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 Jane Saville 

Jane Saville

Towards the end of 2007 and in early 2008, Jane’s progress was curtailed by an injury which forced her out of the selection trials. She returned to competition with vengeance, posting a 1:32.50 in Portugal in April and walking strongly at the World Race Walking Cup in Russia to finish seventh in 1:29.27.

Entering the games in Beijing as only the sixth Australian to attend four Olympics, Jane faced tough conditions. In a challenging race, the team captain went out hard, struggling to maintain the pace and eventually finishing 20th in 1:31.17.

Jane has her own website. To visit, click here

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Date of Birth:
05.11.1974
Discipline:
Race Walking
Occupation:
Athlete
Height:
164cm
Weight:
53kg
State:
NSW
Coach:
Matt White
Previous Coaches:
Ron Weigel, Anne Saville, Yvonne Melene
Scholarship:
NSWIS
Club:
Randwick Botany Harriers
Place of Birth/Residence:
Sydney, NSW
Marital Status
Married to Matt White (international cyclist)
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 Further Information 

Competition Stats

AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS:
3000m walk: 1990 (U20) - 1st
5000m walk: 1991 (U20) - 1st, 1992 (U20) - 1st, 1993 - 3rd (2nd Australian), (U20) - 1st, 1994 (U20) - 1st, 1997 - 1st, 1998 - 2nd
10km walk: 1991 - 1st, 1992 - 1st, 1994 - 3rd, 1996 - 3rd, 1997 - 1st, 1998 - 1st, 1998 (CGT) - 2nd, 199 - 2nd
20km walk: 2000 - 3rd (1st Australian), 2001 - DQ, 2002 - 1st, 2003 - 1st, 2004 - 1st, 2005 - 1st, 2006 - 1st

INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS:
Commonwealth Games: 1994 - 10km walk 8th (47.14.0), 1998 - 10km 1st (43.47.0), 2002 - 20km walk 1st (1:36.24), 2006 - 20km walk 1st (1:32.46)
Olympic Games: 1996 - 10m walk 26th (45.56.0), 2000 - 20km walk DQ, 2004 - 20km walk 3rd (1:29.25), 2008 – 20km walk 20th (1:31.17)
World championships: 1997 - 10,000m walk 12th heat (46.12.76), 1999 - 20km walk 7th (1:32.13), 2001 - 20km walk DQ, 2003 - 20km walk 11th (1:30:51), 2005 - 20km walk 20th (1:33.44), 2007 - 20km walk DQ
World junior championships: 1990 - 5000m walk 13th (23.42.46), 1992 - 5000m walk 2nd (21.58.64)
World University Games: 1997 - 10km walk 10th (49.06.0)
World Walking Cup: 1993 - 10km walk 43rd (50.15.0), 1997 - 10km walk 40th (45.19.0), 1999 - 20km walk - 18th (1:31.58), 2002 - 20km walk 24th (1:35.35), 2004 - 20km walk 4th (1:27.44), 2006 - 20km walk 7th (1:29.05), 2008 - 20km walk 7th (1:29.27)

ANNUAL PROGRESSION:
20km road walk:
1998 1:37.53
1999 1:31.58
2000 1:28.56
2001 1:31.20
2002 1:34.18
2003 1:30.51
2004 1:27.44
2005 1:29.33
2006 1:29.05
2007 1:30.53
2008 1:29.27

EVENTS / PERSONAL BESTS:
3000m walk: 12.27.74 - Melbourne, 25/02/93
5000m walk: 21.32.26 - Melbourne, 1/03/97
10km walk: 42.15.0 - Eisenhuttenstadt (GER), 8/05/99
20km walk: 1:27.44 - Naumberg (GER), 2/05/04 (national record) 

RECORD(S):
Oceania/Commonwealth/National record - 20km walk: 1:27.44 - Naumberg (GER), 2/05/04
Oceania/Commonwealth/National record - 20km walk: 1:28.56 - Copenhagen (DEN), 6/05/00
National U20 record - 3000m track walk: 12.27.74 - Melbourne, 25/02/93
U18 National Best on Record - 8km walk: 39.15 - Melbourne, 24/05/92
U18 National Best on Record - 10km walk: 47.10 - Melbourne, 25/08/91

Interesting Facts

As a member of the South Maroubra SLC, Jane competed in the 1994-95 Devondale Ironwoman Series and the Australian Surf Lifesaving Championships from 1991 to 1995. Between 1988 and 1992 Jane contested butterfly and medley events at the Australian Age Swimming Championships. She married professional road cyclist Matt White in Sydney in November 2000, one of only two married couples on the team for the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Jane was athletics team captain at the 2004 Olympics and carried the flag for her country in the opening ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

Showing passion and influence for her sport of race walking, she took a seat on the IAAF Race Walking Committee at its congress in Osaka in August 2007, just prior to the world championships.

Jane made a splash early in her career as the cover girl of the 1994 Golden Girls of Athletics calendar.