Abbey Caldwell has finished as the top Australian in the 1500m at the Shanghai Diamond League in a personal best 3:56.12, becoming the second fastest Australian all-time.
The 24-year-old from Melbourne negatively split the race after running through 800m in 2:07.9 (just under 4 minute pace) and ran home strongly with a 60.4 second final lap, passing Australian record holder Jess Hull down the home straight to finish third behind Ethiopia’s Hayom Birke (3:55.56).
“I honestly didn’t think even mid-race it would be that good. But to get a PB, I’m absolutely stoked!” Caldwell said. “I knew I was very fit and I wanted to show that on the track. We have the luxury of coming off our domestic season in Australia and I knew I was race ready.”Abbey Caldwell
“I just needed to put my training into a race and I executed that, so I’m very happy. To be on the Diamond League podium for the first time is the biggest bonus ever – it’s amazing.”
Hull had shadowed the pacemaker and led the running on the final lap, but tired significantly over the closing stages, with her final 100m the slowest of the race at 17.0 seconds. The Olympic silver medallist finished sixth in 3:57.91.
Caldwell’s performance puts her firmly in contention to join Hull and Claudia Hollingsworth in Australia’s Commonwealth Games Mile team, with Hollingsworth automatically selected after winning the Australian title in controversial circumstances last month.
Hollingsworth was the fourth Australian across the line in Shanghai, finishing eighth in 3:58.84 within a second of her personal best set in Melbourne earlier this season, sandwiched between Sarah Billings (7th, 3:58.81) and Linden Hall (9th, 3:58.96).
Luke Boyes also produced a personal best in the 800m, leading the field into the straight and holding on for fourth, clocking 1:44.16 to move to third on the Australian all-time list. Boyes is now one of four Australians under the Australian Athletics qualifying standard for Glasgow, and the second fastest of the group behind Peter Bol. >> Watch the race
Seth O’Donnell added further weight to his selection claims in the men’s 5000m, becoming only the third Australian to break 7:30 over 3000m with a 7:29.49 performance for 11th place. The Melbournian, who has developed a cult following in Australian distance running circles, lowered his personal best by more than five seconds.
Cara Feain-Ryan moved to fourth place on the Australian all-time list with a 9:21.35 tenth place finish.
Lachlan Kennedy mixed it with a world-class field in the 100m, finishing fifth in 10.01 in a blanket finish. Gift Leotlela from South Africa won in 9.97. >> Watch the race
Rose Davies was 14th in the women’s 5000m in 14:53.28, with Maudie Skyring 16th in 15:10.83, in a race won by Faith Kipyegon in 14:24.14. Torrie Lewis finished ninth in the 200m in 23.25s.
In the field Matt Denny again showed his consistency on the international circuit, finishing third in the discus with 67.54m, while Kurtis Marschall was second in the pole vault in 5.80m. Liam Adcock finished fourth in the long jump with an 8.00m leap.
