WEEKEND WRITE-UP: Hall breaks Australian 1500m record, Col Pearse enjoyed a golden national championships and Surfing returned in Newcastle

​In VIS sport, Linden Hall broke the 1500m record at Box Hill and became the first Australian female to go sub 4 minutes, while Col Pearse enjoyed a golden Multi-Class Swimming Championship on the Gold Coast.


Athletics

Linden Hall set a blistering new Australian record, becoming the first Australian woman to run under four minutes in the 1500m, clocking 3.59.67 at the Box Hill Track Classic.

The run, which is under the Tokyo 2020 qualifying standard, saw Rio Olympian Hall reclaim the Australian record she held from 2018 until 2020 from Jessica Hull.

“3:59, sub-4, pinch me. So much love and thanks to everyone involved.” She took to her social media.  

The run also came just a week after setting a personal best in the 800m, running a 1.59.22.

Sourced: Australian Olympic Team

Col Pearse found himself on top of the podium on several occasions during the 2021 Australian Multi-Class Swimming Championships at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre over the long weekend.

Pearse (S10) started his goal medal haul on the first morning, taking the spoils in the Boys 17-18yrs 100m Freestyle Multi-Class race. Clocking 56.30, Pearse blitzed to the finish line to beat out City of Sydney’s Henry Hughes.

Laster that evening he added another two gold medals to his collection, taking home the men’s 100m Butterfly Multi-Class and the Boyd 17-18 50m Butterfly in the Age event.  

The following day Pearse showed his dominance in his pet butterfly event, finishing fastest to take home the gold in the Boys 18-18yrs 100m Butterfly Multi-class.

To complete his gold medal haul, Pearse then went on to win a fifth in the Boys 17-18yrs 100m Breaststroke Multi-Class event in a time of 1:17.51.

Surfing

It was exciting to see the World Surf League competition return to action with the Rip Curl Newcastle Cup presented by Corona starting up over the long weekend.

VIS scholarship holder Nikki van Dijk was back doing her thing over the three-to-four-foot waves on Merewether beach. Van Dijk was able to progress through the seeding round into the Round of 16, where she just fell short of France’s Johanne Defay.

Eliminated in ninth place, van Dijk will now set her sights to the third round of the Championship Tour set to commence April 16th in Narrabeen, NSW. 

Related news

See all our partners

VIS is proudly supported by