Just five days after Jessica Hull smashed her personal best and set a new Australian record in the 1500m, she broke the world record overnight in the rarely raced 2000m.
The 27-year-old clocked 5:19.70 in Monaco, beating the previous record of 5:21.56 set by Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba in 2018.
This came after Hull smashed her personal best by more than five seconds to come second to Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon in the 1500m at the Paris Diamond League, a race that saw Kipyegon break her own world record, but Hull’s time was still the fifth fastest ever.
This time, Hull raced to huge cheers from the crowd as he raced with the green lights welcoming fans around the stadium setting a world record pace.
“I couldn’t believe how everyone was cheering for me when I was alone on the last lap,” she said. “I just watched the lights and hoped I wouldn’t get caught.”
She added: “I’m sure there are a few women who can run 5 hours 19 minutes, but for now my name is in the history books. I ran hard for this record and I worked so hard for it.”
After his intense workout in Paris, Hull admitted he was quite fatigued but pushed himself to new heights with his record-breaking run.
“The effects of the Paris race were felt in my legs all week,” Hull laughed.
“So my goal today was just to run hard, even though my legs were really heavy. I ran at a pace and level of fatigue I’ve never experienced before.”
Hull finished 11th in the 1,500m final in his debut at the last Tokyo Olympics, but this year he is coming into this event with a real chance of winning a medal.
“It’s amazing to be called a world record holder now,” she added. “I’ve been healthy for four years and my body has gotten really strong, which is why I can run so fast now.”
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Legendary athletics commentator David Calvert posted on social media: “Jess Hull broke all kinds of records last week. World record in the 2000m in Monaco. A fantastic statistic – 100 years since Australia’s first world record. Nick Winter in the triple jump at the Paris Olympics. Our first athletics gold medallist.”
Sports commentator Tim Rosen wrote: “Jess Hull’s 2000m world record capped off a fantastic week for her, having never previously medaled in the women’s 1500m.”
AthsStats posted: “Jess Hull smashes the 2000m world record by nearly two seconds, winning in 5:19.70. It’s exactly 100 years since Nick Winter became the first Australian to break the track and field world record. Jess Hull, you’re amazing!”