In the women's 800 in London today, Australia's Catriona Bisset took one full second of her pb and ran 1:58.78 for runner-up honors, which broke Charlene Rendina's long-standing Aussie national record of 1:59.0 which had stood since February 28, 1976.
Quick Take: Catriona Bisset has had an amazing journey to the NR
If you look up Bisset on the results database tilastopaja, it looks as if the 25-year old just recently picked up the sport as it only lists results starting in 2016. Take a look at this progression.
2016: 2:11.85 sb
2017: 2:09.45 sb (56.65 400)
2018: 2:03.48 (57.01 400)
2019: 1:58.78 NR (56.52 400)
(The IAAF site also lists a 2:29.58 800 for her in 2012 and a 59.67 400 for her in 2011)
In reality, Bissett competed at her first national meet at age 12 but then took 4 years away from the sport as she dealt with an “eating disorder, anxiety and depression in her late teens and early 20s” according to a fantastic profile of her on abc.net.au.
Bisset is coached by Peter Fortune, who famously guided Cathy Freeman to Olympic gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in the 400. and Fortune thinks Bisett’s talk about her past struggles really helps.
"I'm really happy she embraces that and talks about it (her past),” said Fortune in the abc.net.au article.
"I think she will be excellent [for] … a lot of young athletes that maybe haven't had that type of role model."
Rendina’s previous NR from 1976, a year during which she made the Olympic semis, was the longest standing women’s national record in Australia and second longest overall. Peter Norman's 200m national record of 20.06 from the 1968 Olympics is the oldest record for Australia.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-01/catriona-bisset-reveals-mental-health-battle/11163494