It was the first time three Australians had been in an Olympic final, men or women, and to have all three in the top-8 was sensational. Kathryn Mitchell finished sixth (61.82m) to match her place in Rio and Mackenzie Little on Olympic debut was 8th (59.96m). 

Barber’s first reaction with her coach and husband Mike was tears of joy. And an outpouring of emotion after months of self-doubt. But the realisation of being an Olympic medallist soon began to sink in.   

“Oh my goodness. I live for these moments. I can’t tell you how much I have missed it these last few years, and just being out there and soaking it up. I love being an athlete, I love my event and I wanted to make the most of it,” Barber said. 

“I’ve definitely rode some ups and downs between qualification and the final. Moments of like, where are we? What are we doing? Can I do it? Yes, I can do it. Fighting for it. I just wanted to make the most of it. 

“I think that third throw on at the qualification was needed. I walked away and debrief with (my coach) Mike and there was a very clear difference in what I could execute on that throw. That’s where I started tonight. That was the intent, the focus and the clarity that we take into the final and we build from that. 

“I think I knew the girls were going to come hard. I did the same thing in Doha (at the world championships). That’s the beauty of the event. It’s not over until it’s over and for me I was fighting for gold, not aiming to stay in third. If the fourth placed went past me, then I was going past her. 

“The realisation that I was walking away with a bronze medal lifts the spirit straight away.” 

Barber hopes having three women in the final, and the other great performances from the Aussies women will inspire the next generation to aim high and work hard. 

“I am so proud of the Aussie girls and the way we have represented in the field, and on the track. I hope that we’ve inspired other young girls to throw or run on the track. It’s a beautiful sport and we’ve done ourselves proud. 

“To have three girls in the final, that’s just unbelievable. It’s been pure joy to see other Australians succeed. I was channelling every ounce of Australian pride tonight to do my best.” 

Louise Currey’s silver medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta still stands as Australia’s best placing. Barber’s throw is the best by an Australian since the change of implement in 2000.   

Mackenzie Little couldn’t reproduce her qualifying personal best of 62.37m but she gave it everything on all six throws and at 24 there is much more to come on the big stage. 

“That was surreal. To have three Australians out there in my first Olympics, I’ve never been to a competition like that before, and I’ve had the most amazing week,” Little said. 

“I think this season I have certainly stepped up. I’ve been consistent and been able keep really motivated. I’m really looking forward to the next couple of years. I can hold my own in the Olympic final and I deserve to be here.” 

Little is excited by the depth and great performances of the Australian Team.  

“The fact that Australia has so many on the big stage, it’s not just one or two icons, it’s a big group that absolutely belong to be there. We have such a presence in athletics and it’s a confidence boost for everyone coming up in the sport. 

“As we go towards Paris, we’ve got three girls that are at the top of our game. We have amazing domestic competition that gives experience competing against good people at home and I’m really excited.” 

Commonwealth Games Champion and Australian Record Holder (68.92m) couldn’t find the form that she was after and has shown so many times before. But after an extremely tough lead-in only working with her coach remotely due to COVID it was a remarkable performance to make the final and finish sixth in another Olympic final.  

China’s Liu Shiying, who was second to Barber in Doha, won the gold with a season best 66.34m and Poland’s Maria Andrejczyk claimed the silver with 64.61m, 5 centimetres ahead of Barber. And Barber held on to bronze by just four centimetres.  

 
Hall 6th and Hull 11 in fastest 1500m final in Olympic history 

It was fitting that Australia’s two fastest female 1500m runners in history, who were in the form of their lives, found themselves in the fastest 1500m final in Olympic history with some of the biggest legends of the sport. 

The pace was on from gum with Jessica Hull pushing forward and being around sixth and Linden Hall a few further back through the first 200m. 5000m champion Sifan Hassan (NED) was not sitting back. She led through the first 1200m with Rio Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon of Kenya right on her shoulder.  

The pace stretched the pack early and with two laps to run Hall and Hull found themselves adrift and working hard to bridge the gap. Hassan and Kipyegon and Laura Muir kept winding up the pace up. Kipyegon kicked away with 150 to go and Muir passed a fading Hassan in the straight. The Kenyan’s winning time of 3:53.11 was an Olympic record and Muir’s 3:54.50 for silver was a national record. Hassan’s (3:55.86) for bronze showed her schedule her in Tokyo may be taking its toll. 

Hall finished strong for sixth in a personal best 3:59.01, just short of Hull’s Australian record of 3:58.81 in the semi-final. Hall’s performance is the best placing by an Australian woman in any distance event for a quarter of a century. Margaret Crowley was fifth in the Atlanta 1996 final. 

Hall enjoyed the fast final and how she handled the early pace and split field. 

“It was absolutely the most pleasant of all the rounds, but also the fastest, scariest and most important,” Hall said. 

“I got caught a bit further back than the other rounds, but then I saw the splits and realised it was OK to be back where I was. It was pretty quick. I was able to work my way through and come home strong.” 

“Honestly, top-eight is always a big goal. I was the first person to miss the final in Rio. The big one was to make the final and anything from there was a bonus. It took the pressure off an allowed me to enjoy the moment.” 

“I hope we (Hull) can keep tag teaming it over the next few years, it’s good for distance running in Australia and there are some young girls coming up that will benefit from the developing strength of the fields at home.” 

Hull’s 11th in 4:02.36 was another impressive performance by the 24-year-old at her second major championship and she is proud of what she has achieved, and she wants more. 

“It was quick, and I think Linden did a much better job than me at being patient. I was trying to hold my position a little too decisively and I should have probably recognised that and known it was OK to be a little further back,” Hull said. 

“I tried to go with Linden but didn’t have the legs today. I thought I would as the 3000m and the 5000m are my strengths.” 

“I’m proud of the Games I’ve put together and hopefully when it comes to Paris, I’ll be ready do that little bit more, alongside Linden, with another young Aussie with us.” 

Montag storms to sixth in women’s 20km race walk 

Road action also continued in Sapporo, with the trio of Jemima Montag, Katie Hayward and Rebecca Henderson making their Olympic debut in the women’s 20km race walk. 

Competing in challenging conditions on Japan’s northern island, Montag faired best crossing an impressive sixth in a time of 1:30:39. 

Among the lead pack for the first 15km until the pace quicken as they went from around 4:25s to a 4:15 minutes for the next kilometre. Montag, the Commonwealth champion, was able to maintain her 4:25 pace to the finish for a magnificent sixth place, our second highest place in Olympic history and second only to Jane Saville’s bronze in Athens 17 years ago.  

“I was ranked 16th going in, it’s my first Games and I’m 23, and race walkers tend to have a long career, so I was really hoping to stay in the race until it was over. We stayed as a pack until 15-kilometres, then people made their move, but I’ve got a few more years to come,” Montag said. 

“I’ve got a really experience coach in Brent Vallance. He coached Jared Tallent, an Australian sporting icon, who’s got a gold silver and bronze. I dream about being on the podium in three years’ time and I trust that together I can get there.” 

“The Australian team are really lucky to have a crew of sport scientists behind us. I noticed that we were the only ones doing an aggressive pre-race cool, ice baths and ice vests. We thought that would buy us a bit of time until the rise in core temperature. The race came here to escape the heat, but it’s 31 degrees and we’ve prepared for these conditions.” 

“A big thank you to my family. I lost my Nanna recently. She was a Holocaust survivor, and I used her strength through that entire thing.” 

Both Hayward and Henderson also competed admirably, with the Oceania Athletics Championship silver medallist Hayward crossing the line in 37th in a time of 1:38:11. Henderson finished ten seconds later in 1:38:22, placing 38th. 

Four more finalists on final night at Olympic Stadium 

The final day of competition at the Olympic Stadium tomorrow features both Nicola McDermott and Eleanor Patterson in the final of the women’s high jump, while Stewart McSweyn and Ollie Hoare duel for medals in the final of the men’s 1500m. 

In Sapporo, the women’s marathon features four-time Olympian Lisa Weightman alongside Sinead Diver and Ellie Pashley. 

Cody Lynch, Sascha Ryner and Andrew Reid