18.04.2009

Tallent and Adams lead the way in Wuxi

Australia’s leading walkers have again performed admirably against a high quality field in the third leg of the IAAF Race Walking Challenge in Wuxi, China on Saturday.

With four of the top six finishers from the Beijing Olympics doing battle over the 20km course, dual Olympic medallist Jared Tallent was the highest placed Australian crossing the line in 1:21:11 to finish fifth.

Dual Olympian Luke Adams was just six seconds behind Tallent, clocking 1:21.17 to finish in sixth place.

It was a good effort from Adams who battled injury and illness last month, but has bounced back to produce another top 10 finish in the Challenge series.

“Today was a good solid hitout for me after being injured with a hamstring strain and falling ill in March,” said Adams who placed seventh in the opening leg of the Challenge in Mexico. “I was expecting a time of 1:20-1:21 so I’m happy with the result. Importantly I’ve resumed good training and improving rapidly.”

Adams will compete in the 20km and 50km walk alongside Tallent at the Berlin world championships in August.

Reigning national 50km champion Chris Erickson (12th), who will contest that distance in Berlin, sliced 36 seconds off his previous 20km personal best, recording 1:22.53.

World University Games-bound walker Ian Rayson (32nd) also finished with a personal best time of 1:27:29, Brendon Reading (43rd) posted 1:30:50, whilst Claire Tallent (11th) clocked 1:33:38 in the women’s 20km race.

AIS coach Brent Vallance, who witnessed the race unfold in Wuxi, was pleased with the performances of his young charges.
 
"Overall, the results were pretty solid from the guys," said Vallance.

"Although Jared is a little disappointed with fifth place, he recognises the calibre of the athletes that beat him. All have superior personal best performances, and most of them are the younger generation that he is part of, and will be racing for the next Olympic cycle.”

"I'm personally very happy with Chris Erickson who has again improved his 20km pb. This is very important for him to be a competitive 50km athlete at the world championships.”

The Wuxi race brings to a close what has been a fairly gruelling overseas campaign for the walkers, who return home to Canberra on Monday morning to resume their preparations for the world championships.

Just days after the Australian 20km race walk championships in March, the contingent travelled to the opposite side of the world to compete in the opening leg of the IAAF Race Walking Challenge in Mexico - Tallent finishing third, Adam Rutter fifth and Adams seventh.

Erickson, Jared and Claire Tallent then spent a strenuous month training at altitude in Flagstaff, Arizona before journeying to Wuxi.

The next race on the agenda is the annual Lake Burley Griffin 20 mile event on the Queen’s birthday long weekend, which also doubles as the 'pre-departure' event for the world championships.

In July, the walkers will travel to the swiss alps to complete another training camp at altitude in St Mortiz.

The IAAF Race Walking Challenge is an annual worldwide competition series in which athletes accumulate points for the right to compete in the IAAF Race Walking Challenge Final and to share over US$200,000 in prize money.

Australia has tasted success twice in successive years, Adams (2007) and Tallent (2008) victors in the Challenge, collecting a valuable US$30,000 for their efforts.

The 2009 Challenge Final will be held in Saransk, Russia, on September 19, one month after the IAAF World Championships in Berlin.

Image courtesy of Brent Vallance - Luke Adams and Jared Tallent right in the mix as the lead pack heads through the 10km mark in Wuxi.

IAAF race report and official results

Meanwhile, racing in hot and humid conditions in Hong Kong on Sunday morning, Daniel Coleman (46.48) and Cheryl Webb (50.10) both secured victories in the 10km event.