Jessica Hull has shown she will be in the mix for a medal in the final of the 1500 metres at the Tokyo Olympics after running an Australian record on Wednesday night.
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The Albion Park talent was fourth in her semi in a time of 3:58.81, shaving almost a second off Linden Hall's mark.
The pair have exchanged ownership of the record multiple times in the past year, with Hull holding the crown from September 2020 until Hall became the first Australian woman to break the four-minute barrier at a race in Melbourne in April.
Hall will join Hull in Friday night's medal-race after finishing third in her semi-final, the pair becoming just the third and fourth Australian women to qualify for the final of the 1500m event at the Olympics.
Remarkably, Australia is the only country to have two runners in this year's final.
Hull travelled to Tokyo determined to make the medal race after exiting in the semi-finals at the 2019 World Championships.
The US-based athlete's growth in that time has been considerable and she credited a desire to mix it with the world's best for her improvement.
"Early on in my pro career, once I graduated (from US college Oregon) we had a few races where I played it a bit safe," Hull told Channel 7.
"I just said to (coach Pete Julian) I never want to be running in the second race, I want to be in the first race and eventually I'll be in the first race hanging on.
"My last 100 wasn't pretty but I put myself in it for 1400m and I come away with the big Q and I'm so stoked to be going to the final."
While nice to be the fastest Australian woman of all-time, the mark will be of little consequence to the 24-year-old in Friday night's final as she races for a medal at the Olympic Games.
Hull was comfortable throughout Wednesday's semi-final, sitting near the front of the pack in a fast race.
There was more drama midway through the contest, Winny Chebet and Cory Ann McGee going down in yet another crash.
The Australian was not impeded and found herself in a group of five that broke off the front throughout the last 400m.
With the first five finishers automatically qualifying for the final, the group kept the pace on to ensure their place in the medal-race was not under threat.
Hall's race was slightly slower, the Australian taking charge of the pace when no athlete was willing to hit the front, it was a strategy that worked as she finished third to progress to the final.
Speaking post-race, the 30-year-old congratulated Hull for claiming her national record and she's confident they will push each other to go even faster in the years to come.
"I said when I ran it that it was only a matter of time before Jess did something similar," Hall told Channel 7. "Hopefully we can keep pushing each other and tag team that record. It's great for distance running in Australia."