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A week ago, Denny had COVID-19. On Saturday, he threw an Australian record
By Michael Gleeson
Adelaide: Last year at the world championships Jess Hull knew before she even started her 1500-metre final that she could not win. She realised during her semi-final that she was not as good as the best women in the world. She was right, she wasn’t. She came seventh.
Twelve months on she now thinks she has bridged the gap to the world’s best.
She has come fourth at the world indoors in Glasgow and on Saturday with a huge kick at the bell for the final lap surged to authoritatively win the 1500m national title at the Olympic trials in Adelaide.
That winning feeling: Jess Hull reacts to her 1500m victory.Credit: Getty Images
“Now I do, I do feel that,” Hull said of bridging the gap to the world’s best.
“And I think if you look at even just what I’ve done since Glasgow (world indoors where she finished fourth) , I’ve run three races and I’ve run really good last 500s in all three of them. I was still missing that pace. I’m really working on that pace and like I’m going to be there in the straight this year. I’m just so, so determined … I’ve got a bit of an extra hunger in me and another Olympics,” Hull said.
National record holder Linden Hall set the pace leading for most of the race before Hull kicked at the bell and opened up the decisive lead, winning in 4:01.39 from Georgia Griffith 4:03.68 and Hall 4:05.03.
Elsewhere, at the trials, Discus thrower Matt Denny knows people don’t really believe him when he says he will win gold at the Olympics.
He gets it, he’s come fourth twice – at last year’s world athletics championships in Budapest and fourth again at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 – and he was fourth in the world rankings. And he really hates being fourth.
On Saturday at the national titles and Olympic trials in Adelaide, Denny threw bigger than he has ever thrown before, bigger, in fact, than any Australian has ever thrown. He broke his own national record from Budapest last year by 1.11 metres with his heave of 69.35m to win his seventh national title.
Matt Denny smashed his national record in the discus at the Australian athletics championships on Saturday.Credit: Getty Images
Oh, and a week ago he had COVID.
“I’ve said my focus was to win the Olympics and I think a lot of people haven’t taken that too seriously. Which is fair enough considering I’m fourth in the order right now, fourth in the rankings and I haven’t broken that 70-metre mark,” he said.
“Today we didn’t have huge winds or anything, that’s a replicable throw in an Olympics and I think that changes my argument on being competitive and looking for that win in Paris. That’s our focus, that’s what we’re planning on doing, just keep building off this.
“Everyone knows I’m no bullshit when it comes to majors, I am there to compete and I’m there, as I said last year in Budapest, I’m not here to participate, I’m here to win medals and try and win championships so it is what it is.”
To put Denny’s effort in perspective, only two other men this year have thrown further than 69m: Jamaica’s Ralford Mullings with 69.67m, and Alekna, who a week ago threw 71.39m.
Denny was always certain he would compete in Adelaide despite getting COVID, but after being ill for a week he was unsure what form he’d be in.
“I got it early enough last week and got through it. I reckon I got over it by Saturday and got it on the Monday. There was no way I was going to miss nationals. If I threw badly because of it then whatever, I still want to come here, compete and have fun at the Olympic trials.”
On a day of a few surprises in Adelaide young uni student Seb Sultana from Sydney won the men’s 100m in 10.27 seconds with Australia’s sprint champion Rohan Browning who has been overcoming a knee niggle finishing fourth in 10.41s. Naa Anang won the women’s 100m in 11.34s.
In the men’s 1500m outsider Adam Spencer upstaged bigger names Ollie Hoare and Stewart McSweyn to win the national and stake his claim to be picked in the Olympic team.
“It would be a dream come true (to make the Olympics). Twelve months ago it wasn’t really something I was thinking about but now it’s really becoming reality and I’ve still gotta wait to be picked and to prove I’m still in good shape throughout the next four months,” said Spencer who won in 3:37.68 from Hoare 3:37.83.
World bronze medallist McKenzie Little won the women’s javelin with 61.85m from Kathryn Mitchell 60.28m and former world champion Kelsey-Lee Barber 55.13m.
Nina Kennedy, coming back from injury, advanced her Olympic preparation with victory in the women’s pole vault, claiming the national title after clearing 4.65 metres off a shortened run-up of 10 steps.
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