Claire Tallent (SA)

DOB:  Jun 1981

Age: 

Coach: Self Coached
Occupation: Athlete
Children: Harvey (May 2017)
Event: 20km Walk

20km Walk: 1:28.53 (Taicang CHN, 30 Mar 2012),
10,000m: 46:46.01 (Canberra AUS, 9 Feb 2002),
5000m: 21:29.12 (Sydney AUS, 18 Feb 2012)

South Australia’s Claire Tallent won her first national senior title, the 10km walk, in 2002 aged 22. Two years later she made her debut in the green and gold at the IAAF World Race Walking Cup, placing 42nd. In 2007, she competed at the World University Games, ahead of her first Olympic appearance in Beijing where she was 28th in the 20km walk. She was a regular on the national team over the next three years, competing at two IAAF World Championships (2009 and 2011), the IAAF Race Walking World Cup (2010) and the 2010 Commonwealth Games where she won silver.

During the years 2009 to 2011, she was a very consistent 1:32 race walker, but in 2012, a month after winning the national title in Hobart, she smashed her PB with a time of 1:28.53 in China. The time promoted her to number two in Australian history.

Over the next few years, Claire coached husband Jared as he concentrated on the 50km walk, winning medals in every major championship.

Claire was back in good form in 2016 qualifying for the Rio Olympics, but such was the depth in Australian race walking, she was one of six vying for selection and would miss the opportunity to compete at a third Olympics.

On the 25th May 2017 she and Jared became parents to Harvey Tallent, and on 13th August 2017, 80 days after the birth of her son, Claire returned to the national team at the IAAF World Championships in London, the location of her last national team appearance in 2012. The place in the team had become available due to the withdrawal of sister-in-law Rachel Tallent due to injury. Competing in her third World Championships, she placed 43rd in London. She travelled to China to compete in an international race clocking 1:35.01 – well under the all-important Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games qualifying time of 1:36.00

Following London, Claire embarked on a very busy competition period of eight races ahead of the 2018 Australian Championships and Commonwealth Games trials. She initially won the Australian winter 20km walk title, then raced twice in China. Indications were Claire was back in top form by a 1:33.59 clocking in December 2017. At the national in February she was locked in a three-way battle for the podium places with Beki Smith and new star Jemima Montag. Eventually just six seconds would separate them at the finish line. Claire placed third in 1:31.29, her third fastest time and quickest for nearly six years. In February she was selected in her second Commonwealth Games team.