into this week’s wrap-up!
Track Spotlight
Paris Preview : Hullmania
Not at the Olympic Stadium, but the Diamond League in Paris feels like an Olympics lite, and honestly, some of the events might as well be a preview of the Olympic finals. Of course, we had some featured Aussies.
Okay, okay, okay, now that we've introduced the event, best you sit down because Jessica Hull ran not only the 5th fastest women’s 1500m ALL TIME but also set an Area Record with a time of 3:50.83!!! If you don’t have Jess Hull in your tipping comps for a medal at the Paris Olympics, what are you doing? The craziest thing is that this time came through with a second as Faith Kipyegon broke the WR in her first Diamond League appearance of the season. Not to be forgotten, Linden Hall came in 4th in the race and 2nd Fastest Aussie of all time with a time of 3:56.40.
Check out the race below (whole Diamond League embedded but timestamped to start of the Women’s 1500m).
Another WR was broken in the Women’s High Jump with Yaroslava Mahuchikh soaring over 2.10m. This event was stacked and, in my opinion, had the majority of the favourites for the Olympics. Great signs for our Aussie competitors Nicola Olyslagers (2.01m, 2nd) and Eleanor Patterson (1.95m, 5th).
Not to be overshadowed, Stewy McSweyn, fresh off Olympic selection, front-ran the 3000m almost to the finish line, taking 2nd with a time of 7:29.46, just behind Jacob Krop. Could Stewy be peaking at the perfect time? Is the 3000m his best event now? Either way, it was fun watching him run from the front from the start line.
Lastly, we had Kurtis Marschall clear a height of 5.75m to take 5th in a stacked Men’s Pole Vault event.
Hope you sat down because that was one hell of a meet!
Gold Coast Marathon
Marathon season kicks off with the Gold Coast Marathon, the unofficial fastest marathon in Australia. A massive Japanese contingent made their way to the sunny state to chase some PBs. There was also a stacked local lineup in both the Marathon and Half Marathon.
The perfect collab we didn’t know we needed came true with Mitch’s voice-over North South videos dropping over the weekend. Check them all out in the following segment. A special thanks to Natalie Wong for being on the ground and getting incredible photos of all the athletes over the weekend while Jacob was covering the Diamond Leagues.
Marathon
The rain let up after the downpour in the half marathon, but that didn’t stop a nasty headwind from causing havoc on the field. What is normally PB heaven became a battle to the finish line. Very strong international runners took the crown today.
Men :
Timothy Kikorir Kattam (2:08:52) KEN
Belay Tilahun (2:08:58) ETH
Kiyoshi Koga (2:09:22) JPN
Top 3 Australians were Liam Boudin (2:13:56 8th), Thomas Do-Canto (2:14:36 11th) & Reece Edwards (2:15:13 14th)
Women :
Yuki Nakamura (2:24:22) JPN - Breakthrough race and course record in difficult conditions
Kumeshi Sichala (2:25:25) ETH
Visiline Jepkesho (2:26:17) KEN
Top 3 Australians were Sarah Klein (2:31:55 5th), Abigail Nordberg (2:34:54 6th) & Milly Clark (2:36:44 7th)
Half Marathon
The half marathon was a wet and wild day for the “Sunny” state, but that didn’t stop a bunch of Aussies from dropping the hammer on the large international contingent in the field, taking the top spot in both the Men’s and Women’s races.
Men :
Andy Buchanan (1:02:25) AUS - The King of Bendigo becomes the King of Gold Coast
Isaac Heyne (1:02:27) AUS - Relative newcomer broke the South Australian HM record
Shunsuke Shikama (1:02:28) JPN
Women :
Leanne Pompeani (1:09:20) AUS - incredible kick at the end to drop world class athletes around her
Jess Stenson (1:10:08) AUS - Great tune up race for the Olympics in under a months time
Sarah Hall (1:10:54) USA - Winner of 2 previous GC Half Marathons but wasn’t her day finished with a podium spot
The whole weekend looked incredible for the sport and is one for the bucket list of many for a reason.
Gear Up
Le Bent
This week, in collaboration with Zato AC, we’re shining the spotlight on an Australian snow gear brand called Le Bent. Yeah, I know, Aussie snow gear sounds odd, but we do get snow, and we love traveling to it.
That aside, this is a Australian Track and Field newsletter, and with things getting chilly down under, gloves and thicker socks are essential. Le Bent is diving into the running scene and even sponsoring trail running events like Coastal Ascent, an ultra trail in Newcastle (my hometown).
While many running brands make gloves, these guys specialise in them, so I’m betting on top quality. Their glove liners are perfect for a wintery morning run or late night in my case, and any socks with merino wool are a win in my book.
Around the Track
Mitch’s Hot Takes
Well, well, well, what on earth is happening? G'day everyone! Thanks for jumping into this wild ride of a newsletter. Buckle up, because we're diving headfirst into the madness that is women's 1500m racing.
Just when you thought you've seen it all, Jess Hull comes blazing through Paris, obliterating the fifth fastest time in history with an astonishing 3:50, smashing the Australian record in the process. Can you believe it? This is beyond extraordinary!
But wait, there's more. Over in the United States, the competition to make the Olympic team has reached unprecedented levels. Every single woman had to clock in at a mind-boggling 3:55 just to secure a spot. Yes, you read that right – 3:55! The depth of talent is nothing short of remarkable.
And then there's Faith Kipyegon, who decided to kick off her season by breaking her own world record. Talk about starting with a bang! She's setting the bar so high, it's hard to fathom where the limits are anymore.
What the hell is happening in women's 1500m racing?
It's like the universe has conspired to elevate the sport to new heights, and we're all here to witness it. These athletes are not just breaking records; they're redefining what we thought was humanly possible.
Stay tuned, everyone. If the early season is any indication, we're in for a jaw-dropping ride.
Other News
More track and field meets featuring Aussies in Europe, either gearing up for Paris or finishing their season off with a bang in Sweden, Sotteville & Netherlands.
The Aussie team has been selected for Track and Field. This deserves a bigger segment and was only announced a couple of hours prior to newsletter launch so keep eyes peeled next week for a deeper dive. congrats to all that made the team!
End Credits
Honestly, still buzzing after that Diamond League event with WRs being broken left, right, and center and our Aussies sitting just behind them. This has proven that we can hold our own on the world stage and are serious medal threats moving forward. If you aren’t hyped up now, I don’t know what to tell you, but this sport might not be for you because it doesn’t get much better than this.