Coach Simon Hull says his daughter Jessica serves as inspiration that the greatest African middle-distance runners can be beaten.
It didn't quite happen in Saturday's Olympic 1500m final, but it took all the great Kenyan Faith Kipyegon had to hold the Australian off and claim an unprecedented third-straight Olympic title.
Hull, 27, took the silver in her second-fastest time of three minutes 52.56 seconds, with the prospect of even better to come in the next few years.
"Everyone who makes the Olympics believes they can medal or they dream of medalling," Simon Hull told reporters on Saturday night.
"She started believing and it wasn't a dream.
"It was: 'I can actually get out there, I'm going to shoot for gold. They're not untouchable'.
"The Africans are unbelievable athletes and due respect to them, at one stage they were so far in front of the rest of the world it wasn't funny.
"But I hope she showed the other girls to get out there and get after them.
"You can compete. And to the girls in Australia, we can compete."
Simon Hull first coached his daughter as a junior before convincing her to head to the US to spend time in the college system at the University of Oregon and then under coach Pete Julian.
She made the big call to return to Australia 12 months ago and again link up with her father.
Hi convinced her speed was key if she was to go with the likes of Kipyegon when the whips were cracking.
The meant the 5000m had to be dropped from her racing program.
"I know what wins races," said Simon Hull, who was a national-level middle-distance runner before taking up coaching.
"You can be as fit as you like but you have to be damn fast.
"So we made the big decision at the start of the year that we're dropping (the 5000m) and we're going to get fast.
"She was fast anyway but she needed to go to the next level.
"Her top end speed now after 12 months is chalk and cheese.
"She's a real threat in most races and she'll get better too."
