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Chris Erickson (Vic) has secured automatic nomination for selection to the Australian Olympic Team after winning the national 50km race walk title in Melbourne (Vic) yesterday. ©Athletics Australia
Athletics – Australia – News – RACE WALK
Chris Erickson (Vic) has secured automatic nomination for selection to the Australian Olympic Team after winning the national 50km race walk title in Melbourne (Vic) yesterday.
The second to cross the line behind Evan Dunfee (CAN, 3:43:45), Erickson’s time of 3:54:10 together with his top-16 finish at the IAAF World Championships earlier this year ensures that he is now eligible for selection by the Australian Olympic Committee.
“I’m really happy to know that I’ve punched my ticket for Rio,” Erickson said.
“It’s a great feeling to know that I have the chance to be a three-time Olympian, but it will be like competing for the first time again because I’ll get the chance to race the 50-kilometres. The aim is still to put myself in the position to do the double, we’ll see how we go.”
Dunfee’s result to win the race was a Canadian record, while Marc Mundel (RSA), who crossed third in 3:54:12, set a new African record to round out the top-three placegetters. The Australian championship silver medallist was Brendon Reading (ACT, 3:55:03, PB), while Ian Rayson (NSW, 3:55:17, PB) won bronze.
For many, the stunning personal best results followed a period of training at the Australian Institute of Sport that saw athletes involved in a nutrition study led by Dr. Louise Burke. The study is aiming to unlock the secrets of how specific diets can provide a clean edge at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, and will resume in January.
“I’ve enjoyed some really good training coming into this and I love competing here in Melbourne. This is a very fast course,” Dunfee said.
““It was fantastic training at the AIS and walking with Chris, Inaki (Gomez), Evan and Brendon, just being in a race with so many people who have gone under 3.55. It’s incredible.”
In other results at the Australian 50km Race Walking Championships:
– Four women secured Olympic Games qualifying performances for the women’s 20km walk. Regan Lamble (Vic) was the first to cross in 1:30:45, with Stephanie Stigwood (Tas, second, 1:32:22), Rachel Tallent (Vic, fourth, 1:34:16) and Tanya Holliday (SA, fifth, 1:34:56) hot on her heels.
– IAAF World Youth Championships representative Tyler Jones (NSW) clocked 42:48 to achieve a qualifying performance for the IAAF World Junior Championships. The winner of the boy’s 10,000m race walk, Jones is joined on the qualifiers list by Kyle Swan (Vic, 43:01) and Adam Garganis (Vic, 43:03).
– In the girl’s 10,000m event, Zoe Hunt (ACT) crossed the line in 47:41 to achieve her first qualifier for the IAAF World Junior Championships next year.
To view and download results from the Australian 50km Road Walking Championships, please click here.
For more information on the summer of athletics, including event details for the Australian Athletics Tour and Australian Athletics Championships, please follow this link to visit the #SUMMERofATHs hub at athletics.com.au.
Olympic aspirant Chris Erickson (Vic) has Rio 2016 in his sights, with victory in the Australian 50km Race Walking Championships on Sunday 13 December enough to secure his automatic nomination for selection.
Competing after an impressive 13th place in 3:51:26 at the Beijing 2015 IAAF World Championships, Erickson, who is coached by Brent Vallance, is determined to use the race as a launch pad for a strong Olympic Games campaign.
“This is a great event for me, it set my year up nicely and got me right back into the swing of preparing for a major championships. The plan is the same this year, make every effort to win the trial, cement my Olympic nomination and take the guess work out of everything,” Erickson said.
“I’m better prepared for the race than I was in 2014. I have more kilometres in my legs and am ready to go. I’m using it to practice my race strategy, which is very important in such a long distance event. I have to get my fuelling right to keep myself in the best shape across the duration and if it works then it will be the same plan that I use in Rio,” Erickson said.
Erickson will be one of nine starters in the men’s 50km event, with Brendon Reading (ACT) and Ian Rayson (NSW) some of those flying the Australian flag among international staters Marc Mundel (RSA), Ben Thorne (CAN) and Evan Dunfee (CAN).
“We are missing Jared, but the start list is high quality. There are a number of Canadians walking, Ben Thorne is one and he won a medal in the shorter 20km race in Beijing earlier this year. They’ve been involved in a nutrition study alongside some of the other Aussie boys in Canberra of late and have a good block of training under their belt,” Erickson added.
“An athlete I coach, Brendon Reading, is racing too. I’ll assist him in getting his pace right in the early stages and then let him duel with people like Ian to see who can come out on top.”
The Australian 50km Race Walking Championships will be held in Fawkner Park, Melbourne from 7:00am on Sunday 13 December.
The timetable also features a women’s 20km race walk, with London 2012 Olympian Regan Lamble (Vic) and Beijing 2015 starters Kelly Ruddick (Vic) and Rachel Tallent (Vic) to compete. In the men’s race across the same distance, Rhydian Cowley (Vic) starts as favourite.
For more information on the Australian 50km Race Walking Championships, please click here.
For more information on the summer of athletics, please follow this link to the #SUMMERofATHS hub at athletics.com.au.
