Rising Tasmanian distance-running sensation Stewart McSweyn has run the fastest-ever mile on Australian soil, the quickest by an Australian in 15 years and the fastest worldwide in 2020 to cap off a phenomenal year on his road to the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games.
The 25-year-old, who will next year compete in his first Olympics if the Tokyo Games take place, last night ran 3:50.61 at the Penguin Track Meet at Tasmania's Dial Regional Athletics Track.
He recorded a 19-second victory after being paced by Adam Spencer to 800 metres in around 1:52, and smashed his personal best of 3:54.60 he had set in 2018.
https://twitter.com/seanwhipp/status/1343850298360569858?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
McSweyn had already broken the Australian 3000-metre record in Rome in September, which had been held by Craig Mottram since 2006.
And eight days later he grabbed the Australian 1500-metre record, which Ryan Gregson had held since 2010.
McSweyn, who hails from the nearby King Island, said he was rapt to perform at such a high standard in front of Penguin locals.
"Penguin's probably not a place most people associate with running fast, so it was pretty cool to put up such a good performance in front of a great crowd," McSweyn was quoted by the ABC.
"It's one of those old tracks like you'd find in many places around Australia. Obviously nowhere near the standard of the tracks we get in Europe, especially in the Diamond Leagues, but for a rural place it was a really decent track."
McSweyn has qualified for the 10000-metre and 5000-metre events at the Tokyo Games.
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