EUROPEAN SEASON REVIEW | STEWART MCSWEYN
Three Word Analysis: Medal hopes rising
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EVENT
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Season’s Best
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Personal Best
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1500m (3)
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3:31.48
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3:31.48
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3000m (1)
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7:28.02
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7:28.02
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5000m (2)
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13:09.83
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13:05.23
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In 2019 McSweyn proved that he was not far off the pace when it came to the best athletes in the world; yet in 2020 the Australian is showing that he is one of them.
For an athlete of his calibre, reaping a haul of two personal bests in the space of a month should be considered an outstanding season.
But running a 6.77 second personal best that eclipses Craig Mottram’s Australian record by 4.17 seconds? Madness.
When the King Islander’s season started with a 13:13.22 for 5000m in Monaco and not many bat an eyelid, it was clear the expectations of McSweyn had been raised for 2020.
Just over a week later he proved why when throwing down the gauntlet to Timothy Cheruiyot and Jakob Ingebrigtsen in Stockholm over 1500m, which in itself is a commendable achievement, enhanced by recording a new personal best of 3:31.48 to finish in 3rd placing.
Returning to the action in Gothenburg over 5000m, the world championships representative proved a class above when running 13:09.83 to claim a new stadium record and storm away from the field.
Racing with supreme confidence, the 25-year-old continued his rampage over 1500m in both Ostrava (3:34.25) and Zagreb (3:32.17), where he finished 3rd and 1st respectively.
But the biggest bombshell came in the form of a 7:28.02 3000m at the Rome Diamond League to become the fastest Australian ever over the distance, but more impressively move into 17th on the all-time list.
It’s a telling stat for McSweyn, who is determined to find an extra 5% ahead of Tokyo in 2021 and land himself on the podium.
McSweyn headlines a strong 1500m at the Doha Diamond League on September 26, where he will compete for the win again.
By: Lachlan Moorhouse, Athletics Australia
Posted: 22 September 2020
