Jemima Montag

Jemima Montag is Australia's premier female race walker who at only 23-years-old has already secured a dominant Commonwealth Games gold, World Championships top 10 finish and now a maiden Olympic berth in Tokyo. The International Olympic Committee Young Leader is set to compete in the 20km walk where she is more than capable of mixing it with the world's best in the discipline. 

Montag started little athletics at Brighton in under 8s.

“I very quickly realised that I certainly had slow twitch muscle fibres, as I was absolutely shocking at any jumps and throws (couldn’t get over the high jump warm up height to save myself).”

With her endurance capacity, she found her way to the walks.

“I really enjoyed the challengeof such a technical endurance event.”

In her teens she was recording impressive achievements, winning national junior/age titles. At aged 16, she was selected for the junior event at the World Race Walking Championship, placing 12th and winning a bronze with the team. In 2015 she was 11th at the IAAF World Youth (U18) Championships.

She made her 20km walk debut in December 2017 and seven weeks later at the Commonwealth Games trials she was outstanding placing second in 1:31.26 (9th fastest all-time) and securing automatic selection for the Games. At the Commonwealth Games, she was perfect – winning gold by 88 seconds.

Her 2019 season was impressive with a silver at the World University Games, a win at the Oceania Champs, and PBs across all her distances. But most impressive was her IAAF World Championships performance in the 20km walk - where she finished in 10th place.

2021 has seen Montag take things to another level, clocking PB's across 5,000m (20:51.03), 10,000m (42:35.2), 10km (43:25) and 20km (1:28:50) to propel herself up the Australian all-time lists and record some of the fastest times ever on Australian soil. Montag comfortably secured selection for the Tokyo Olympics, where she will compete in the 20km walk and spearhead an emerging lineup of Australian women.