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Ian Chadband

Hoare, Hull smash Aussie records on special Oslo night

Jess Hull (r) is all smiles with Cory Ann McGee after setting an Australian mile record in Oslo (EPA PHOTO)

Olli Hoare and Jess Hull have both produced Oceanian and Australian record-breaking runs at the Bislett Games in Oslo but could still only play support roles in two landmark Diamond League races.

Hull dreamt momentarily she was about to win the race of her life in the mile on Thursday as she closed in relentlessly on Ethiopia's teenage breakaway leader Birke Haylom.

But the 26-year-old couldn't quite keep the pursuit going down the home straight as the remarkable 17-year-old Haylom held firm to set a new world U20 record of four minutes 17.13 seconds.

American Cory Ann McGee also slipped past the exhausted Hull in the dying metres but her substantial consolation was an Australian and Oceanian record of 4:18.24, slicing more than a second and a half off her previous best of 4:19.89.

“It’s exciting knowing that the momentum is there and I am amongst the top women in the world," Hull said.

Her Australian colleague Linden Hall also set a lifetime best 4:19.60 in sixth place.

In a sensational 1500 metres, Norway's 22-year-old middle-distance phenomenon Jakob Ingebrigtsen smashed his European record again in 3:27.95 to become the sixth fastest man in history.

Commonwealth champ Hoare ran to win as he stalked the home favourite only for the effort to drain him as he faded from third to seventh.

But like all the six in front of him, Hoare broke the 3.30 barrier, and his breakthrough 3:29.41 eclipsed the national and Oceanian mark of 3:29.51 set by Stewy McSweyn in Monaco two years ago.

"The amount of brilliant, talented and fantastic athletes that have come through like Herb Elliott, Ryan Gregson, Craig Mottram and Stewy McSweyn in this event is incredible," Hoare said.

"It’s a privilege to be a part of that history."

Remarkably, eight of the first 12 home recorded lifetime bests but it was only one of a parade of fine races, topped by a 5000m in which Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha just edged out Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo, as both clocked 12.41.73 - the fifth-fastest of all time.

It was too hot for Aussie Jack Rayner, who finished 16th and last of the finishers in 13:38.11.

South Africa’s former world and Olympic champion Wayde van Niekerk made an emotional winning return after years of injury woes, winning the 400 metres in 44.38sec - his first Diamond League victory in six years.

And American 19-year-old Erriyon Knighton broke the 200m meet record which had been held by Usain Bolt since 2013.

Norway's other track hero Karsten Warholm, who set the one-lap hurdles world record of 45.94 seconds at the Tokyo Olympics, started his season dazzlingly, clocking 46.52, the fourth fastest in history. 

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