Jessica Hull is looking to finish first on her home track. (Photo: Athletics Australia)
The women’s 1500m final in the World Athletics Championships is drawing closer and closer.
As the event nears, two Australians: Jessica Hull and Georgia Griffith, will be up against each other fighting it out for the same title.
The World Athletics Championships is entering Day 4 of competition in Oregon, USA. At 7:30pm local time, middle distance superstar Jessica Hull will be competing in the women’s 1500m final. Alongside her will be Victorian and fellow compatriot Georgia Griffith.
Competing at her home track, Hull went on to graduate from the University of Oregon with All-American and NCAA honours. During this time period she was a four-time NCAA athletics champion and seven-time All-American.
At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she set an Australian record in the 1500m with a time of 3:58.81. In the lead-up to this event, Hull ran an average of 4:02.91 in her last five races, making her the clear favourite.
Running at only four seconds over her personal best, she will be hoping to continue this form. If nothing out of the ordinary happens, Hull will walk away with yet another accolade.
In the semi-final Hull was able to put up a time of 4:01.81, qualifying into the final with the third fastest time. With the home crowd behind her, she will have a lot to prove in the final.
More Australian Athletes News
- ‘It’s all my dreams come true’: Nina Kennedy claims ‘miracle’ gold
- Oceania First: Melbourne to host World Athletics gold medal meet
- Birmingham 2022: 10 Medal Moments – Day Nine
Not only will she be representing her country, but will be representing every single individual that helped her at Oregon since 2015.
“It’s crazy. Even the officials who are guiding us through the mixed zone, I know them all. It feels great and feels very calming,” Hull said.
“Just taking note of the people around here who watched me grow from that little freshman to being an NCAA Champion, who is now here competing at the World Championships, is incredible.
“Now I just need to recover as best as I can and give myself a real shot. That’s the big difference this year – I have a shot. Previously, I was hanging on and now it’s like, ‘hey, I can be a player in this game’.”
Griffith will be one of her main competitors in the final race. Griffith has had an impressive 2022 season winning the Brisbane Track Classic, Seiko Grand Prix, and races in Norway and London. In the peak of her career, her recent best 4:00.16 is incredibly close to Hull’s Australian record.
She has continued to beat her personal bests, already doing so twice this year. The 25-year old is not shy to the big stage and will bring her all in the 1500m final.
“My goal for this championships was to do everything I can to make the final,” Griffith said.
“I’ve been trying to stay present and focus on racing, and try not to anticipate it too much, but it’s really exciting to be here. The way I have been racing this year has given me a lot of confidence.
“I just want to be as competitive as possible, and focus on racing and positioning.”
Both runners will be accompanied by Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon from Kenya, the fastest athlete from the semi-finals, Gudaf Tsegay from Ethiopia and Tokyo silver medallist Laura Muir from Great Britain.
The Women’s 1500m final can be watched at 7:30pm Oregon time on SBS or beIN Sports. It can also be streamed on the World Athletics YouTube and Facebook social channels.
Subscribe to our newsletter!
About Author
