Australian Jessica Hull has hung on gamely to claim a historic 1500m bronze for Australia at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
As has so often been the case in recent years, it was the 28-year-old who was most prepared to take it up to world record holder Faith Kipyegon.
The peerless Kenyan won her fourth world 1500m title in commanding style in three minutes 52.15 seconds.
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Fellow Kenyan Dorcus Ewoi ran down Hull in the final straight to grab a surprise silver in 3:54.92.
It then looked like a tiring Hull might miss out on a medal altogether.
But she dug deep to cross the line third in 3:55.16, just nine hundredths of a second ahead of the third Kenyan, Nelly Chepchirchir, who was closing fast.
“I was so committed to giving myself a chance,” said Hull.
“And I thought, ‘if it’s hard for me, it’s hard for all the women, it’s even hard for Faith’.
“So I just kept reminding myself to stay in it.”
Hull’s bronze was the first by an Australian in an 800m or 1500m race at a world championships, coming a year after she pocketed Olympic 1500m silver behind Kipyegon in Paris.
Just last month in Zurich, Hull was edged out by Chepchirchir in the Diamond League final after dramatically running out of gas in the shadow of the line.
This time, the Australian would not be denied a spot on the podium.
“I think maybe running a little too fearlessly early on cost me one higher medal,” said Hull.
“But I’m on the podium again and that’s really important and something to be proud of.
“It’s hard to make the podium, but to make it two years in a row is really, really special.”
Kipyegon has been untouchable for the past five majors, including Olympic gold in Tokyo and Paris, three straight 1500m world titles and multiple world records over 1500m and the mile.
“I don’t know if we’ll really appreciate that until it’s never done again,” said Hull, who claimed Australia’s second medal of the Tokyo championships, 24 hours after pole vaulter Kurtis Marschall finished third behind another all-time great in Mondo Duplantis.
At least Hull has a shot at outlasting Kipyegon as at 28 she’s three years younger than the legendary Kenyan.
Fellow 28-year-old Marschall is three years older than Duplantis, who continues to push the world record to improbable new heights.
Earlier on Tuesday night, Peter Bol had a luckless return to the venue of his heroic fourth-placed finish at the Tokyo Olympics.
On Tuesday night at the National Stadium, Bol could manage no better than fourth in his opening-round 800m heat in 1:45.15, missing out on a berth in the semis by one spot.
It was a disappointing result for a man who has twice bettered the Australian record in 2025.
Last year’s world junior silver medallist Peyton Craig and Luke Boyes were also eliminated.
Reece Holder ran on gamely to finish third in his 400m semi-final, but his time of 44.63 wasn’t enough to get him a spot in the final.
Yual Reath never got going in the men’s high jump final, with his only successful clearance coming on the last attempt at 2.20m.
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