'BANG': Aussie Abbey Caldwell snares maiden Diamond League win with sizzling finishing kick
Abbey Caldwell was already a rising star. She is now simply a star.
The Aussie middle-distance runner came up trumps in the 1500 metres at the Xiamen Diamond League meet on Saturday night, producing a tactical masterclass as she kicked to victory in three minutes, 57.26 seconds (3:57.26).
On the same night that Brisbane sprint powerhouse Lachlan Kennedy clocked 10.06 seconds in the 100m in China, Caldwell snared her maiden Diamond League victory with a stunning run in the metric mile.
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Abbey Caldwell en route to victory in China on Saturday night. Supplied
The 24-year-old from country Victoria sat third with 200m to go. She then flashed past American Emily McKay – a two-time world indoor championship medallist – and Ethiopian Birke Haylom, who has won two Diamond League races in her career.
Caldwell also beat Kenyan Dorcus Ewoi – the silver medallist in the 1500m at last year's world athletics championships in Tokyo – and Aussie golden girl Jessica Hull, who won silver in the 1500m at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Caldwell (3:57.26), Haylom (3:57.79) and Mackay (3:58.13) took the podium spots, ahead of Ewoi in fourth and Hull in fifth.
"I'm really happy with that," Caldwell said.
"It was really hot out there. It was a lot harder than last week I think with that extra bit of humidity.
"It was tough and I just wanted to go out and execute a good race."
Eastern Track Club, the Melbourne club Caldwell hails from, was quick to get around the victory on Instagram.
"@abbeycaldwelll goes BANG in Xiamen to take the win 🥇 over 1500m @xiamendiamondleague 💎," a club post read.
At the bell, Caldwell sat fourth and was about 20m behind Haylom in first. The Aussie had conserved energy but remained within striking distance. With 200m to go she sat third, and she blew the field away with her noted kick.
Caldwell's win in Xiamen follows a third-place finish in Shanghai in the Diamond League season opener last Saturday night, where she clocked 3:56.12 to become the second-fastest Australian woman over 1500m in history, behind Hull.
The win also follows victory in the 800m final at last month's national athletics championships in Sydney.
Caldwell was selected in the 800m for this year's Glasgow Commonwealth Games following the national titles.
She was involved in the drama-filled 1500m final at the national championships in which Hull took a heavy fall in a chaotic sprint finish.
Rising star Claudia Hollingsworth was crowned 1500m champion after successfully appealing a disqualification. She was subsequently selected to run in the mile in Glasgow. Which two athletes join her in the mile in Scotland will be decided in June.
In the 100m on Saturday night, Kennedy finished sixth in 10.06 in a race won by reigning Commonwealth Games gold medallist Ferdinand Omanyala.
The Kenyan took victory in 9.94 (+0.2), ahead of South African Gift Leotlela (10.00) and American Trayvon Bromell (10.03).
In the high jump in Xiamen, Australia's Eleanor Patterson took fifth with a jump of 1.94m. Third, fourth and fifth all registered 1.94m jumps, with countback determining the places.
The Diamond League season will continue in Rabat, Morocco on June 1 (Australian time).
