Australian middle-distance runner Abbey Caldwell has become the country’s second-fastest woman over 1500m after snatching a shock podium finish during the Shanghai Diamond League on Saturday.
Racing against national champion Claudia Hollingsworth and Olympic silver-medallist Jess Hull, the 24-year-old sliced three seconds off her personal best to cross the finish line third at 3:56.12. Only Hull has registered a faster time among Australian women.
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Bronze-medallist Caldwell, running seventh at the bell, was joined on the podium by Ethiopian duo Birke Haylom (3:55.56) and Tsige Duguma (3:55.71), while compatriots Hull (3:57.91) and Hollingsworth (3:58.96) finished sixth and ninth respectively.
There were five Australians in the top ten courtesy of eighth-placed Sarah Billings and tenth-placed Linden Hall.
“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 wanted to show that on track. We have the luxury of coming off our domestic season in Australia and I knew I was race-ready.
“To be on the Diamond League podium for the first time is the biggest bonus ever, it’s amazing.”
Elsewhere in Shanghai, Australia’s Matt Denny finished second in the men’s discus with a 67.54m effort, bettered only by Slovenia’s Kritstjan Ceh with meet record of 70.58m, while Kurtis Marschall was runner-up in the men’s pole vault with a leap of 5.80m leap. Champion Swede Armand Duplantis won the event with 6.12m.
“I’m very satisfied,” Marschall said.
“Unfortunately, not many athletes jumped as high as they would have liked today. But it is so early in the season, everyone is grinding really hard.
“At this competition last year, I only jumped 5.70m, so I’m very happy with the result of 5.80m today.
“We are still in quite heavy training. As we move forward, we will just lighten the load, freshen up, and start feeling a bit better towards the end of the season.”
