Australian 20km Race Walking Championships - preview

By TIm Crosbie

With both the World Walking Cup in Belarus and the Olympic Walks program in Sapporo on the horizon, this Sundays Australian 20km Race Walking Championships will be a significant battleground for those vying for team selection.

Men's preview

Swede Perseus Karlstrom comes into Sunday ranked number two in the world for this discipline and will present a formidable challenge to the Australian and International field assembled. Holding nearly every Swedish Walk record from 5000m, set in Melbourne last year, through to 50km the Brent Vallance coached athlete has been in stellar shape for a number of years. Ironically the only Swedish record not held by Karsltrom is the track 20,000m event.

Olympic bronze medallist Dane Bird-Smith will be looking to kick start his 2020 campaign on a high with a good performance in Adelaide. Likely to challenge for the Australian honours will be Glenhuntly AC's Rhydian Cowley who is looking to become only the seventh Australian to break the 1hr 20min barrier for the distance. Having already achieved the 50km Olympic qualifier, Cowley is looking to expand his choices as 2020 unfolds.

Another Victorian in the mix will be Kyle Swan, who has seen remarkable progress over the longer Walk distances since emerging from Junior ranks. Swan needs a competent performance in Adelaide to show the selectors he's got what it takes to wear the green and gold at the highest level.

With Adam Garganis, Tyler Jones, Michael Hosking and a sprinkling of internationals including Kiwi Quentin Rew, Canadian Evan Dunfee and Marius Ziukas from Lithuania, the twenty-one man field is stacked full of elite walkers.

Women's preview

Heyward or Montag, that is the question. With two of our best Australian emerging athletic talents going head to head with plenty at stake, this is one of the most anticipated races in many years. Sitting third and tenth respectively on the All-Time rankings it would appear this is Heyward's race, but as we know, the Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist Montag is a fierce competitor and knows how to deliver when it most counts.

Aged 19 and 21, there is no doubt Australia is entering what could well be another golden period of Women's walking as Heyward and Montag establish themselves in senior ranks. Jane Saville's Australian 20km record of 1:27.44 has stood for close to sixteen years now – will the push towards the Olympics see this mark threatened?

Beki Smith is one of just eight Australian women under the 1hr 30min mark and should never be discounted. Although 2019 was not a stellar year for Smith, indications are that 2020 has started well and it shouldn't be forgotten that she knows how to make an Olympic team.

Lithuanian Brigitta Virbalyte-Dimsiene boasts the fastest PB in the field with a 1:27.59 set in 2018; however, some injury concerns have her not walking quite in top shape as yet. Kiwi Alana Barber and Rachel Tallent will also take part in what is also a deep field of Australian and international walkers.

Oceania Under 20 Race Walking Championship

This event also doubles as the area championship over 10km for our Under 20's. Victoria's hopes in the men's race will rest with Knox AC's Corey Dickson and another emerging talent Will Thompson from Mornington Peninsula AC. Canberra's Mitchell Baker may go in as nominal favourite based on recent results with Oscar Tebbutt from New South Wales also looking for the Oceania crown.

Adding some international flavour will be Puerto Rican Jan Moreu who recorded a 44:16 10km at the 2018 World Under 20 Championships in Finland.

Ballarat YCW's Alanna Peart and Mentone's Rebecca Henderson will spearhead the Victorian campaign in the Women's 10km Championship. Henderson holds the superior PB of 48:54, but with a 49:01 to her name little separates the pair. Throw in Jemma Peart with a 49:21 and the race amongst the Victorians alone will be one to watch.

New South Wales pair Hannah Bolton and Allanah Pitcher may be looking to mix it with the Victorians. At the same time, Tasmanian Anna Blackwell and Caitlin Hannigan from Queensland are also expected to challenge.

Victoria's Darcey Roberts will take to the course over the 5km Invitational Under 18 event.

Racing will take place along Adelaide's picturesque War Memorial Drive on the northern banks of the Torrens River with the 20km race commencing at 7:00 am and 10km/5km races at 8:00 am.