Further Information 

Competition Stats

AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS:
10,000m walk: 1999 (U20) - 2nd, 2000 (U20) - 2nd
10km walk: 1999 (U20) - 2nd
20km walk: 1999 (U20) - 3rd, 2000 (U20) - 2nd, 2003 - 6th, 2004 - 8th, 2005 - 8th, 2006 - 5th, 2007 -8th, 2008 - 4th, 2009 - 5th
30km walk: 2003 - 3rd, 2004 - 2nd, 2005 - 2nd, 2006 - 3rd
50km walk: 2004 - 1st, 2005 - 3rd (2nd Australian), 2007 - 5th, 2008 - 1st

INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS:
IAAF World Race Walking Cup: 2004 – 50km walk 31st (4:14.16), 2006 – 50km walk 26th (3:59.20), 2008 - 20km walk 31st (1:22.55, team 3rd)
Commonwealth Games: 2006 – 50km walk 3rd (3:58.22)
World championships: 2007 - 50km 24th (4:13.00) 2009 - 50km walk DNS
Olympic Games: 2008 – 20km walk DQ

ANNUAL PROGRESSION:
20km walk:
2002 1:34.41
2003 1:35.39
2004 1:31.33
2005 1:28.22
2006 1:26.35
2007 1:24.58
2008 1:22.55
2009 1:22.53

50km walk:
2003 4:19.48
2004 4:14.16
2005 4:03.42
2006 3:58.22
2007 4:04.10
2008 3:55.28

EVENTS/PERSONAL BESTS:
3000m walk: 11.47.21 - Melbourne, 9/02/07
5000m walk: 19.25.98 - Melbourne, 21/02/09
10,000m walk: 42.37.43 - Hobart, 6/01/06
20km walk: 1:22.53 - Wuxi (CHN), 18/04/09
30km walk: 2:15.00 - Hobart, 27/08/06
50km walk: 3.55.30 - Melbourne, 14/12/08

Interesting Facts

Chris has a degree in sport management and has spent time working in the Athletics Australia office.

He has flames tattooed on both ankles, which appear above his shoes when he is competing.

Sporting Career

2005 – Chris walked a PB in the national 50km title and was rewarded with selection in the Commonwealth Games team.

2006 – Won the bronze medal before a hometown crowd in Melbourne’s Docklands precinct, going under the four-hour barrier for the first time at the Commonwealth Games.

In his second World Walking Cup appearance in La Coruna he finished 26th and again under four hours. Chris then improved his PB over 20km in an international meet in Ilsan (KOR) in September.

2007 – Chris walked to another PB at 20km and a solid effort at 50km at the international race in Dudince (CZE). He earned selection for his first world championships in Osaka, toiling in the oppressive conditions to finish that race in 24th position.

2008 – Finished fourth in the national 20km event and fifth in the national 50km event. He continued to show good form and was selected in the 2008 Race Walk World Cup in the 50km event.

Chris gained a place in the Olympic team after recording an A qualifier and personal best performance in the 20km event at the IAAF World Race Walking Cup in Cheboksary, Russia. In a disappointing Olympic debut for Chris he was surprisingly disqualified.

2009 – Chris placed fifth at the Australian 20km Road Walking Championships before taking his campaign on the road, finishing 12th in Round 3 of the IAAF Race Walking Challenge in Wuxi (CHN) in a personal best time of 1:22.53 and 14th in Round 6 in La Coruna (ESP) in 1:24.31.

Selected to contest the 50km walk at the world championships in August, Chris was forced to withdraw from the team following his arrival in Berlin, with a bout of appendicitis.

FAMILY CONNECTIONS

Chris’ father Tim was a bronze medallist in the 1978 Commonwealth Games 30km walk.