30.09.2007

Adams secures World Challenge title

AIS athlete Luke Adams has signed off his season in triumphant style, taking out the IAAF Race Walking Challenge overnight.

Saransk in Russia set the scene for the final edition of the Challenge, which saw Russia’s Vladimir Kanaykin take victory in a newly established world 20km race walk record time of 1:17:16.

Second place secured the Challenge title for Adams, the 30 year-old crossing the line in 1:21:03.

Norwegian Eric Tysse, the main rival for the title, was forced to withdraw mid-race with a hip injury.

Athletes who competed in four of the eight Challenge events this year (seven events plus the Osaka World Championships) were eligible for the ‘overall awards’ which amounted to US$202,000, with a handy US$30,000 for the winner.

Sitting third in the standings coming into the Final, Adams had placed second twice and not finished lower than seventh in five editions of the Challenge – a record which will gave him confidence leading into last night’s 20km race.

With a number of Osaka competitors absent due to Russian visa obstacles and administration issues, the door was wide open for the Adams, who finished seventh in Osaka, to take home the handy pocket money.

Yesterday’s race was played out in cool, windless conditions on a newly resurfaced 2km loop course.

Kanaykin built up a eight-second lead early at the 5km reached in 19:25, but was then quickly joined by Valeriy Borchin, Igor Yerokhin and junior champion Sergey Morozov making his debut.

At 10km, the four shot through in 38:28, with the rest of the field trailing in their wake.

At this stage, Adams was more than a minute back, with Tysse who was struggling with a hip injury a minute further. Both were vying for the top $30,000 Challenge prize, but on the next lap Tysse called it a day unable to shrug off a hip injury sustained in Osaka.

Kanaykin shrugged off the opposition to take the victory and Adams moved through from fifth to second having passed just Vladimir Stankin.

“The course was perfect but it seemed long because of the long straight. My PB is 1:19:19 so 1:21:03 is not so good for me,” Adams explained to Paul Warburton, reporting for the IAAF.

“I was hoping to get fifth place and I feel very lucky to have finished second. I was hoping for a fast time here as I trained hard for Osaka.

“I am tired with all the travelling and only trained once a day. There were a lot of problems getting here but once we did, the course, food and organisation have been perfect.”

Adams will return home for a long awaited rest, during which he will sit down with coach Craig Hilliard to plan preparations for the Beijing Olympics.

“I still have some refinements to make to maximise efficiency and power for the coming year. I have some issues to resolve in the 50km walk event, but I expect to be ready and on the start line for the Australian Olympic trials in December.”

In other results overnight, Craig Mottram has finished fourth in the Great North 3000m event in Newcastle, clocking 8:01.60. Mo Farah (7:56.30) lowered his own record British record, storming past Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge (7:58.10) to take victory.