Jessica Hull has always liked to run. In year two, she ran her first cross country race, at primary school in Albion Park, near Wollongong. Playing football with the local junior club, Hull was a midfielder – because she would chase the ball like no-one else. More running followed: little athletics, success at junior titles, a scholarship to University of Oregon, four years on the NCAA circuit and ultimately a professional career as a middle-distance runner.
For two decades, then, the 27-year-old has liked to run. But she has never before run as fast as this. Hull arrived at the Paris Olympics in career-best form. On Saturday night, she will go for gold in the women’s 1500m. Since the distance was added to the women’s Olympic program in 1972, no Australian has won the event. No Australian has finished on the podium.
