Walkers seize bronze at World University Games
Published Sun 06 Aug 2023
The next generation of Australian walkers have added to the nation’s illustrious history in the endurance event, uniting their efforts to secure bronze in the Men’s 20km team race walk on the penultimate day of competition at the World University Games.
Amid soaring temperatures, minimal cloud cover and humidity at 78%, four Australian men battled their way over the distance, with their individual placings adding up to the third lowest score of 61 to claim the Australian UniRoos their fourth medal of the Games.
Will Thompson (Brent Vallance, Australian Catholic University) was the fastest of the Australian men over 20km, securing a top-10 place as he crossed the line ninth in 1:29:24, only 5 minutes and 44 seconds behind Turkey’s Salih Kormaz who was crowned champion in 1:24:40.
Mitchell Baker (Jared Tallent, University of Canberra) followed less than a minute behind in 12th place in 1:30:10, while Dylan Richardson (Frank Overton) in his Australian team debut stopped the clock at 1:33.19 for 17th place. Tim Fraser (Jared Tallent, University of Canberra) rounded out the Australian results in the men’s event in 1:50:36 to finish 23rd.
With international race experience at the 2022 World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships behind him, Thompson said he was proud to work closely with his compatriots to bring home a medal.
“The conditions out there were very hot. We pre-cooled well but the direct sunlight exposure just made it absolutely boiling further and further into the race,” Thompson said.
“It’s a decent performance and I’m glad we all worked very well together as a team to bring back a team medal.”
Also out on the roads were a duo of Australian women in the 20km event including Elizabeth McMillen (Bill Nappin, TAFE NSW) and Samantha Findlay (Jared Tallent, Flinders University) who snuck into the Top-20, with times of 1:48:38 (18th), and 1:49:37 (19th) respectively in their first competition abroad.
Back at Shuangliu Stadium, Desleigh Oswusu (Andrew Murphy, Macquarie University) made significant inroads toward her goal of becoming the first Australian woman to compete in the Triple Jump at either a World Athletics Championships or Olympics, when leaping to an equal personal best of 13.42m (-0.2) in the final to place sixth. While the Australian began her finals campaign with a foul, she weaved together her best ever sequence of jumps, registering three jumps over 13.40m.
The horizontal jumps action continued for the Australians, as Zane Branco (David Reid, Griffith University) finished fourth in his Long Jump qualifying group with a best jump of 7.59m (0.0) to advance to the final. William Freyer (Brett Clarke, University of Sydney) was unable to emulate Branco’s success but achieved a best mark of 7.01m (-0.2) on his first attempt. Branco will compete in today’s final as the fifth-seeded athlete, with hopes to become an eight-metre jumper for the first time.
In the Men’s 800m, Jack Lunn (Steve Fabris, Monash University) progressed comfortably to the final, running 1:47.93 to finish second in Semi-Final 3. Lunn was the sixth fastest athlete overall across three races, while Luke Boyes (Ben St Lawrence, UTS) will leave China as a semi-finalist finishing fourth in Heat 2 in 1:48.79.
Australia’s pair of heptathletes impressed on the second day of the combined event challenge, as Camryn Newton-Smith (Ralph Newton and Matt Vining, Arkansas State University) finished in eighth place with a total point score of 5712, and Mia Scerri (Darren Clark, Monash University) placed a triumphant 12th overall with 5531 points; only six points shy of her personal best from April this year. Newton-Smith’s best performance came from the javelin where her best throw of 44.71m saw her finish the event third overall with 758 points, while Scerri impressed in the High Jump (1.74m, 4th) and Shot Put (13.48m, 3rd) in an older and more experienced field of 25.
Holly Campbell (Jeremy Roffy, University of Sydney) finished her Chengdu campaign in ninth place in the Women’s 5000m. Crossing the line in 16:34.39, the University of Sydney student experienced a knock during the race but still achieved a faster time by eight seconds, than in her heat.
The final day of competition begins at 9.35am AEST with the Half Marathon, and can be viewed on www.FISU.TV
By Sascha Ryner, Athletics Australia
Posted: 6/8/2023
