RECORD EFFORT A WALK IN THE PARK
GOLD Coast has a new athletics hero after 18-year-old Katie Hayward yesterday moved to No.3 on the Aussie all-time list by winning the national 20km walk championship in Adelaide.
Hayward’s time of 1hr 29min 25sec has been bettered only by Jane Saville and Claire Tallent among Australian women.
Hayward, who was fifth in the 10km walk at last year’s world junior titles, beat home Commonwealth Games gold medallist Jemima Sonntag.
Formerly a St Andrew’s Lutheran College student, Hayward posted the fastest time by an Australian woman for seven years, the fastest by an Aussie in this event on home soil and went to No.13 among all-time world under-20 walkers.
GOLD Coast 18-year-old Kate Hayward moved to No. 3 on the Australian all-time list yesterday by taking out the national 20km walk championship in Adelaide.
Hayward’s time of 1hr29min25sec has been bettered only Jane Saville and Claire Tallent among Australian women.
Hayward, who was fifth in the 10km walk at last year’s world junior titles, beat home Victoria’s Commonwealth Games gold medallist Jemima Sonntag. Sonntag (1.30.51) placed third in a race won by Colombia’s Sandra Lorenas (1.28.49) in which Hayward was the first Australian home.
Hayward, formerly a St Andrew’s Lutheran College student, posted the fastest time by an Australian woman for seven years, the fastest by an Australian in the event on home soil and moved to No. 13 among all-time world under20 walkers, statistician David Tarbotton said.
Commonwealth men’s champion Dane Bird-Smith won another men’s 20km national title when though Swede Perseu Karlstrom’s winning time of 1:20:05 was 47 sec faster than he managed.
Jack Hale saw off Queensland’s national 100m champion Trae Williams in their slick early-season showdown in Canberra on Saturday. Hale’s win in 10.25 sec, his second fastest career time, over Williams (10.30) was a first serious competitive step for both towards world championships selection.