Aussie Griffith shines over 3000m at Diamond League

Australia's Georgia Griffith leads on her way to victory in the Diamond League 3000 metres. (EPA PHOTO)

In-form middle-distance runner Georgia Griffith has claimed her maiden Diamond League 3000m win, also breaking the Australian and Oceania records.

While the women's 3000m is not an Olympic event, Griffith also chopped a whopping 13 seconds off her personal best and it came a few days after she qualified for Paris in the 1500m.

She was the only Australian winner at the Oslo leg of the Diamond League, with Jessica Hull finishing third behind her.

Matt Denny was second in the discus behind world record holder Mykolas Alekna and Catriona Bisset finished third in the 800m.

Griffith took the lead with 100m left to beat Ethiopia’s Likina Amebaw in eight minutes 24.20 seconds, taking the national record from Hull.

“Much to my surprise I am really enjoying the longer distances. The 3000m might be my new favourite distance,” the 27-year-old Canberra native said.

"I'm quite new to 3000, I do a lot of 1500s so I usually die in the latter parts but today I kicked really well and finished strong.

"I got lucky today. I really like this race but the 1500 is my main event."

Hull posted 8:25.82, behind Amebaw’s 8:24.29, less than one week after shattering the Australian 1500m record in Eugene, Oregon.

Rose Davies was 12th and Lauren Ryan finished 14th.

Denny had mixed feelings about his top throw of 67.61m, as Lithuania's Alekna set a meet record of 70.91m.

“It’s another solid night. I wouldn’t say that I’m happy with it - again, I’m Mr Critical - but I was really happy with how things were building," Denny said.

"I finally found that rhythm that I need for those big throws but the second I got it, the rain came in of course.

“The whole comp struggled and a lot of guys had to pull out."

Bisset surged on the last lap to post 1:59.29, behind Russia’s Prudence Sekcgodiso (1:58.66) and Jamaica’s Natoya Goule-Toppin (1:59.10).

In the men’s 1500m, Oliver Hoare was the first Australian across the finish line in 3:31.08 to finish in sixth place, as Norway’s Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigsten won in 3:29.74.

Hoare is now the fastest Australian over the distance in the Olympic qualifying period, ahead of Stewart McSweyn who clocked 3:38.22 to round out the field of 14.

Elsewhere on an eventful night, Ethiopia's Hagos Gebrhiwet won the men's 5000m in the second fastest time in history with a sizzling final lap.

The 30-year-old, whose last major global medal on the track was bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics, passed teammate Yomif Kejelcha with one lap remaining to cross in 12:36.73 seconds, clocking a blistering 54.99 seconds on his final lap.

Akani Simbine of South Africa sprinted to victory in the men's 100m in 9.94 seconds, just off the season's fastest time of 9.93 set by Americans Christian Miller and Kendal Williams.

American Brittany Brown won the women's 200m, clocking 22.32 out of lane eight, but world champion Shericka Jackson's early-season struggles continued.

Jamaica's Jackson, the second fastest woman ever over the distance, finished fifth in 22.97.

Great Britain's Matthew Hudson-Smith won the men's 400m in 44.07 - second fastest in the world this season - to break his own European record.

- with Reuters

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