Australia qualifies for Olympic Marathon Race Walk Mixed Relay, Beacroft blazes to history-making gold

Australia will battle for the first Olympic medals on offer in the Marathon Race Walk Mixed Relay in Paris, qualifying two teams tonight at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships, while teenager Isaac Beacroft led the country’s juniors to gold and bronze with a history-making performance in Antalya, Turkiye.

On a day that saw the inaugural major championships of the Marathon Race Walk Mixed Relay, two Australian teams emerged victorious, cementing themselves in the world’s top-22 to qualify for the Paris Olympic Games.

Already Paris-bound for the individual 20km Race Walk, World Championships silver medallist Jemima Montag (VIC, Brent Vallance) and two-time Olympian Rhydian Cowley (VIC, Brent Vallance) teamed together, placing sixth overall in a time of 3:00:13, with the pair exchanging a wrist-band as they covered one 12.195km and three 10km legs to add up to the 42.195km marathon distance.

Rebecca Henderson (VIC, Simon Baker) and Declan Tingay (WA, Brent Vallance) were one of five pairings to qualify a second team for their country, placing 16th in a time of 3:04:57 - despite taking on a three-minute penalty throughout the race.

With the goal of Olympic qualification over medals and times, both teams were courageous yet cautious in their first attempt of the event, taking the opportunity to fine-tune their strategy for fueling and recovery, and exploring an event so starkly different from their individual races.

“I’m pretty pumped! We came here with a job to do and we ticked that off to lock in two teams for Paris. Now it’s back to work and it was a good experience, and now we have an idea of what it’s going to be like. I think we will really benefit from that,” Cowley said.

Montag added: “It’s really exciting to book our ticket for a team event. Our team of physiologists, dieticians and coaches made a really good plan for how we spent the break in between the two legs.”

“As a race walker, I haven’t been able to do a relay or a team event since high school athletics. It will add a really nice element to our Olympic experience.”

Kyle Swan (VIC, Jared Tallent) and Olivia Sandery (SA, Jared Tallent) formed Australia’s third pairing, finishing 30th in 3:07:38.

In a dramatic finish to the Men’s Under 20 10km race, Isaac Beacroft (NSW, David Beacroft) walked his way into the history books, becoming the youngest ever gold medallist of an Under 20 title at the Championships and shattering Adam Rutter’s long-held Australian Under 20 record from 2004 when crossing the line in 39:56.

Denying China a fifth consecutive individual gold medal in the event, Beacroft took down Chinese stars Shi Shenhji (39:57) and Luo Jiawei (40:03), but it was his strategic move in the final stretch that impressed most.

In medal position with 6km to go, the 16-year-old looked to be battling for silver alongside Luo, but unbeknownst to his competitors, Beacroft was only waiting for the right moment to make his move to take over Shi. The Australian surged to victory in the last 50m of the race, demonstrating that the country’s racewalking legacy lives on within the next generation.

“I'm just amazed, I can't believe it. I'm so happy with what I just did,” Beacroft said.

“I always knew I had it in me that I could be up there, ready to go, but winning is another level. It's unreal. I'm just hoping that I set up the platform for the rest of the Australian team to tear it up.”

Riley Coughlan (VIC, Fran Attard) and Marcus Wakim (VIC, Adam Garganis) placed 14th and 16th respectively in personal best times of 41:03 and 41:15, with the trio’s point score coming together for 14 points to win the Team Bronze medal behind China (5) and Japan (10).

In the Under 20 Women’s 10km event, Alexandra Griffin (WA, Jared Tallent) was the first Australian across the line in 16th place with a time of 46:50, as Zoe Woods (NSW, Bill Nappin) and Nellie Langford (SA, Jared Tallent) finished in 22nd and 32nd place, both with career-best achievements of 48:36 and 49:28 to steer Australia to eighth place.

In the Open 20km events, World Championships representative Allanah Pitcher (NSW, Frank Overton) stepped down from her 35km pet event to test her speed over the Olympic distance, finishing 27th in a field of 70 with a time of 1:35.04, followed by Hannah Mison (NSW, Frank Overton) in 38th with 1:38.42 and Elizabeth McMillen (NSW, Jared Tallent) one place later.

Will Thompson (VIC, Brent Vallance) was the fastest man over 20km, clocking 1:24.09 for 41st place. Canberran Mitchell Baker (Jared Tallent) followed on in 1:25.19 for 47th place, while Tim Fraser (ACT, Jared Tallent, 1:25.59) and Carl Gibbons (NSW, Frank Overton) placed 51st and 55th to see the green and gold finish in ninth place.

Full results from the 2024 World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships can be found HERE.

By Sascha Ryner, Athletics Australia
Posted 21 April, 2024