Day 8 - Little & Hull hold their own in Finals
Published Sat 07 Aug 2021
Mackenzie Little (Angus McEntyre) was solid on Olympic debut when throwing 59.96m to finish in eighth place of the final, with the opportunity to compete on the biggest stage leaving the 24-year-old with a clear mindset moving forward.
“I can hold my own in an Olympic final and I deserve to be here,” Little said.
Hall found herself boxed in at the back of the field for most of the encounter before finding clear space in the final lap to bolt home in sixth place, setting a new personal best of 3:59.01 in the process – the second fastest time in Australian history.
Jessica Hull (Pete Julian) was brave in attempting to maintain a forward position throughout the 1500-metre encounter, with the hot pace being driven from the front eventually proving too much for the 24-year-old.
Hull finished in 11th place of the Olympic final at her first Olympic Games, clocking a time of 4:02.63 as she left no stone unturned in her bid for glory, whilst Linden Hall bolted home on the final lap to finish in sixth place, setting a new personal best of 3:59.01 in the process – the second fastest time in Australian history.
The occasion was the first time in history that two Australian women had lined up in an Olympic 1500m final – a stat that may soon be a distant memory as Australian middle-distance running enjoys a Renaissance.
The following article is adapted from Lachlan Moorehouse & Athletics Australia's "Under The Radar | Day Eight Review"
For the full article, see the AA article here
