Australian 1500m runners Jess Hull and Ollie Hoare have attained podium finishes in the Birmingham Diamond League meet but other Aussies have fared less well.
Jess Hull and Ollie Hoare have produced promising displays in the season's second Diamond League meet, in Birmingham, England.
The two 1500m runners were the pick of Australian performances in windy conditions at the Alexander Stadium, which will host the athletics events at this year's Commonwealth Games.
In the women's race Hull impressed but lacked the finishing speed to overtake Laura Muir, Scotland's Tokyo Olympic silver medallist, who pulled clear with 100m to go. Hull finished in 4 mins, 03.42 secs, 0.61 secs behind Muir.
"Each race brings a little more confidence and there has been big progress towards where I need to be as a championship contender later this season. It's really fun to ride the momentum of one solid race into the next one," said Hull.
She added: "Racing Laura in front of a British crowd was the perfect insight into the atmosphere we will have at the Commonwealth Games. The crowd were so loud."
Hoare was to the forefront throughout the men's 1500m but also lacked the kick to overtake eventual winner, Kenya's Abel Kipsang. He nevertheless ran a season's best 3.36.54.
Compatriot Matt Ramsden led at the bell before finishing 11th while Stewart McSweyn, who is still recuperating from COVID-19, came 14th.
In the men's 800m Peter Bol came ninth, which was disappointing having come second in the Diamond League's opening event in Doha last week. Canada's Marco Arop won the event.
Rose Davies came 10th and Izzi Batt-Doyle 12th in the women's 5000m, which was won by Ethiopia's Dawit Seyaum.
Off the track Matt Denny finished fifth in the discus with a throw of 64.15m. Slovenia's Kristjan Ceh won with 71.27, the event's longest throw this year.
Georgia Griffith withdrew prior to the women's 1500 with illness.
Elsewhere Canada's Aaron Brown took the men's 100m in 10.13s with Olympic champion Andre de Grasse fourth. Both American Trayvon Bromell - the fastest man in the world last year -and local hope Zharnel Hughes were disqualified for false starts.
Briton's Dina Asher-Smith held off the challenge of Jamaica's Shericka Jackson to win the women's 100m in 11.11 seconds.
