Walkers to race for national titles on Sunday

Three leading Australian competitors from the recent IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships in China, head the entries for the 2018 Australian Winter Walking Championships to be held on Sunday 26 August at Lake Kawana on the Sunshine Coast.

Olympian Rachel Tallent (ACT) and junior internationals Mitchell Baker (ACT) and Katie Hayward (QLD) join around 100 athletes who will be competing for national titles in distances from two to 20 kilometres.

Tallent will start favourite in the women’s open 20km event despite not being in her top form.

“Since the world championships (in May) I've taken a bit of a break to focus on my studies at the moment,” said Tallent who is completing her thesis for Honours in Psychology at the University of Canberra.

“I've still been training every week, just not to the level I would usually train at. So, Sunday's race will be more of a test to see where my fitness is at the moment and hopefully use it to build back into the upcoming summer season.

“The plan on Sunday is just to have a bit of fun with it, I've also got some younger family members going to race so it will be nice to be there and support them along with the rest of the younger athletes we have coming through.”

Post Rio, Tallent battled injury and was off the national team for a year or so.

“My plans for the future are to get back into racing a bit more. I've had a whole year now without having any major injury issues so I'm excited to finally focus a bit more on performance than just rehab and getting my body right.”

Australia has produced a succession of great race walkers, yet their junior records have been toppled in the last couple of years by Queensland’s KaHayward, who heads the list of entries for the women’s under-20 10km event.

Hayward’s 2018 has been a tail of two contrasting performances. In May at the World Race Walking Team Championships (in Taicang China) she was disqualified while in a medal position, then two months later at the IAAF World U20 Championships (Tampere, Finland) she completely reversed that result with a record-breaking fifth place.

This week Hayward reflected on what she did to get herself back on track after the disappointment in China.

“(in Taicang) I was at first angry at myself for getting myself in the position to be disqualified but on the same day I stopped and turned to my coach (Steve Langley) and said, ‘Ok, so what do I need to do now for myself to not be in that same position for Finland?’ I was extremely motivated to get back home and get into training, to critique a few things and just get fitter and stronger as an athlete.”

Two months later in Tampere at the World U20s she was brilliant, clocking a 38 second personal best and a marvellous fifth place, bettered only once by an Australian in our history in this event.

“Everything I prepared for came together on the day which was awesome,” she said this week. “More importantly, I finished the race with a clear board which was a nice feeling from overcoming China’s ‘disappointment’ (that people might see it as) but for me a huge learning experience for me as a first time athlete on a world stage. Crossing the line and coming fifth in the world was an amazing feeling that I myself cannot explain.”

After a massive couple of months, Hayward admits Sunday is not a focus event.

“After coming home from a two-week training camp in Japan after Finland I have had time off to rest the body and to recharge myself before I resume training again (this time for 20km’s). My goal is to finish the winter season happy and just take the race as it comes with no expectations as my fitness is not 100%.”

In the men’s under-18 10km walk, Canberra’s Baker will be tough to beat in the race for the title. In China in May, Baker was aged just 16 and the youngest member of the Australian team, but he returned home as a bronze medallist in the junior team event as he placed 41st in his international debut.

This week he reflected on his international debut in May.

“At the championships I learnt a lot from other athletes, who were on the team and provided great mentorship, such as how to prepare for an international meet and how to compose myself on the world stage. I re-assessed my training methods and what I could do to strengthen in my 10km race and this has provided me with a new outlook and goals.”

Baker has a clear plan for Sunday’s race.

“I want to use my experience at the World Race Walking Team Championships to improve on my personal best and race plans.”

Sunday’s Australian Winter Walking Championships kick off at 8.30am with the open 20km walk event.

View the timetable, entries and more: http://www.athletics.com.au/Compete/Events/2018-australian-winter-walking-championships-1

David Tarbotton for Athletics Australia