PREVIEW Supernova #2 | Walkers Head Back to the Track
Published Wed 01 Feb 2023
They have been battling it out for the titles of King and Queen of the Mountain in the Perisher Valley, but it’s back to the track for the world’s best race walkers ahead of a star-studded Supernova #2 at the Australian Institute of Sport this Thursday.
Over 20 of the world’s leading female race walkers have joined forces in Perisher Valley to participate in a study on the impact of nutrition on adaptation to altitude training, committed to enhancing the knowledge of female physiology and performance. The study was aided by the support of volunteers from the Australian Catholic University, Japan and Colombia, along with significant funding from Wu Tsai Human Performance.
The initiative has not only resulted in data that can be used for future generations, but so too an opportunity for Australia’s premier women led by Jemima Montag (Brent Vallance) and Rebecca Henderson (Simon Baker) to train and race alongside international stars. Double European champion Antigoni Ntrismpioti (Greece), Olympic silver medallist Sandra Loreana Arenas (Colombia) and Raquel Gonzalez (Spain) will all contest Supernova #2 over 10,000m - a World Athletics Race Walking Tour Silver Meet.
Montag proved too slick at Supernova #1 when tearing away from the field to win by over 16-seconds in a time of 43:35.74, since registering three consecutive training weeks of over 150km at 1720m altitude. Ntrismpioti has demonstrated her class throughout the camp and will be out to spoil the party at the Australian Institute of Sport, while the renowned expertise of Arenas and Gonzalez can’t be dismissed despite missing race one of the series.
Athletics Australia’s National Event Group Lead – Walks, Brent Vallance, was optimistic about what to expect on Thursday night:
“I certainly would be looking at those girls to walk into the 42-minute range, 42-mid to 42-high – all indications are pretty good. The race is 10 days before the Australian 20km Championships, which is around when we normally have a pretty hard hit-out,” Vallance said.
20-year-old Olivia Sandery (Jared Tallent) will lead a rising crop of walkers in the encounter including Elizabeth McMillen (Bill Nappin) and Alannah Pitcher (Frank Overton), with all three women presenting in personal best shape.
The Australian allcomers record stands at 42:46.45, set by Kerry Saxby-Junna in 1989.
While the women experimented with low energy availability diets and haemoglobin mass testing, not far away were the men who had a focus of their own – learning to cook, clean and live together as Athletics Australia looks to strengthen its depth through shared knowledge.
“If we look at the focus of what we are trying to achieve on that camp, it was less of a focus on the NASS [funded] athletes and more of a focus on broadening that Under 23 age group. There is a whole group of guys who are eligible for the World University Games and pathway tours, and we want to qualify as many athletes as possible,” Vallance said.
Commonwealth Games silver medallist Declan Tingay (Brent Vallance) walked his competitors into the ground with his relentless pressure at Supernova #1 when winning in 39:23.98, but the return of Perseus Karlstrom (Sweden) from illness adds interest to Supernova #2.
The three-time World Championships bronze medallist, Olympic medallist Evan Dunnfee (Canada) and Marius Ziukas (Lithuania) will be eager to close the gap on Tingay after a strong training block, with Ziukas proving one of the surprises of the camp. Karlstrom’s long history of success down under is one that he will be out to continue, with an intriguing race featuring Australians Rhydian Cowley (Brent Vallance) and Kyle Swan (Jared Tallent) looming.
17-year-old Marcus Wakim (Adam Garganis) continued his rise to prominence on the training camp and appears set to improve again, leading a strong group of emerging junior men.
Supernova #2 will commence at 6:00pm AEDT on Thursday February 2 at the Australian Institute of Sport, with a livestream hosted by Jane Saville available through Athletics Australia’s YouTube channel.
By Lachlan Moorhouse, Athletics Australia
Posted: 1/2/2023
