ATHLETICS: Jared Tallent (Vic) and Tanya Holliday (SA) have ensured their automatic selection to the Australian Flame for the 2013 IAAFWorld Championships after dominant performances to win at the Australian & Oceania 20km Race Walking Championships.
 
In an impressive representation of the depth in arguably Australia’s strongest event, the gold medal winning duo were joined by Dane Bird-Smith (Qld), Luke Adams (NSW) and Cheryl Webb (NSW) inposting A Qualifying performances, while Tallent’s younger sister Rachel Tallent (Vic) recorded a B Qualifier.
 
Holding court in a lead pack that included Bird-Smith, Adams and Chris Erickson (Vic,fourth, 1:25:15), Tallent broke away at the 3km mark to move through the first two laps of the two-kilometre course in 16:36.
 
He widened his gap across the course of the next six kilometres to move through the half-way point in 40:51, as Bird-Smith and Adams battled it out for second and third place clearly in front of the remaining starters.
 
Bird-Smith then made a slight gain on Tallent heading into the final four kilometres to see them split by less than half a minute. The gap remained, however, as Tallent clocked 1:22:10 to win from Australian under 20 10,000m walk recordholder Bird Smith (second, 1:22:27) and 2007 IAAF Race Walking Challenge champion Adams (third, 1:23:48).
 
Tallent’s triumph is his sixth consecutive Australian 20km title, and provides the perfect opening to a year in which he hopes to add World Championships gold to a major championship trophy cabinet that includes three Olympic medals (two silver, one bronze).
 
Tallent said: “Another win in the 20km event, I’m very happy with that. It’s my first race in a long time and makes be pretty excited heading into another race in China this coming Friday.
 
“For me 2013 is centred around the 50km event at the World Championships. I want a gold medal to sit alongside the silver and bronzes that I have won and by focusing in on a single event I am confident that could be a possibility. The program in Moscow makes it very hard to do both.
 
“My wife Claire and I are making some pretty big changes this year by moving toAdelaide soon and also with her taking over as my coach. It’s been a good move for me so far, I am stoked to have her there with me every session and her support is insurmountable.”
 
Equally thrilled by his result, Bird-Smith’s time is a massive improvement on his personal best and highlights what he is capable of after what he described as a disappointing result at the IAAF World Race Walking Cup last year.
 
Bird-Smith added: “I’m just amazed. I wanted to come down here to show myself and the walking community that I am capable of a time that earns me a spot for World Championships and hopefully today’s performance is a big step in the right direction for making that a reality.
 
“Moscow will be a real dream. If I can bring my time down closer towards a 1:22:00 flat I am certain that I could challenge for a top-16 finish and for someone my age that would be a fantastic result. Plenty of work to do for that to happen though.”
 
In the women’s event, Holliday joined Regan Lamble (Vic) in the lead to record a four-kilometre split time of 18:01.
 
Lamble, who made her Olympic debut in London (GBR) last year, was forced to withdraw in the next lap as Holliday extended to an unassailable lead at the ten-kilometre mark before clocking a 12km split of 55:30.
 
Webb sat comfortably behind Holliday in second, as R. Tallent quickened her pace to move into third place ahead of local Stephanie Stigwood (Tas, fifth, 1:38:33).
 
Holliday, Webb and R. Tallent remained in the medal positions, with Holliday clocking 1:34.32 to win from Webb (second, 1:35.46) and R. Tallent (1:36:50)
 
Holliday said: “I’m happy to have won, but I am really disappointed with the time. At least I now know that I will be in the team for World Championships, but if I want to be in the mix I need to move quicker.
 
“I don’t want to sound overly disappointed though because making my first open Australian team is a real honour. It’s something I have been working towards for many years and I am so happy that it will happen in 2013.
 
“It was a bit disappointing to lose Regan early. She’s a great athlete and I am sure she will be back. The performances of Cheryl and Rachel were great though as well. There are always plenty of people in the mix when you talk race walking in Australia.”
 
In the junior 10km events, IAAF World Junior Championships representative Brad Aiton (Qld) took line honours in the boy’s event in a time of 43:27, as Nathan Brill (Vic) recorded yet another qualifier for the IAAF World Youth Championships to finish second in 43:46.
 
The girl’s event was won by Jessica Pickles (Qld) in a time of 49:34.
 
The Australian & Oceania 20km Race Walking Championships has now been held in Hobart (Tas) for three consecutive years, with the event doubling as Round 1 of the IAAF Race Walking Challenge.
 
The National Athletics Series now shifts its attention to the Qantas AustralianAthletics Tour, beginning in Sydney (NSW) on Saturday 9 March.

Athletics Australia