Scottish running ace Josh Kerr has lit the fuse for the Commonwealth Games with a spectacular new world mile record that was roared into history by a packed house of 60,000 at London Stadium.
Australia’s star women athletes also showed they are in sparkling form with the Games looming in Glasgow next week, as Jessica Hull and Nicola Olyslagers both annexed morale-boosting Diamond League triumphs overnight.
The 28-year-old Edinburgh middle distance ace Kerr clocked 3 minutes, 42.66 seconds to break the 27-year-old record of 3:43.13 set by Moroccan great Hicham El Guerrouj in Rome in 1999, before setting off on a lap of honour to remarkable acclaim after his achievement.
His previous best had been only 3:45.34, set two years ago, but Kerr had targeted the landmark as a major goal in a track season without an Olympics or world championships.
The 2023 world 1500-metre champion had initiated “Project 222”, targeting a 222-second race, and he achieved the feat by breaking El Guerrouj’s record by nearly half-a-second, joining the illustrious list of Britons who have held the mile record, including Roger Bannister, the man who first broke four minutes for the distance.
Earlier, on an encouraging stopover for Australia’s Glasgow-bound athletes, Olympic 1500m silver medallist Hull looked in fine fettle for her upcoming medal bids in Scotland as she dominated the 3000m, kicking powerfully off the penultimate bend to win almost as she liked in 8min 24.69sec.
Australia’s Jessica Hull celebrates after winning the 3000m final. (Getty Images: Harry Murphy)
Just as encouragingly, she was chased home by another Glasgow-bound Aussie, Rose Davies, who clocked 8:25.38.
“It was a very competitive field and I really wanted to win today,” Hull said.
“I have tried really hard to win here over the last few years, so getting the chance to come into the race as one of the favourites and then to go on and win is very special.
“I am focusing my energy into winning races, so to start well here, it puts me in a good position for the Commonwealth Games.”
World champion Olyslagers also sprung back into action with a victory on countback over her great rival, Olympic champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh, after both had cleared 2.01m at the last attempt.
The Australian grabbed the victory because she had endured six failures in the competition to the Ukrainian’s eight. Olyslagers’ domestic rival, Eleanor Patterson, finished third with a 1.96m clearance.
“This was my first time competing in the London Diamond League. It was a great atmosphere,” Olyslagers said.
“The girls are in such good shape, so when I have come into this season a little bit later, they have really pushed me to get over two metres. I am trialling some new things in my jumping techniques, such as starting higher and adding different steps in.
“It’s a big stadium; it is scary. I got the big jump early, and then the rest of the competition was easy.”
The Australian relay quartets both got a run out, finishing second in their Games dress rehearsals.
The men’s foursome of Lachlan Kennedy, Joshua Azzopardi, Calab Law and Rohan Browning clocked 38.00sec to be just pipped by GB (37.95), while a British quartet also defeated the Aussie team of Ebony Lane, Torrie Lewis, Monique Hanlon and Georgia Harris (43.08) in the equivalent women’s relay.
- ABC Sport will be live blogging all the Commonwealth Games action from Thursday, July 23.
AAP
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