07.03.2009

Webb weaves her way to Berlin

Twenty-five years after she began participating in the sport, Sydney race walker Cheryl Webb has made the breakthrough of her career to seal a spot in the Australian team for this year’s world championships after winning today’s Australian 20km race walking title in Melbourne.

For the 31-year-old, her time of 1hr 29.44 was not simply the first time she had broken the 90-minute barrier for the event, but also an automatic berth for Berlin in August, her first Australian senior title and the honour of the fastest time ever recorded by an Australian woman on home soil, surpassing both Jane Saville and Kerry Saxby-Junna.

World championship A qualifiers were the order of the day, led by dual Olympic medallist, Jared Tallent, who in the process of fulfilling his obligations as a pre-selected athlete for Berlin, came within a second of his personal best by recording 1:19.42 to win his second successive national crown at 20km.

Ensuring Tallent’s pre-race prediction might be realised, his training partner, Adam Rutter came home 14 seconds inside the A qualifying time, to become an excellent chance of getting the nod from the national selectors for the third available spot for the worlds.

In third place was the other pre-selected athlete and Beijing top eight finisher, Luke Adams who after an injury set back in recent weeks, proved his fitness for next weekend’s first leg of the World Race Walking Challenge in Chihuahua, Mexico by walking a steady 1:26.33.

The women’s race was even more exciting in statistical and high performance terms with 19 year-old Jess Rothwell and Claire Tallent, each recording personal bests under the A qualifying time, As a result both, like Rutter, stand excellent chances of selection.

2008 World Junior Championships fourth placegetter Rothwell was competing at the distance for only the second time, but with a 1:30.25, she improved her previous mark by a massive seven minutes and moved to fourth spot on the Australian all-time list behind only Saville, Saxby-Junna and Webb.

Claire Tallent did not pass up the opportunity of possibly joining husband Jared on the plane for Berlin, lopping 50 seconds off her old best, to take third in 1:32.12.

Webb was on the verge of tears after her strong win.

“I set out to break 90 minutes today, which was a big ask when my old pb was 91:43 back in 2004,” she said.

“Last year I was on the verge of quitting but in the end I simply said to myself – either have a real go at it or give it away. I have been in the sport for 25 years. I started walking when I was six so I didn’t see any point in going on unless I was going to be serious.

“I got a lot of support from my family, and now I am really thinking about another four years. Certainly up to the Commonwealth Games next year and then I will think about going on again. This is just great.”

Jared Tallent also had best times on his mind, given the near perfect conditions on hand when the races got underway at 7.30am in picturesque Fawkner Park.

“This is a great course. I set my pb here last year and wanted to measure myself against that and do another one here today,” Tallent said.

“I thought I was going to do it when I came through with a lap to go, but I missed it by a second.”

Referring to the Chihuahua race in seven days time, the AIS-based athlete said that he wanted to test himself with two fast races within a week or so.

“That’s what I will have to do in Berlin because I am doing both the 20 and 50km there.”

It was a big day for the Tallent family, with younger sister, Rachel recording a qualifying time over 10km for the World Youth Championships, to be held in Italy in July.

Results
Women 20km Race Walk – Open

 1, Cheryl Webb, (NSW) 1:29.44. 2, Jessica Rothwell, (VIS) 1:30.25. 3, Claire  Tallent, (AIS-SA) 1:32.12. 4, Megan Szirom, (VIC) 1:33.45. 5, Natalie Saville,  (NSWIS) 1:36.45. 6, Jillian Hosking, (ACT) 1:37.36. 7, Jess Heazlewood, (NSW)  1:40.39. --, Susan Knapton, (NSW) dnf.

Men 20km Race Walk Open

1, Jared Tallent, (AIS- Vic) 1:19.42. 2, Adam Rutter, (AIS-NSW) 1:22.16. 3, Luke Adams, (AIS-NSW), 1:26.33. 4, Thomas Barnes, (VIC) 1:26.57. 5, Chris Erickson, (AIS-VIC), 1:27.29.  6, Darren Bown, (SA) 1:27.31. 7, Ian Rayson, (NSW) 1:27.43. 8, Brendon Reading, (ACT) 1:30.25. 9, Kim Mottrom, (SA) 1:42.05. 10, Stuart Kollmorgen, (VIC) 1:50.06. --, Andrew Jamieson, (VIC), dnf.

Women 10km Race Walk Under 20 (Invitation)

 1, Rachel Tallent, (VIC) 49.34. 2, Beth Alexander, (VIC) 50.07. 3, Lauren Harrington, (SA) 53.07. 4, Kristie Goznik, (SA) 53.59.