Jemima Montag has pocketed Australia’s first medal at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, claiming silver in the women’s 20-kilometre walk.
Key points:
- It is Montag’s first podium finish at the world titles
- She clocked 1:27:16 to be second across the finish line
- María Pérez won gold for Spain
The 25-year-old Victorian was in the lead group throughout the opening 15km on a sunny Sunday morning in historic Heroes Square.
Eventual winner María Pérez from Spain made the decisive break before the 16km mark and Montag was the only one who responded.
Pérez surged away to win gold in one hour, 26 minutes and 51 seconds, well ahead of Montag (1:27:16) and Italian bronze medallist Antonella Palmisano (1:27:26).
It made Montag the first Australian women’s walker since Kerry Saxby-Junna in 1999 to finish on the podium at the world titles.
She is also a two-time Commonwealth Games champion who has been steadily building up to this breakthrough performance on the global stage.
Montag finished sixth at the Tokyo Olympics and fourth at last year’s world championships in Eugene.
Fellow Australian Rebecaa Henderson was 33rd in a time of 1:35.51, while teammate Olivia Sandery was disqualified.
Australia’s Declan Tingay finished eighth in the men’s 20km walk on day one of the World Athletics Championships.
AAP
Loading