5 months ago
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Aussie walker Jemima Montag has won bronze successful the women’s 20km contention locomotion successful 1 of the astir picturesque scenes of the Games truthful far.
Montag has besides won hearts astir the satellite with a classy enactment aft crossing the decorativeness line.
Racing successful beforehand of the Eiffel Tower, Montag enactment unit connected golden medallist Jiayu Yang, and was besides conscionable six seconds down metallic medallist Maria Perez.
Montag helped enactment Perez arsenic the Spanish walker appeared to beryllium uneasy connected her feet and held onto a obstruction to stay upright. Montag’s classy enactment did not spell unnoticed astir the world.
She becomes the archetypal Aussie racewalker to triumph a medal since Dale Bird-Smith and Jared Tallent astatine the Rio 2016 Games and the archetypal Aussie pistillate since Jane Saville astatine Athens successful 2004.
According to Angus Barnes, the athletics expert down the fashionable AthsSTATS Twitter profile, Montag acceptable a caller country grounds and besides achieved the equal-best effect Australia has ever had successful the women’s event.
The 26-year-old had finished sixth astatine the Tokyo Olympics and won golden astatine the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Montag revealed the conditions were adjacent much challenging than the sweltering 30C vigor suggested.
“It was hot, the people was 1km with a canine limb and cobbles, the sound was truthful large wherever the assemblage was,” she said.
“There was changeless shuffling successful the race, with antithetic women making antithetic moves and I needed each pit of courageousness that I had.
Montag, who won the metallic medal astatine past year’s satellite championships successful Budapest, said she felt she present belonged successful the institution of Australia’s large walkers.
“It feels similar I person made it,” she said. “(Jane) Saville, (Nathan) Deakes, (Jared) Tallent, (Kerry) Saxby, they are the names you look up to arsenic a small athlete.
“Never successful your chaotic dreams would you ideate being connected that podium and astatine their level with truthful galore diversion kids saying that you are their inspiration now. It is truly cool.”
Australia’s Bec Henderson finished 31st (1:34.22sec) portion Olivia Sandery was 1 of lone 2 athletes to not decorativeness the race.
English (US) ·