welcome to the Cheeky Armchair Expert Recap for the final weekend of the Olympics. We are going to talk through some of the last few events, specifically, probably the best two events of the whole Olympics, which were the 1500 metre Women's Final and the Women's Marathon. I am joined by Anna, who is actually there for both of the events. Hello, Anna.
Hello. How are you?
Yes, I am. Good. Thanks. How are you?
Good.
As if we haven't just been chatting for the past 45 minutes.
Um, Yes, I was there for both. It was crazy. I feel like I'm still trying to wrap my head around the weekend's events. It
Just processing. So just
It was so cool.
I want to hear. So, um, why don't you take us back to, it's the Saturday night. You're at the Stade de France. Is that what it's called? Stade de
Yes. Dr. Fonse? Yes.
Okay. what was the atmosphere like?
It was just, it was insane. It was our one and only final session for the athletics. And we had all commented on when we went to the heats, the session, the vibes and the atmosphere was just electric. And that was for the heat. So we were sort of saying. Can you imagine what it's going to be like for the finals? And it just like, it didn't disappoint at all. It was so, so cool. And I think because it was such a stacked program, we just didn't really realize like what the time was.
Then all of a sudden the 1500 meter women's was coming out and I was like, Oh God, I'm not ready. It was crazy. So we were at the start, we were sitting like right above the start line. of the 1500 and they, uh, came out, they ran out from about the 200 meter start line. So they got announced individually and then they had to run about a hundred meters. And, and that like Jess running kind of towards us was just so cool. Like it, we just went from zero to a hundred. Like, like the screams.
I don't know. I just felt like because there was so much noise I think because obviously like we're over in Europe. So the like the everyone from the European sort of countries had like a lot of people in the audience. So like the British and the like French obviously was insane, but even like the Dutch and the like Belgium athletes and everything. So I really, really wanted to like make a big deal. Um, and I was just overcome with nerves and like emotion. It was, it was like cooked.
I, cause I, I listened to one of the interviews Jess spoke about, that when she was on the start line, there were people chanting her name. Like she
Yeah, that was, it was us.
no
Well, I'm sure there were other people as well, but yeah, we were just like, God, Jazz! And, but yeah, so the race started, I mean there were so many as you know, like there were just, the field was absolutely stacked. Everyone that everyone that was a favourite before going to the Olympics was in the final.
when I was watching just like in bed on my phone and when they were going through the lineup, I was like, every single one of you, pretty much every single one of you is capable of meddling,
yeah, yeah,
makes for such an exciting race.
Yeah, yeah. And I also think that a lot of, a lot of other events, you know, some people don't make it through the heats and semis for whatever reason. There's like, you know, it's quite, quite often in a final, there might be sort of like one or two favorites or even people that were like maybe a chance that have been knocked out. But the, I feel like the women's 1500, everyone, everyone was there. Um, Yeah, so that was really cool. yeah, wait, so you were in bed watching it, did you say?
Yeah. Well, it was like, I think it was like four, 4. 15 in the morning. Um, and so I just set, I set my alarm and it went off and immediately my heart was racing like a million miles an hour. I was like, Oh my God, right now Jess is like on the start line getting ready to race. And I was like quickly, like got off my phone, got it ready to go.
Oh yeah, I can imagine. So the, yeah, the race started, and it went out, they went out fast, which I, I don't know, I was sort of thinking that if Faith, had her ideal race, I feel like because she had a She had to go through the 5k heats and finals and then this fake Kipi Agon from Kenya, the like world record holder, I kind of thought that she would probably maybe want it to be taken out a bit slower just because I, I should like, I imagine she would have been pretty tired.
but Sege from Ethiopia took it out in 59 seconds for the first lap, which is
Which, that's, that is so fast. even that was interesting because Segei obviously was one of the, kind of one of the race favorites. Like she's done 350, which is, you know, Jess has done 350. The only person who's done faster than them is Faith. But Segei had already run in the 10, 000 meters and the 5, 000 meters. And she would have been. Absolutely cook. So I don't really know why her strategy was take it out at that pace.
Yeah. I wondered, I sort of, yeah, in my head I was thinking either one. She thought, you know, I have the second fastest time PB in this final. So the way for me to do well is to like run, make it fast. Or I was thinking that her, um, like fellow Ethiopian runner, well, Teji, and she, uh, she would have, benefited from it being like a fast race. So I was thinking like, I wonder if she was doing it for her teammate.
Because she then, uh, so, so yeah, the, the first 800 was, I think 203. It was still really fast, which when you think about it, a lot of the 800 meter events were done, like the heats were done at that pace pretty much. So
Mm. Yeah, exactly.
that they ran that in the 1500 meter final. But then at, basically at the, The bell with 400 to go, that's when Faith kind of took the lead and Jess slotted in right in behind her and that was the last we saw of Sege. She then completely dropped off and I think finished in last place.
Yeah, I just, Jess Hull is an absolute professional at being in the right position. She is so good. I feel like being, being able to put yourself in a great position when you're in such a high quality race is a real skill. Like, it's easy to put yourself in the right position when you're kind of controlling it and you're the fastest person, which she often does in sort of, like, more, like, local races.
But the fact that she could put herself in that position when, you know, she's literally surrounded by the best in the world. I just think shows how much of a like smart runner she is. but yeah, so then 200 to go, there were four of them there, which I was so nervous because obviously in your head you're thinking there's only three medals, so that was Jess Hull, um, Faith Kipiagon, and well, Teji from Ethiopia and then Georgia Bell from Great Britain. She was just having the race of her life.
So yeah, so she wasn't there. The other British woman in the race was Laura Muir who came second in Tokyo and was also the, um, like British record holder. But she was sort of a bit further back, but Georgia Bell actually has a really interesting story. So she She trains with our favourite 800 girl, Keeley, and she actually went to college in America for, um, for running, like on a scholarship, and then obviously didn't have a great experience, so.
stopped running completely when she moved back to England, got a full time job and then started doing duathlons a little bit and like cycling because she, well she, first she started cycling I think just because she missed exercise. and obviously had sort of like gotten over the like trauma that she like might have experienced when she was at college and then started running a bit again. Then last year like won the world duathlon champs in her age group.
like not, not as a professional, so there's age groups and then you can also go into the like professional category. And then yes, it has just like this year gone. better and better. And then last year, so she quit her, she stopped working,, I think there in, last year, and then she made the world indoor champs this year, then won the British champs in the 1500, and did a PB, did a PB the other week by, for three or four seconds, and then did a PB in this Olympic final
A national
So. Yeah, yeah, crazy.
unbelievable.
Um, anyway, yeah. So 200 to go, there's four of them. and yeaH, I was, I was pretty stressed cause I was worried that like Jess looked strong. Um, really, you never really know. And I feel like they, Yeah, they all, they all did, didn't they? And then, yeah, she surged and was coming into the, she was like third coming into the hundred, uh, like a hundred meters to go. It's almost like they kind of caught up and I was thinking, oh gosh, we're going to get fourth here.
But then she just like put on another surge and then, yeah, then what happened?
then what happened? Well yeah, so final stretch, Faith took off. She is an unbelievable runner.
Yeah.
I couldn't, like, watching her kick down, She must've won by 10 meters in the end. Like it was incredible to see. And then it was sort of a sprint. Well, it was a sprint finish between Jess, Georgia Bell, and Wilteji. And, What, what was so impressive about Jess is I feel like a lot of runners in those sprint finishes, they lock up and their form kind of falls apart and they, you look like their arms are all over the place and they're clearly like really struggling. She looked so strong.
Like you go back and rewatch, her form doesn't change at all. She is
The whole time.
And so, yeah, I feel like she, Yeah, she basically pushed forward into second place. And Wilteji, like, slowed down. And so you're like, okay, she's got it. And then out of nowhere, in the last, like, ten meters, Georgia
I
Got this second wind and I didn't I don't think Jess really even saw her. I knew she was there But she nearly pipped her on the line.
I know because there's a, um, there's like some footage of right at the finish line and Jess has kind of smiled and Georgia Bell is literally right there. Like I almost think it was another metre or two.
I know Because I just don't think Jess knew she she was coming up. I think Jess had been really focused on multeji Had her covered, knew it, and Georgia just took off out of nowhere. So yeah, amazing race for her, but importantly our Jess, so silver medal, second place, First Aussie woman to medal at the 1500 meters and yeah, officially a national treasure.
Yeah. Oh my gosh, it's so, so amazing. I also, I think because she has been winning like some races and had just run their like national record on PB by five seconds a few weeks ago, I kind of think that if she, we kind of expected a medal,
Yes,
which is crazy because as we said, like it's the first ever like female medal, the first Australian medal, since 1960, but like, if she hadn't have done that, I feel like it would have been disappointing. So a lot of weight to carry.
Yeah. Yeah. And you know what? I love seeing like even all her interviews in the lead up and afterwards. It's like she's obviously leveled up physically over the last few months, but she's also leveled up psychologically. Like her
Yeah.
her ability to remain really calm and composed and focused on what she needed to do and not overwhelmed by those nerves or pressure, like that speaks to what a truly tremendous athlete she's become. I feel like that, like as much as the performances themselves.
Yeah. I think that's also what it takes. I mean, we'll, we're going to chat about more in our weekly episode, but I think there's, it's not just physical performance that you need, sorry, physical strength I don't think that's all you need in order to be a, like, champion at an Olympic level. Because, like, no matter the athlete, there are so many emotional curveballs thrown at you. And so much that you have to go through. And you just have to have, so much sort of, like, confidence in yourself.
Um, but also, like, you just have to be so strong mentally. to kind of like not let the outside world like infiltrate your thoughts and inevitably your performance.
yeah,
all right, should we get to the marathon?
Yes. Oh my gosh. So again, let's start with, how did you watch the marathon?
So, we, uh, got the dot bikes which are pretty much the equivalent of line bikes because we, the men's we sort of had a little test run for it all and, and we were catching the metro around and it just, it didn't really work that well I think because it meant that we could only see them in two spots. and you're also heavily reliant on like the trains actually being there on time to make sure that you don't miss something. So we decided to get the bikes and we'd followed them around.
So we got to about the four kilometre mark, and then rode with them for a few k's, which, you was, I think that was almost like the highlight. It was so cool. and Jess and Jen were in the front pack at that stage. and so by then there was quite a big fact pack, sorry. I think there would have been about 45 women in the pack and then just sort of like a few people off the back. Meanwhile, you were at the watch party.
Yes. So we had a watch party in Melbourne, which was honestly so much fun. I reckon there was like a hundred or more people there and, we had a great set up, like big TV, everyone kind of sitting around and like watching. And I mean, it actually, it worked out so well because it could not have been a more entertaining race. In a lot of
Oh,
Like,
almost like they knew they were like, we need to make this exciting for the watch party.
Yeah, yeah, literally. Because like, something would happen in the race, and we'll talk through a couple of the key moments in a second, and then there'd just be like, almost like rumors going around the room in real time, being like, oh, have you heard this? Like, what's happened
What's happened?
Yeah, and like, where's this person at? And so on and so forth. Um, so yes, it was extremely entertaining. So yeah, let's talk through some of the key race moments. The first, and You know, one of the most notable ones is that very, unfortunately our national record holder, Sinead Diver had to pull out early on, what would it have been 1k, 1k in,
Yeah, I think it was just over a kilometre in, yep.
yeah, yeah. So we, like this, we're all obviously just watching and then all of a sudden the camera cut and it just showed the most like heartbreaking footage you could ever think of, which was just like, she's landing up against the fence. She looks like she's in a huge amount of pain. She looks really upset. She's kind of talking, there's like these two random British girls standing there, like, not, don't know
As in spectators? Because I didn't see this.
Oh, it's like, literally this girl, in like, a full on Great Britain, flag, face paint, everything, who, and Sinead's obviously like, talking to her, not talking to her, but just being like, I can't, I can't keep going or whatever she's saying. It's Something. And she's just standing there like, I don't know what to do.
And there's literally like not many people around and it's so everyone's, I just think everyone in the room's heart immediately broke for Sinead in that moment, just to be like, Oh, something bad, something really bad's happened to you. Um, so yeah, that was the first thing. And then we're actually going to do. You know, to have a proper unpack of, um, what sort of unfolded there in our episode that comes out on Monday.
Um, but yeah, that was obviously just a really, really sad moment for for Sinead and for, for all of us.
Yeah.
Mm
we had Jess and Jen still towards the front. there was a smaller pack that had formed and they were sort of off the back of that leading into the first hills. and then pretty much like the hills started and. Jess is obviously, like, we knew how strong she was and how up the hills and how much this course was sort of, like, designed for her. All of it, like, it was so strange. We were on our bikes. We obviously, like, weren't really across what was happening.
And then I just get this, like, WhatsApp in my family chat, of my family being like, Jess is at the front.
Oh my
And I was just like, oh my gosh.
just like, what is happening?
Yeah, so we were like, stop the bikes, stop the bikes. And then we like quickly got it up to look and we opened it. And Jess is just at the front. Um, then Jen had also bridged the gap. And then there was this moment, which I'm sure would have been insane with all of you guys watching together. There was just this moment where the two Australian women were at the front of the Olympic marathon. Like that doesn't even happen.
I feel like, People sort of might not understand the magnitude of how big that is. Like, that never happens at a world major or like world championships. There would just never be any Australians right at the front. Um, like 20 or like 18k's in or whatever it was.
Looking so
the So strong. And there's the two of them, they've obviously like exchanged a few words. I think it looked like I was speaking to Jen after the race. Um, and LAUGHS Thank you, Ollie. Um, and yeah, she was sort of saying, she was like, Oh, I saw Jess up there, so I thought, like, I better go and help out.
Oh my god, that's what it felt like we were watching. Like it, it actually felt like, okay Jess is, we all know how amazing Jess is in Hills and she's going to take this race on. And it felt like Jen saw her and was like, I don't want her to do this alone. Like I'm going to go go and just like run with her. And in the, oh my god, in the room watching it, Everyone was like screaming. I,
Oh, that's so exciting.
just this, like, we all knew, there's no way, like, it's not gonna happen. They're not, they can't win this race. Like, they're just, surely it's not possible, it's not possible. But it was just this one moment of being like, What if like, are we like, imagine it was just this insane, like thing of like, I guess also just this recognition of how far we've come as a country in this sport to have these two athletes.
And yeah, I was like, I don't know, you know, it was like, it was just a beautiful moment to be like, the women in Australia have absolutely. Performed so well in the Olympics. And now we're almost just seeing the pinnacle of that, which is these two Aussie women, like taking out the hardest part of the marathon, taking the course on, taking on these runners that we all know are better.
We all know like that, you know, their chances of winning a much higher, but it didn't stop them like going out there and just giving it a crack. It was amazing.
it was so amazing. I think that's a really good, uh, summary. It's like the Australian women, this whole Olympics have just sort of like gone above and beyond. And then for like, yeah, in the last event, Um, and something that is just like notoriously being like dominated by the African athletes for them to just be like giving it a red hot crack. It also, it shows a lot of courage. Like you're at the, like the first hills.
We knew it was a hilly course for, and that's when they're like hills had started. like, I, I don't know, you obviously like. Like, you can't really get a gauge when you're watching it on TV. But it was hot, but it was so humid. Like, getting around Paris has been, especially over that weekend, like the weekend was like warmer than any other days that we were there.
And it was hot, but as soon as you, like the few little runs that I'd been on, as soon as you start running, it's you realise like how sweaty and like muggy it is. Those conditions were so tough. They were really, really hard.
it's not even like they did that and then it was really dumb and they blew up. They both finished so strong. Like they both, like, that was kind of, that was kind of within their capabilities. And that was, especially for Jess, that was obviously her strength and she was gonna lean into it.
It was so cool. Um, and then, yeah, the race continued. They went, downhill for a bit and then up a really steep climb and then it was a steep downhill for quite a few kilometers.
and by the time the hills had finished, there was like a smaller pack of Uh, six or so athletes and I feel like the notable mentions were the fact that Safaan Hussan who Is the dutch woman who we've spoken about a little bit who was doing the 5k the 10k And the marathon so she was notably still up there like she was hanging off the back But she was still there and in my head. I kind of thought the longer that she hangs on for The more likely she is to win because we just know that she's Bye
Yeah.
Yeah, her kick is like faster, but at the same time, you've also got Assefa, the Ethiopian, who's also the world record holder in there. And you've got Helen Obeiri,
Who, um, won Boston twice?
so, yeah, then it was sort of, then it was down to four. And then with about a couple of Ks to go, Sharon Lekety, the Kenyan. dropped back just a tiny bit. And all of a sudden you sort of thought, okay, the medals are going to be Hassan Assefa and Obeiri. We just didn't know what color they were going to get. and then I feel like this was just the most crazy finish ever.
It was wild.
Particularly considering the hills and the course you like, you know, you saw it in the guys, how. They'd strung out quite a bit. Whereas like even the heat, the heels, the humidity, they were still like, it was so crazy. You were just like, wait, who is going to win?
I think it looked from the camera, it looked like, Tags Assefa was just, for the last five Ks, ramping up the pace as
Mmm.
could. And it looked like the other athletes were all just trying to hang on. Everyone was dropping off. But then with like a K to go, um, Obiri was still there and Safan was still there. And that was when it was like, Oh my God, what is going to happen here? Like
is going on? Yeah.
down to a sprint finish? But yeah, so with a K to go, Assefa took up, took off, Safan went with her and they were just, again, just like ramping up the pace and it must've been what, 250 to go?
Yeah. I think so.
it just became an all out sprint finish. And, and Assefri is like running in front and Safan's coming up behind her. And Assefri is literally cutting her off to try and avoid her coming around the outside to the point where they collided. And it like, I don't know, again, I don't know what it was like watching and I'm very keen to hear, but like watching it in real life, but in the watch party, literally everyone was like screaming. It was so
Oh, it was, it was crazy. So yeah, by this stage we, cause you had to have tickets. the finish. So we were just on the outside, like sweating, watching it on the little phone. And it kind of looked like they bounced off each other, which is also bananas considering that they've just run like 41. 9 kilometers at a ridiculous pace. Like, I feel like your legs would be so wobbly. The fact that like one of them didn't fall?
Imagine what a disaster that would have been. That would have been so
Oh, yeah. I know.
fallen. yeah, and then basically, like, Assefa just could not match the speed or just the intensity of Safan, who I love watching those last few hundred meters. Her, I mean, we spoke about Jess Hall's form, how her form stayed so strong. Safan is like arms and everywhere,
the opposite.
so fast. Yeah, she looks like a spider or something. She's just like limbs and she's like looking behind her like so desperately but she is flying. She is
it is crazy.
fast.
and to think that she had run, I mean, before the marathon, she'd already, in that last week, had run 20 kilometres on the track in spikes.
Yeah.
Um, anyway, so she ended up winning by three seconds in an Olympic record, actually, in a time of 2. 22. then, Assefa second, Obiri third, and then, Jess Stenson, our Aussie gal, in, she had a sprint finish as well, in 13th. So the first American came one second behind her, and then there was an athlete as well, two seconds behind Jess. So it was like, it was so close, like the whole time. It, which is like kind of crazy, like imagine being in a sprint finish in a marathon. I just like, I can't.
it is insane, all those sprint finishes, and then Jen finished in 24th,
Yeah.
unbelievably strong finish. it was also sort of a sprint finish at the end, actually.
it was a photo finish between her and the Spanish athlete.
like how you have anything left to give after that
I know. Genuinely.
just insane. But yeah, I think, um, both Jess and Jen, unbelievable races. Jess, obviously.
I think the thing that stood out for me is that obviously there was a lot of controversy going into the games with the selection, and I feel like Jess was sort of the brunt of a lot of the criticism or just like a lot of the discussion. of like, should she have been picked, that kind of thing. So I think in a way that she probably would have had quite a bit of pressure on her to perform. And I just think she's honestly one of the most amazing athletes and people.
I just feel like she has so much compassion for everyone else and like, is super genuine about it. But God, she is so tough. Like she literally. That is nuts, like, I don't know, like, in comparison, obviously it was like a really hilly course. She's finished under four minutes behind the winners and behind the world record holder. and like the world record is 2. 16, so like comparatively, like she has gone so, like yeah, she's just, she's done so well.
I mean, I think she did a really good job at kind of distancing herself from all the controversy, but there must have been a little part of her that felt vindicated by her performance. I mean, it, yeah, any, anyone who doubted why she was selected, um, probably feeling pretty silly right now. 24th.
Jen, I feel like 24th place is Bananas. That is so good. And I just feel like it's because Jess obviously finished in 13th at that sort of like it, it overshadows it a little bit. Like Jen's run is absolutely nuts. Like that's her third marathon and also her first championship race.
Oh. It makes me excited for the next Olympics, actually.
Oh, a hundred percent. Yeah. gosh,
Well, that is it for our daily interview. wraps, even though this one's a couple of days late, but, um, you will hear a little bit more from us in our episode of The Shopping on Monday. We're going to unpack just some of our biggest overarching takeaways and things we learned from the Olympics because, um, yeah, there's a lot, a lot to happen that we haven't spoken about yet and we're excited to unpack it all.
thank you so much for these daily Fs. I've loved it.
It has been so much fun.
all right. We will be in your ears on Monday.
Woo!
like showing some more compassion to them. We can cut that bit out. Um,
I can tell in your head when you're like, oh, I'm not going to keep, like, we'll cut this bit out. I'm just going to wrap this sentence up and then move on.