The Australian Summer Open and U20 Roadwalk Championships were held in the North Adelaide Gardens in inner Adelaide on Sunday morning, the fourth year in a row that this venue has hosted this meet.
The meet also saw the Oceania Open 20km and U20 10km roadwalk championships, along with the Australian Commonwealth Games and IAAF Race Walking World Teams Championships trials. It also marked the final activity in the AIS based Supernova Study camp and saw a large contingent of international walkers in action. So all in all, the stage was set for a wonderful morning of racin.
The first races to get underway were the men’s and women’s 20km championships, starting at 7AM in perfect conditions – overcast, still and with a temperature around 15C.
20km Open Men
The men’s 20km saw the main contenders Evan Dunfee (CAN), Dane Bird-Smith (AUS), Perseus Karlstrom (SWE), Yerko Cortes (CHI), Marius Liukas (LTU) and Quentin Rew (NZL) all part of a large lead group that passed through the first 2km lap in a sedate 8:22. One surprise walker in the group was Michael Hosking (AUS) who looked to be setting himself up for a great walk.
The leaders remained in close formation for the next few laps, with various walkers talking their turns in front. The decisive move came at 9km as Dunfee and Karlstom broke clear. The chasing group soon fragmented as the laps quickly dropped to around 8 mins. The half way mark was passed in 40:39, with the two leaders gradually stretching their lead. The race complexion quickly changed at 11km as Dunfee was forced to stop with a hamstring niggle, leaving Karlstrom out in front, ahead of Liukas and then Cortes, followed by Rew.
By the 17km mark, Liukas had caught Karlstrom and the race looked set for an exciting finish. And that is how it panned out, with Karlstom winning the final sprint by the narrowest of margins, the times being recorded as 120:30 and 1:20:31. Cortes was third with 1:21:31, ahead of Rew who took first in the Oceania championship. Defending champion Bird-Smith was well off the pace, struggling badly with a heavy cold. To his credit, he fought it out to the end, finishing fifth with 1:22:18 to take the Australian title (edn: fourth Australian title and 3rd in a row). Hosking was next to finish with a huge PB of 1:23:10, almost certainly ensuring an Australian Commonwealth Games berth alongside Bird-Smith.
Rhydian Cowley (VIC) was the next Australian to finish, with 1:24:54, and will have to wait on the selectors re the possible third Commonwealth Games berth. Adam Garganis (AUS) was the next Australian to finish, with a big PB 1:26:20) and he looks to have sewn up a World Cup berth for his efforts. So there will be a number of Australian walkers waiting expectantly for the team announcements which should be in the next few weeks.
20 km Open women
The women’s 20km race saw a couple slow opening laps, with Claire Tallent (AUS) and Jemima Montag (AUS) leading a large group through the 4km mark with 18:44.
It was not until around the 8km mark that the pace started to pick up and, by the time the 10km mark was reached in 46:15, the leading group had been reduced to three, with Beki Smith (AUS), Tallent and Montag in control.
By 14km, Tallent had dropped off and it seemed a battle between Smith and Montag. Positions remained unchanged until the 17km mark when Smith was able to force a slight break. And that was the way they finished, but with little between the three, Smith first (1:31:23), Montag second (PB 1:31:26) and Tallent third (1:31:29), all coming home strongly with big negative splits. Alana Barber (NZL) finished a strong fourth with a PB 1:32:19 ahead of Regan Lamble (1:33:40), Brigita Virbalyte-Dimšiene (LTU) (1:33:54) and Rachel Tallent (AUS) (1:35:18).
With regard to the Commonwealth Games, the first 3 women would now seem to be in the box seat. Again, it will be an anxious wait for everyone.
Oceania Men 10km Roadwalk Under 20 Championship
The Oceania U20 10km championships, which doubled as the Australian U20 World Team Championships trials, got underway at 8AM. With qualifying standards set at 46:30 (Men) and 50:00 (women), up to 3 World Teams Championships spots were on offer for each event. With the first 4 in both the men’s and women’s races under the team standards, we now look likely to send full teams. With the Australian Selection Criteria specifying automatic selections for the first two, Declan Tingay (42:37), Kyle Swan (PB 42:40), Katie Hayward 45:57) and Rebecca Henderson (PB 49:02) are now on the team. The final two spots look likely to go Mitchell Baker (45:53) and Anna Cross (PB 49:11).
The high number of PBs in these two events omens well for the future.
Tim Erickson
Sunday Feb. 11, 2018
(photos and photo album by Tim Erickson)