Jess Hull’s Resilience Shines Through at Australian Athletics Championships
After a challenging 1,500 metres final where she fell and finished last, Olympic silver medallist Jess Hull considered withdrawing from the Australian Athletics Championships in Sydney. She initially pulled out of the 800m and seemed unlikely to compete in the 5,000m. However, one of the most prominent athletes in Australia’s golden generation of athletics decided to push through for the fans.
“There were kids waiting at the call room to see if I was going to go and race, and that just makes me realise it’s so much bigger than you,” Hull said after winning the 5,000m. “I’m lucky I had the sunglasses on because on the first lap when they were just going berserk for me, I was tearing up and I’m like, get it together. So it’s very special.”
Hull and Linden Hall were locked in a tight battle for the lead in the final lap, but Hull found an extra gear in the final 200m to secure the victory in her less preferred event. This win helped make up for the contentious 1,500m final, where winner Claudia Hollingsworth was initially disqualified, then reinstated.
“Emotionally, mentally, we’re all pretty tired and a lot goes into it, there’s a lot of emotion,” Hull explained. “By about 4 o’clock yesterday, I was over it and I was just like you know what 5k, I’m getting out there. I don’t plan to race for another month, so I didn’t want to sit on that for a month and I just wanted to go back through the motions and I’m so glad I did.”
Despite the win, Hull is still dealing with the after effects of her fall, including whiplash and limited motion, which impacted her mindset during the 5k. “It scared me a bit. There were some moments in that pack that were a bit dicey, and I was putting my hands out when I was going to make a move,” she said. “I wanted everyone to know where I was going. I didn’t want anyone to just clip me.”
While not placing blame on Hollingsworth, Hull expressed frustration with the process that led to her rival being awarded the 1,500m national title. “You just want a fair race. If you get beat fair and square, you can live with that, but when it gets taken out of your hands, it’s a bit hard to shut the door on it and just leave it,” she said. “I think a lot of us would acknowledge it’s a DQ anywhere else in the world, but it isn’t here, and you’ve just got to live with that. It is what it is. It’s not to any fault of another athlete.”
Hull also addressed reports suggesting a rift between her and Australian Athletics. “I have no idea where that’s come from. I am so supported by the high performance unit,” she said. “I’ve had team camps … the staff are involved. They’re part of my season planning. I am so supported by Athletics Australia and I have been my whole career.”
Other Athletes Navigate the Drama
Abbey Caldwell was another athlete caught up in the events of Friday, lodging a protest alongside Hull’s camp. She finished third in the 1,500m but defended her 800m title, saying she focused on moving forward. “It’s an amazing group of girls, I think we look out for each other on and off the track, and we know it can be competitive, but I think it’s a really good culture,” she said. “Everyone just wants to focus on racing at the moment, so I think that makes a big difference.”
Hollingsworth, who finished second in the 1,500m, was included in the first group of athletes officially selected for July’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Celebrating her 21st birthday, she described the past few days as challenging. “Lots of ups and downs, but with the 800 literally the next day, I just had to focus on that and move on pretty quickly,” she said. “I’m sure I’ll have this week now to reflect on it, but the 800 was my next goal, so I just had to move on and focus on that.”
