Further Information 

Competition Stats

AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS:
5000m walk: 1996 – 1st (U20)
10,000m walk: 1996 – 2nd (U20)
20km walk: 1995 – 1st (U20), 1999 – 3rd, 2000 - 4th, 2001 – 2nd, 2002 – 2nd, 2003 – 1st, 2004 – 2nd, 2005 – 2nd, 2006 – 2nd, 2007 - 1st, 2008 - 2nd, 2009 - 3rd
30km walk: 1998 – 1st
50km walk: 2002 - 3rd, 2003 - DNF, 2007 - 3rd

INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS:
World junior championships: 1994 - 10,000m walk 24th
World Walking Cup: 1999 - 20km Walk 55th, 2002 - 50km walk 29th (team 4th), 2004 - 20km walk 14th (1:21.24), 2006 – 20km walk 18th (1:22.11), 2008 - 20km walk 7th (1:19.15, team 3rd)
East Asian Games: 2001 - 20km walk 7th
World University Games: 2001 - 20km walk 10th (1:28.02)
Commonwealth Games: 2002 - 20km walk 2nd (1:26.03), 2006 – 2nd (1:21.38)
World championships: 2003 - 20km walk 5th (1:19.35), 2005 - 20km walk 10th (1:21.43), 2007 - 20km walk 7th (1:23.52), 2009 - 20km walk 18th (1:22.37) 50km walk 6th (3:43.39)
Olympic Games: 2004 - 20km walk 16th (1:23.52), 2008 – 20km walk 6th (1:19.57) 50km walk 10th (3:47:45)

ANNUAL PROGRESSION:
20km road walk
1996 1:25.27
1999 1:23.52
2000 1:24.18
2001 1:26.31
2002 1:23.56
2003 1:19.35
2004 1:21.43
2005 1:19.19
2006 1:20.49
2007 1:20.30
2008 1:19.15
2009 1:21.17

50km road walk
2002 4:04.03
2007 3:53.19
2008 3:47.45
2009 3:43.39

EVENTS / PERSONAL BESTS:
3000m walk: 11.48.40 - Sydney, 21/10/95
5000m walk: 18.59.43 - Melbourne, 24/02/2007
10,000m walk: 40.04.88 - Adelaide, 19/02/2005
20km walk: 1:19.15 - Cheboksary (RUS), 10/05/08
30km walk: 2:17.33 - Melbourne, 05/05/02
50km walk: 3:43.39 – Berlin (GER), 21/08/09

Interesting Facts

Luke was born in Tanzania where his parents were medical missionaries. Shaving down before competition is a ritual Luke adheres to.

Sporting Career

1994 – Luke started his international career with a 24th placing at the world junior championships.

2002 – Took silver at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in the 20km walk and in the same year made his debut in the 50km walk, clocking 4:04.03.

2003 – Placed fifth at the 2003 world championships in Paris clocking 1:19.35, a PB by more than three minutes. Placed 29th in the 50km at the World Race Walking Cup in Turin in October and assisted the Australian team to fourth place, its best ever finish in a men’s team event at that time.

2004 – Finished 14th at the World Race Walk Cup and 16th in warm conditions at the Athens Olympics.

2005 – Set a new personal best at the IAAF Walk Challenge, where he finished 13th in 1:19.19. Placed 10th in 1:21.43 at the world championships in Helsinki.

2006 – Selected for the Commonwealth Games Luke took silver behind fellow Australian Nathan Deakes over 20km. Finished third at the IAAF Walk Challenge at Rio and 13th in Yangzhou (1:21.14), then placed 18th at the World Race Walking Cup in La Coruna (1:22.11) where he was a member of the team that collected Australia’s first ever men’s team medal – a silver.

2007 – Luke claimed his first Australian 20km crown since 2003 and was selected to compete at the world championships in Osaka. At the meet Luke finished seventh to secure Australia’s only top-eight place outside of world champions Nathan Deakes and Jana Rawlinson’s gold medals, and continued his strong record at the world championships, which had seen him finish no worse than 10th. In late September Luke secured the IAAF Race
Walking Challenge, finishing second in the final stage in Saransk, Russia and second in two other editions in the lead-up.

2008 – Luke qualified for his second Olympic Games, placing sixth in the 20km walk in 1:19.57, 15 seconds behind teammate and bronze medallist Jared Tallent, and 10th in the 50km walk in a personal best time 3:47.45.

2009 – In March Luke placed third at the Australian 20km road walking championships, crossing the line in 1:26.33 behind fellow AIS athletes Jared Tallent and Adam Rutter. Just a week later, in the opening round of the IAAF Race Walking Challenge in Chihuahua, Mexico, Luke placed seventh in the 20km event in a time of 1:24.53. Round 3 in Wuxi, China, saw him post a DNF in the 50km event before crossing the line in sixth in La Coruna, Spain, in Round 6, covering the 20km course in 1:21.30. At the world championships in August Luke placed 18th in the 20km walk (1:22.37) and sixth in the 50km walk in a personal best time of 3:43.39. At the season-ending IAAF Race Walking Challenge in Saransk, Russia, the following month, Luke crossed the line of the 10km course in 39:16 to claim the bronze medal.

FAMILY CONNECTIONS
Luke’s brother was a member of an expedition team to Antarctica in 1998 and his grandfather played Sheffield Shield cricket for Queensland.