Australia has secured two top-eight finishes, including a bronze medal to Jared Tallent (Vic), in the men’s 50km walk at the IAAF world championships, as Luke Adams (NSW) finished fifth after race leader and teammate Nathan Deakes (Vic) was forced to withdraw with injury.

 

Tallent’s medal winning performance here is his first at a world championships and ensures a fantastic recovery after placing 27th in the men’s 20km walk last Sunday.

 

Adams’ fifth place improves on his sixth in the same event from Berlin (GER) two years ago and provides Australia with its fifth top-eight finish at the championships to move the Flame to 13th overall on the points table.

 

Tallent, a dual Olympic medallist, said: “To come out here and get a medal means a lot, I’m really satisfied after a what I would say has been a bad build-up to the championships.

 

“You train so hard all year and to finish 27th in the 20km event wasn’t great, I knew I needed to turn it around.

 

“I’ve done that with bronze and I am just stoked.”

 

Adams added: “The 50km walk is a killer race, you’ve really got to time your move. It is so easy to overdo it and not make the end so I am happy.”

 

“I didn’t leave anything out though, I’ve had a pretty good training block but these past few weeks I have had niggles so getting to the line and delivering a top-eight is fantastic.”

 

For Deakes, this event was his first major international championship hit-out since the 2007 IAAF world championships when he won gold in the men’s 50km walk. A former world record holder in the event, Deakes was a clear leader before ahamstring injury forced his withdrawal.

 

Led out by Korean athletes and crowd favourites Junghyun Yim and Dong-young Kim, the pace picked up quickly with Yohan Diniz (FRA) making an early break from Sergey Bakulin (RUS) and Flame athlete Deakes. The trailing duo joined him out front to head through 10 kilometres in 44:31. Holding their spots, Diniz was then disqualified shortly after.

 

Deakes moved into the outright lead, heading through the 20 kilometre mark in 1:28:03. Adams was the next Australian through in 10th (1:29:49), with Tallent 12th (1:29:51).

 

As Deakes extended his lead to more than 50 seconds on Bakulin (second) at thehalf way mark, Tallent and Adams made their move into the top ten. The Australian trio headed through 30 kilometres with Deakes (2:11:31) out front, and Tallent (6th, 2:13:51) and Adams (9th, 2:14:14) surging forward.

 

It was then that Bakulin rallied, moving ahead of Deakes who unfortunately strained his right hamstring and was shortly after forced to withdraw. Tallent entered the battle for silver shortly after alongside Denis Nizhegrodov (RUS) and Tianfeng Si (CHN). At 40 kilometres, Bakulin crossed first in 2:55:54, with Tallent second (2:57:42).

 

Tallent held his top-three spot to take home Australia’s second medal of the championships, crossing the line in a season best 3:43:36 for bronze. 

 

Bakulin, who was the world leader when he arrived in Daegu, won the event in 3:41:24, as his countrymen Nizhegrodov ensured a one-two finish by winning silver in 3:42:45.

 

Athletics Australia