'I was standing on the start line laughing': Wild worldwide trip Jessica Hull made to meet race schedule
PERTH: Jessica Hull found herself laughing when she took to the start line on day one of the Australian athletics championships, struggling to grasp the fact she was about to race in Perth just five days after racing in the Caribbean.
The Olympic silver medallist raced at the first leg of the inaugural Grand Slam Track season in the Jamaican capital on Saturday night local time, flew to Perth via New York City and Hong Kong, and on Thursday afternoon Perth time laced up for the heats of the 1500 metres at WA Athletics Stadium.
Hull won her heat in 4:09.26 to book her ticket to the final, leading home Georgia Griffith (4:09.53) and Izzy Thornton-Bott (4:17.01).
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She felt good in the run, but not so good when trotting around Perth's Swan River on Tuesday morning.
The Nike-sponsored star landed in Perth at 10.30pm Monday, got some shut-eye, and woke up feeling awful, which is probably how anyone would feel after zig-zagging across multiple time zones in such a short period of time.
Such is life for many professional runners, especially those from Down Under.
Jessica Hull leading Georgia Griffith in Perth. Chiara Montesano/Australian Athletics
"I knew I'd be awake pretty early, so once my anti-doping whereabouts hour was over at 7am (Tuesday), I went out for a run. Felt terrible," Hull told reporters trackside after her heat.
"I ran eight [kilometres]. I knew it was pretty bad when I turned around and I could still see my dad," she laughed, "because he was running behind me and I'm usually way off [in the distance]."
Hull will be back on the track at WA Athletics Stadium for the 1500m final at 5.55pm Saturday Perth time, before backing up for the 5000m final at 3.10pm Sunday.
She raced an 800m and a 1500m at Grand Slam Track at the weekend, turning out in Kingston as American sprint legend Michael Johnson's lucrative league kicked off.
"I was standing on the start line laughing [in Perth]; I was in Jamaica three days ago and here I am.
"I think I needed to put something in my legs just to have a bit of feeling. I think I'll feel even better on Saturday. I was surprised with how I felt [in the heat]. I was like, 'I feel really good'."
Jessica Hull contesting the 1500m at Grand Slam Track in the Jamaican capital. Grand Slam Track
Meanwhile, schoolboy prodigy Cameron Myers won his 1500m heat in 3:38.20 on Thursday afternoon, crossing the finish line more than three seconds ahead of his closest rival.
The 18-year-old spent three weeks doing high-altitude training in Perisher after returning in February from a three-race tour of the US.
Twelve months ago, he finished fifth in the 1500m final at the national championships in Adelaide, in a race that severely hampered his hopes of being selected for the Paris Olympics.
Ultimately, Adam Spencer, Oliver Hoare and Stewart McSweyn filled the three Australian spots available.
Myers will all but certainly make his senior international debut at September's Tokyo world championships.
"I was probably just a little bit complacent last year and I was probably just a bit naive and didn't really know what to expect," the Canberra product told reporters.
"Look, now I'm not going to settle for anything. I'm looking to work hard and show my class against these guys."
