Expectations around Australia’s women’s 800m runners were already high when Claudia Hollingsworth broke the national record last month in Poland. Remarkably, in the same race, her compatriot Abbey Caldwell also finished under the old mark, crossing the line just behind the 20-year-old.
Then the team for the World Athletics Championships was announced, and alongside that pairing was another name, Paris 1500m silver medallist Jess Hull. Australia’s track queen had decided to attempt the middle-distance double in Tokyo on the urging of her father and coach Simon, a former national level 800m runner.
