15.03.2009

Aussie walkers top 10 in Mexico

Three of Australia's leading walkers, Jared Tallent (3rd), Adam Rutter (5th) and Luke Adams (7th), have placed in the top 10 in the opening leg of the IAAF Race Walking Challenge in Chihuahua, Mexico this morning (Sunday AEDT).

Home town hero Eder Sanchez won the 20km event in 1:22.21, ahead of Columbia's Luis Fernando López with 1:23:06.

Dual Olympic medallist Tallent, who won the overall Challenge in 2008, was just behind in 1:23.44, whilst it was an excellent breakthrough on the international circuit for Rutter, who clocked 1:24:24 to finish fifth.

Adams (1:24.53) had the misfortune of being sick in the final stages of the race, however he continued to battle home for the final 4km, the hamstring he tore three weeks ago holding up to the test.

Walking at a slow pace on a cool and windy afternoon on the 2km ‘Pancho Villa’ flat course, Sanchez led over a dozen of men through halfway (42:25), before making his move in the second half. Only Lopez and Tallent followed as he reached the 15km mark in 1:02:50, before the 22-year-old Mexican launched a decisive attack in the last two laps that found no answer from his toughest opponents.

It was a fantastic effort by the Australian trio to back up after last weekend's national championships, travel to the other side of the world, race at altitude, and still defeat quality international athletes.

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.

Last September, Tallent capped off a sensational 2008 season by winning the Challenge, collecting a valuable US$30,000 pay cheque in Murcia, Spain for his efforts.

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