The 2020 edition of the Oceania 20km Race Walks Championships took place on Sunday (9th Feb), along Memorial Drive, Adelaide, Australia.
Dane Bird-Smith (QLD) and Jemima Montag won the men’s and women’s the Oceania and Australian 20km Race Walking Championships (respectively) in Adelaide.
As both already had raced the automatic qualifying time (men -1:21.00, women 1:31.00), Bird-Smith walked 1:20.52 in February 2019 and Montag walked 1:30.51 at the same time, winning the National Championships means they secure themselves an automatic nomination to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Bird-Smith who actually finished in third place with 1:23.01 behind Perseus Karlstrom (Sweden) in 1:21.57 and Evan Dunfee (Canada),in 1:22.32, said:
“Getting the automatic nomination (to Tokyo 2020) was the game plan today , so I just got out there and tried to stick with an even pace, off a kind of curbed training block – so I’m just happy to be able to get the job done and focus on the remainder of the year now,”
Dane Bird-Smith
Both Quentin Rew and Alana Barber of New Zealand finished in 4th place in their respective races (time of 1:28:18 / 1:35:52).
Men’s 20km Oceania Championships
Place Name DOB Nationality Time
1 Dane Bird-Smith 92 Australia 1:23:01
2 Rhydian Cowley 91 Australia 1:24:40
3 Kyle Swan 99 Australia 1:27:41
4 Quentin Rew 84 New Zealand 1:28:18
5 Tyler Jones 98 Australia 1:28:26
6 Carl Gibbons 96 Australia 1:30:26
7 Jason Kozica 87 Australia 1:35:57
8 Adam Garganis 97 Australia 1:37:31
9 Dylan Richardson 00 Australia 1:38:44
10 Timothy Fraser 00 Australia 1:40:59
11 Alix Harlington 99 Australia 1:47:53
12 Bradley Mann 99 Australia 1:53:41
Women’s 20km Oceania Championships
Place Name DOB Nationality Time
1 Jemima Montag 98 Australia 1:33:15
2 Katie Hayward 00 Australia 1:34:00
3 Beki Smith 86 Australia 1:35:06
4 Alana Barber 87 New Zealand 1:35:52
5 Simone McInnes 91 Australia 1:37:32
6 Rachel Tallent 93 Australia 1:40:20
7 Anna Cross 99 Australia 1:53:11
8 Laura Langley 97 New Zealand 1:55:36
9 Courtney Ruske 94 New Zealand 1:58:25
— Rozie Robinson 90 New Zealand DNF
— Kelly Ruddick 73 Victoria DNF
