Olympic medallists Jemima Montag and Evan Dunfee have flexed their form with dominant victories at Supernova, landing on top of slick fields at the World Athletics Race Walking Tour Silver event in Canberra.
Montag (Brent Vallance) dismantled a world-class field on Day One, taking line honours by more than 30 seconds as she began her season in style.
Stopping the clock in 43:24.67 at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, Montag took down compatriot Olivia Sandery (43:54.92, Jared Tallent) and Colombian Lorena Arenas (44:36.58), but it was her big move with 10 laps to go that had tongues wagging.
Having walked with rising stars Sandery and Elizabeth McMillen (Jared Tallent) over the first half of the race, Montag put her foot down on the accelerator with 10 laps to go, motoring past her Australian counterparts to display her dominance.
While Montag and Sandery commanded their placings early into the 25-lap race, the drama of the day was in the battle for third, with Australians McMillen, Rebecca Henderson (Simon Baker) and international rivals Arenas, Clemence Beretta (FRA), Antignoi Ntrismpioti (GRE) all see-sawing for bronze.
With McMillen up in the lead pack with Montag and Sandery for the first 12 laps, Henderson, Lorena and Beretta raced together, working to close the gap between the two packs. As Montag surged forward, Henderson did too but it was Arenas that took hold of third in the final laps of the star-studded contest.
Henderson finished in 44:38.24, placing a respectable fourth, ahead of former world number one Antigoni Ntrismpioti (44:46.42), while McMillen finished in sixth place in 44:57.37.
In the Men’s race on Day Two of proceedings, it was Canada’s Evan Dunfee who upset the Australian party for the second consecutive year, bettering his own national record in a swift 38:08.50 to beat home Declan Tingay (Brent Vallance) in 38:31.24.
Leading much of the race with Tingay, it was Dunfee who burst away with 10 laps to go to gap the field to establish himself in a league of his own, stretching his legs over the 10,000m distance.
Kyle Swan (Jared Tallent) claimed third place in 39:15.16 and Rhydian Cowley (Brent Vallance) held on for fourth in 39:23.75 after a hot start with the leaders.
Dunfee’s time now sits 14th on the all-time list and is narrowly outside the fastest time ever clocked on Australian soil, with that title belonging to Tingay with his 38:03.78 set at 2023’s instalment of Supernova.
Full results can be found HERE.
By Sascha Ryner and Lachlan Moorhouse, Athletics Australia
Posted 27/1/2025
