Welcome to the Cheeky Olympic Armchair Expert Series, where we are diving deep into the events we are most excited about for the upcoming Olympics and bringing you on the journey in the lead up to Paris. Hello, Anna. Hello, Phoebe. And hello, listeners. Now, Anna, what event will we be discussing today?
we're going to be talking about probably one of the most exciting events on the Paris Olympic calendar. and that is the women's 1500 meter race. We're going to discuss what is going to make this event so exciting. Tell the stories of our Aussie Olympians who you'll be getting behind, as well as some of the other ones to watch. So basically we are giving you all the information you need to sound like an absolute expert when it comes to the Paris women's 1500 metre race.
We actually also have an interview with our Aussie record holder and Paris Olympian, Jess Hull. so we were fortunate enough to interview her. this was a couple of weeks ago though, so this was pre, uh, Us and her knowing that she
So, that's a disclaimer because So it doesn't sound rude when we don't start the interview with, Wow, you just, you just broke the Aussie record. How are you feeling? So let's start. Anna, I want you to tell me why is the 1500 meter distance so exciting?
So I think the reason why it's so popular and amazing to watch is because it's
short
enough that It is like so exciting and you're so engaged, but long enough that it's not just the fastest person wins, like tactics really come into play with the 1500. so whether that be a bit like cat and mousey is in people are like going off a bit slower because no one wants to take the lead. And then it like really ramps up in the last one to two laps. and because it is sure enough, it means that there's heat semis and finals. So even to get to the final is really hard.
hard to do because they are quite often falls
and, and sprint finishes, people coming around the outside or through your inside who you didn't see.
So it's who can like safely make it through the rounds to the final, exerting the least amount of energy and then, who's fit enough on that third day, to make a race out of it. Yeah.
I feel like for a very long time when I didn't really follow athletics, which is most of my life, I did not get the 1500 meters. I didn't understand what the hype was about it. I feel like watching it a little bit more over the last couple of months in the lead up, it's the event that I've become most excited by.
Because, I guess, because of those reasons you said, it's this, it's like, it's this, middle ground between like the speedier shorter distances and the longer more strategic distances that kind of combines the best of both worlds. And I think what that means is often the best athletes are the ones like 1500 is like the event that they're going for. So you kind of get the most drama around that event and the most like fierce competitors competing in that event.
The other reason why the 1500 meter event is very exciting is that our Aussies are incredible going into this event. This is the strongest 1500 meter team we've had, I would say ever.
Across the board of each event, I think the 1500 meter women's is the one that Australia has the most depth in. so I feel like each of the women that are representing Australia, have the opportunity to make it to the final and not just make it to the final, but compete in the
but like compete in
in Tokyo, we had. two women make it to the final,
Jess and
and Lyndon, who
Hull and Hall.
there. Who are both going to be there again.
I think let's just, let's talk through, let's talk to Jess a little bit more and then we'll talk about Georgia, our third athlete as well, but, yeah, Jess has quite an interesting story because you'll hear more about this when we interview her, but Jess, has always been an incredibly talented athlete. She went over to college in the U S to Florida. I believe
Oh, Oregon. Go
over to Oregon. Did you do the little hand signal?
ha, ha. Ha, ha, ha, ha.
Yes, she does that. Um, yeah, sorry. She went to Oregon, uh, and was doing ridiculously well. And so it was a bit of a shock to everyone when she, a bit over a year ago, she moved back to Australia and back to Sydney and started training with her dad. And that was, that's pretty rogue. Like not a lot of people, we don't really have many elite athletes who are doing that, but she has just gone from absolute strength to strength since doing that.
Is in the absolute form of her life coming into Paris.
Yeah,
need a clap, but let's just do it
Crazy record! Crazy, um
Hall and Hull were going like one for one. They just kept swapping over the Australian record. So this will be Lyndon's third Olympics. The last Olympics, as we said earlier, she came fourth in the final, which is just crazy. And she's recently run a personal best of 3. 56, um, which is a, uh, Personal best by, I think over a second,
Yeah.
Yeah. So she had a bit of a slow start to the season. I feel like her coach must be really smart, like over the domestic season in the Australian summer, she wasn't running super well. whereas some other girls were like peaking then, which I guess, cause they were trying to make the Olympic team or she's just sort of built into it. So she's running better now than she has this whole year. Yeah. Which is exactly what you want. So once again, another one to watch.
go Lyndon!
and then Georgia Griffiths, the third, athlete to qualify has had an unreal season leading up to this
griffith Not to be confused with griffiths
Okay. Is that, is that a different
Or
just, just
it's wrong. It's wrong.
she's come out this season, leaning more into 1500 as well, and has really kind of found her stride. It feels like
so she's broken four minutes for the first time, which for professional, females who compete in the 1500 meters, the four minute mark is like this huge barrier and before this year, there was like barely anyone that had broken four, but this year there's all of a sudden, there are so many people that have
broken four minutes. Yeah, so she's
Yeah. So she's broken four minutes twice now. and she also, ran in the three kilometre in a diamond league. won it and also broke the Australian record and I think did a PB by 10, 15 seconds or
And did she beat Jess? She beat Jess in
Yeah, yeah, she beat Jess.
Hull. She came second at nationals against Jess and Lyndon. Yeah. She is just in unbelievable form right now. Yeah. I can't wait to see her
She's also, she's quite young. also Jess Hull is way younger than I thought. Jess Hull's only 27.
27. And
Georgia Griffith is Oh no, she's 27 as well. Okay. Yep.
Yeah. Incredibly impressive. Yeah.
Yep.
So, that's obviously our Aussies and I actually think they are all, I think that they all can absolutely make finals. Yeah. And then obviously we'll talk predictions, uh, at the end. Yeah. Who else is on your list? Who else are you keeping an eye on?
I am super excited to actually watch the American so all three, I feel like they're almost on a, similar level to the Australian women. They've just had their trials and Nikki Hiltz won. Ellie St. Pierre came second. And Emily Mackay came third. Nikki Hiltz is a formidable athlete. They won the U. S. Championships last year, and for those who are unacquainted, the U. S. Championships and the U. S. Trials is like a whole event in itself.
So it's like very different to Australia's model where it's more about like consistently racing well. They have, One event, and it's their trials. If you don't make the top three, then you're not in,
not
um, which is like pretty brutal. So it's like pretty cutthroat. Ellie St. Pierre. Has recently become a mom. She's got a one year old and she dominated the Olympic trials. She was the one leading it out and the others hung on to her and then sprinted home. Whereas, Ellie was the one doing the work. Her coach kind of talks about like how there's more to give. she also just put out an interview, post their 1500 meter at the US trials.
And, started speaking about how she had like got her period for the first time since childbirth, in the week of the trials and how navigating motherhood and being an elite athlete, is like quite complex and she was just saying how amazing women were and how she's just like in awe of all these women. So I feel like with the 1500 meter race, they all seem quite nice and like quite close. They all like very respectful of each other. Yeah. so yes, who are you
Yes. So Faith Kipyagon is the world record holder for the 1500 metres. She actually just got the world record, at Paris Diamond League. Which was
same race that Jess did her
time did she do? She
She was, she did sub 350, so she did 349.
Unbelievable. She is
I feel like she's in her own category. I feel like from recent races, like in the world champs last year and even events this year, if she doesn't win gold, like, it will be
be, like,
like a huge upset. So I feel like even though we're talking about these other women, who, uh, definitely going to be super competitive. I feel like it's fate's race to lose. Cause I feel like she's just on another
she's just on another level. She is. Yeah. I'm also,
But funny things happen in Olympic games.
that's definitely true. And I think, well, yeah, this next person could be one who could cause a bit of an upset, which is Safan, so find us on is a bit of a freak in the running world in a good way. so fun currently, she's qualified for four events. but so fun. It's one of the most entertaining runners to watch. I still remember her last Olympics was at the 1500 meters that she fell over. Yeah, it was. If you haven't, if you want to Google.
race
to watch, to watch just an absolutely insane performance. it's in, it's in the first round, in Tokyo and she falls over, which if you fully stack it in a 1500, like you're out of the race, like there's no coming back from that. She just gets up and just cruises past. I feel like she cruises past to win her heat.
heat. Or to perform very well in no
Yeah. Yeah, she's notorious for hanging at the back pack. But not just
the edge of your seat, because you never know what she's going to
off the back.
pull out. Gosh, she's like completely out of it and then I don't know, like all of a sudden it switches and then she's just like, all right, I'm on here and then just like storms past everyone. So she's really entertaining to watch. You can guarantee, almost guarantee, I don't want to say guarantee because if this doesn't happen then it's like awkward, but um, like she will not be leading. Yeah, like if she wins, she's like coming from the back to
win.
like not the front
front leg. It's bizarre. But then like
it's bizarre. But then like her interviews after and she's like, Oh, that was so hard, blah, blah, blah. And you're like, you've made it so difficult for yourself.
she's not really
Yeah. So she's almost opposite to faith in the sense that faith runs off the front and she just like runs until like, no one can keep up with her.
Yeah. We'll see.
We shall see.
is there anyone else you're keeping an eye on?
Um, Laura Muir, British runner. She came second in the Tokyo Olympics. and she's just like such a racer when it's important, like she gets up for it. She's a bit like inconsistent with some of her races. Like sometimes I feel like she's just not really in the mix. but always seems to be there when it counts and it's just a tough racer as well.
She also in the same race that Jess and Faith ran super well in, she finished third in that race and did a PB and broke the British record and ran three minutes, 53 seconds, which is. Insane.
I feel like I love watching Laura race because she's so tough and you know how some runners Just make it look easy.
doesn't.
you can see her face, the pain in her face and her body language. And she's just like pushing. It makes it so engaging to watch. Cause you're watching someone push themselves so far beyond what they're comfortable doing. And she, you can tell she just gives it absolutely everything. And you can't not get behind. I always find myself going for her. Yeah. Yeah. So. I can't wait. I can't wait. I can't wait to
I'm so excited. Talking about this now, I'm like,
I know. I know. So now you guys are going to be, uh, you're going to hear from Jess. So, as Anna said at the start, we sat down with Jess. a couple of weeks ago now, we've been saving it up to release as part of this episode. but we chatted to her about the Olympics and how she's feeling for them. She obviously, as we said, she hadn't yet broken this record, but it was one of the loveliest chats.
Like, I remember we both walked away from this chat just being, cause we were a bit nervous beforehand. We were like, Oh my God, it's Jess Hull. And then, and she was delightful.
Yeah, she was really nice. I think the thing that stuck out for me as well was she's really. switched on. Like she is so smart. Everything's like very methodical, very well thought out. And she's this, as you'll hear in the interview, she's this like really bubbly, almost like a little bit like shy, but she's
Sweet. She's
she's so sweet. But then like she gets on the athletics track and she is a
she is a beast. She is a beast, so enjoy.
Okay well, so great to meet you, Jess. Thanks again for giving us some time this afternoon. You seem to race with so much confidence to do things your own way. How do you cultivate that? Uh, I think, um I'm a confidence runner from like the splits I hit in training. And I know that's like, sometimes that can be a detriment, but I think, um, a lot of the time when we train, we train hard and we train with a lot of intensity.
So if I can do it in training, I go to the start line kind of feeling like, okay, I've done everything I can. Um, I've ticked off all the boxes. I've done the sessions. I've done the gym work. I've done the recovery. And if I can stand on the start line like that, I, I feel very confident. And then, um, yeah, I've usually have a lot of confidence in my race plan. I'm, I'm not one to hold back in the racing.
Usually I put myself way up there and, um, sometimes the wheels come off, but I, I think as I've gotten older, I've gotten a lot more consistent and I'm, I'm strong enough to hold on now. So I'm not really fearful of like blowing up. I'm kind of like, well, I'll try. And if I. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, I'll fix it and come back again next time. And there's another race probably next week somewhere else. Yeah, absolutely fearless.
well, on that note, like talk us through your decision to move away from training with a professional group and moving to your dad. Yeah, I think, um, it just, I just fitted where I was at as an athlete at that point in time. I think I've grown up a lot in the sport and I absolutely needed a group around me when I was younger and needed to learn the ropes and, um, had to figure out how the whole circuit works.
And, um, I learned so much from my time as a collegiate athlete, um, and then as a member of union athletics club with Pete Julian that like, I wouldn't be where I am now if I hadn't had those moments with them and those moments of growth. And there was some, like. Big challenges when we were all like working together in Portland and, um, learning how I worked as an athlete and learning how to kind of put me in the best position on the start line.
So I think, um, my professionalism now is absolutely owed to my time with that group. Um, and having learned how to, how to function as a true professional athlete and witnessing some of my training partners, like, um, Shannon Robery, Constance Klosterhoff and, um, and how they just went about their business and how professional they were. Um, in every moment of their waking hours. So I think that's kind of just something I learned along the way.
And, um, now I, I hope I'm a true professional athlete too. Thanks to my experiences with all of those guys. and so the events that you do, especially when you run them as fast as you do are over so quickly, what are you thinking about when you're racing?
Yeah, I think, um, I'm pretty, my race plan hasn't, honestly, in my mind, not really changed since I was like a collegiate kid, like, I kind of have four words that I think about and I just sort of go through those motions out there, um, like, my first one is position. So, for all, until I'm where I want to be in the race, that's all I'm thinking about is like, Find your position. And sometimes you do that in the first hundred meters. Sometimes it takes 400 meters.
Sometimes it takes a little further. Um, ideally it doesn't, but yeah, it's kind of, I keep it pretty simple and I just go through those. And then, um, kind of, as I get to the closing stages, I want to compete. And that's, um, that's kind of stops me from getting too far ahead of myself is if I just focus on the part of the race that I'm in at that time. And then you don't really sort of think about. This hurts a lot. And I still have a long way to go.
You think about where you are in that moment and what you're trying to do. And, um, it just keeps it pretty simple. Yeah. And then, so if you're not feeling like, just say the gun goes and then you're not feeling great. does your thinking change or do you still stick to those four words? Yeah, I think, um, as a younger athlete, it's definitely hard to push through when you don't feel good at the gun.
Um, but I have learned as an older athlete now that sometimes those first two laps in 15 don't feel good and then your legs come back. Um, and same thing in training, like when we're in big training blocks, like sometimes the first like rep or two can feel the worst because you're just like trying to get the junk out of your legs from everything that you've done so far that week.
Yeah. And then you kind of come into your running and, um, one that stands out to me the most, and that's, I always lean back on this when I'm like, if I'm warming up and I don't feel great is in college in like 2018 indoors. Um, I ran a huge PB in the mile, but for the first 800 meters, I felt like junk and I've never like forgotten that. I'm like, I don't know why I felt so bad that first 800, but then I like came back to life. So I kind of just like tricked myself into it.
If it doesn't feel good at the gun, I'm like, Oh, just give it another lap. It might come back. And, um, and, you know, usually it does. Cause I think you get caught up in racing and distracted by everything else that you stop thinking about how you're feeling. What a great lesson. Something we really love about you is like, you're really big on supporting other female athletes that you race against. I know, like in your Instagram captions, you're always calling them out and celebrating them.
why is that? I think just like. the sport is like, it's really hard. So when you sort of see someone do something pretty incredible, like you appreciate it and you respect it. And I think, um, like it's crazy. I keep, I've always had a massive respect for Laura Muir in the way that she races, but like, even Having ran the race I did at Prefontaine, it like gave me a new layer of respect to her.
And I was just like, I don't know, you just kind of sort of look at what she's done over the years and she's run, she's run very, very fast. And then she's also won a lot of races when she's been like the favorite and that's really, really hard to do. And I was like, wow, you just get to the level of like, okay, I'm running fast now. And then it's like, there's a whole new challenge. And like, I've just sort of gained a new level of like perspective for what Laura has been doing.
And then you sort of see what the Australians are doing as well. And the fact that everything's leveling up. And then like, God, I know when I ran 824 indoors at World Indoor Championships, I was like ruined. And I know the kind of training that it took to do that.
And then when Georgia does that in Oslo a few nights ago, it's like, wow, you like, I know how hard that is to do and like you've done it too and you just kind of respect that performance for what it is and it's pretty cool to see the like level of Australian women kind of leveling up and um, it just challenges everyone to be better and if you can appreciate the performance for what it is because you know what goes into it. It's way more enjoyable.
Something that is like so evident to your fans is, you're like, you're obviously, you just seem to come across so friendly, but then on the track, like such a competitor, like, how do you hold, both of those parts of your personality? Yeah, I think that I'm learning how to like, kind of be a little less friendly on the track. I think I naturally want to be like, very friendly with the women and stuff that I race against.
And then you sort of just like for that four minutes on the track, I think The Irish woman I race, Kira McGeehan, does a fantastic job with this because it's when we're racing, it's like nothing's, nothing's held back. But like, as soon as you cross the line, she's like the first person to crack a joke before you've even walked off the track. And I think that's just like, it's so unique to the women's 15 to the camaraderie.
But, um, I think, yeah, just, I am very determined and I know where I want to go and I know what I'm trying to do. But I also like, Know that you can be a great athlete and you can achieve your goals whilst also like enjoying the company of those around you. And if they know what goes into it all as well, it's like, it's pretty unique bond that you kind of make with these women.
It's like, it's pretty easy to be friends with them when you know that you're all in the trenches together in different places of the world, working hard for the same sort of goal. Um, I think that like mindedness just makes it like easy to be really friendly with them. Um, but I know that when we're all on the track, right.
We want to do the best that we can do and sometimes that's at the detriment of another person's race, um, or like it means your tactics might involve that person kind of thing, but I know that at least the top women that I'm racing against and the women I race against in Australia, I think we all know that there's a mutual respect for what we're doing, that it's, um, those four minutes that you're racing hard on the track, like there's no Personal, like, attacks taken.
It's just like, it's racing. We're all the same. I think we're all wired that way. Otherwise, we wouldn't be as successful as we are if, like, you didn't have that instinct once you, once the gun goes. What's one thing that running's taught you? What has it taught me? I think like you're always capable of a lot more than you think you are. And I think that applies to everything in life.
Um, it's like, if you think you can, you probably can, if you think you can't, you can't, um, or whatever that saying is, is like, I think if you can open your eyes to what's possible, like you can push through a lot of things and you can go a lot further than you think. Um, and sometimes.
Our mind is the thing that needs to be quietened like we're actually capable of a lot more than we are than our mind might be telling us as long as you can learn how to kind of Talk your way through it or like be positive and just kind of enjoy the moment that you're in, um, and not kind of think too far ahead. if you're running in 2024, could be, described in one word, what would it be? Oh, one word, um, Up leveling maybe is probably a good thing.
I'd say that's like everything covers everything. It's like racing at a new level. I'm training in a new level. Yeah. I think up level. Great word. Love that. Do recs, running recommendations. What's your number one running rec or like piece of advice or hack or tip that you've got? Yeah, I think kind of. Building a little group around you that makes it easy on the days where things are hard, it makes it easy to just keep committing.
Um, and then just like, I think a common mistake a lot of us will make is running too fast on our recovery days. And I think a good metric to remember and another good reason to have people around you is that your recovery day should be pretty conversational. And if you can't, Keep a conversation going without like too many breaths.
Um, you probably running too fast and, um, save that for the session days and your races and just go out and enjoy a good run with, um, with some friends and definitely hit up a coffee shop afterwards. Thank you so much. And yeah, best of luck with your training over in Europe and Paris and everything. We can't wait to like cheer you on from the sidelines. appreciate it. I'm actually no pressure whatsoever, but I've actually got tickets to the night of the women's 1500 final.
So hopefully I'll be there too. Yeah. Nice to meet you. Thanks for your time. No worries. I'm going to subscribe to the pod. Yeah. Thanks.
All right, let's go with some predictions. It's huge. So we're gonna predict who will win and, how we think the Australians
how we think who's going to win.
gonna win? Um, I'm gonna say Well, as we said, it's, it's Faith's race to lose. And I think if she loses it to anyone, it'll be, Oh, I want to say Jess
I know!
but the reality is like it, I mean, that would be an upset, but you know what? You've got to back in, you've got to back them in. So I'm going to say, I'm going to say Faith will win. But if someone beats her, it'd be Jess. Yeah, huge.
Oh my, can you imagine?
can you just actually imagine for a second, imagine if Jess won. That would be,
Oh, Phoebe's crying.
This is really emotional.
Just a really emotional time for me right now.
Hey, we, we probably would cry
I would cry. Yeah, I'll be there. I will be crying.
know.
I also yeah, I'm a bit the same like I feel like faith is as we sort of spoke about earlier. I feel like it's her race to lose, but I want to go someone different. But I can't.
I know, it's just, she's just so, I mean, the only thing is if Stefan comes out and just, does what Sophane does and just somehow cruises
don't think
And I think
to Sophane hasn't run 1500 this year
so many events and this is the last one. Oh no, Marathon's last, but this would be at the end of
her. So, if she, so, so, in theory, so if she runs all of these events, So that is the 1500 meter, the 5k, the 10k, and just presuming she gets into the final of the 1500 meters. That means she, on Saturday night, she's running the 1500 meter final. She will then go to bed, get up on the Sunday morning and run the
No, no, no, no, no. Not allowed. Nope, nope. Where is her mother to tell her? She's not going
She should not do this. Um, but yeah, I'm going faith. Okay,
what are your predictions for the Australians? Jess. Yeah, where? Silver medal. Silver?
Silver medal.
well I mean, I've put her, I've put her up at You've put her at
put her in gold.
nah, I put her at silver. I genuinely think Georgia and Lyndon should like, can both make the finals. Um, they're both in incredible form.
To the cheeky of this, I'm sorry. for listening to this episode of the cheeky Olympic armchair expert series.
Olympic
It's like quite a mouthful, isn't it? Yeah,
laughing after having
know. So, um, so we hope this has we hope that made you guys more excited for the upcoming Olympics. we hope you feel a little bit more informed about the races and we hope that you're getting behind the girls in the 1500 meters, hopefully three rounds.
How good!
Let us know who you think is going to win. Bye.