NSW Race Walking titles go to Country Athletes

24 May 2021

NSW Race Walking titles go to Country Athletes

The first two open winter race walking titles of 2021 went to country athletes Carl Gibbons and Hannah Mison at the NSW Short Course Walks held at Chipping Norton yesterday.

MEN OPEN 20KM WALK

Wyong Club’s Carl Gibbons won the open men’s 20km walk in 1:31:48 and was most pleased with how he raced in the backend of the race.

“I haven’t negative split for a while so that was the plan for today,” said Gibbons who works fulltime as an Electrician.

“(It is important to) come home a lot stronger, rather than go out too fast especially when you are racing by yourself.”

Although a regular course for their competitions, Gibbons still found it not to his liking.

“It’s a hard track because of the hills.”

It has been a good year already for Gibbons. In March he broke his four-year old 20km PB clocking 1:27.24 in the national championship. In May, also in Melbourne, he walked 1:28.25, his third fastest ever time.

“I haven’t been training too hard since Melbourne.”

He plans a lighter training load over winter, before he builds up for key walking event next summer where he will hope to make the Australian team for the World Race Walking Teams Championships in May 2022.

WOMEN OPEN 15KM WALK

An athlete on the rise is Wagga’s Hannah Mison who won the open women’s 15km walk title in 1:16.43, ahead of Allanah Pitcher (MIN) 1:21.50 and Molly O’Neill (MIN) with 1:26.32.

“I was happy with the time today as I was hoping for under 1:20,” said Mison.

For Mison it was a PB and adds to an impressive range of performances already this year. After placing fourth in the national open 20km walk in March (1:54.20) she placed a fantastic fourth in the national open 10,000m walk track in April in a good time of 50:59.25.

Since graduating from school, the 19-year-old has been working locally in Wagga, but is considering going to university to study Nutrition/Dietetics. One university to offer the course is Newcastle, which is close to where her coach Frank Overton and his squad train on the Central Coast. Mison, who started the sport in Little Athletics in the under-10s, trains solo after work on a local oval, following a training program set by Overton.

JUNIOR WALKS

There were a range of promising performances from the juniors. Of particular note was Elizabeth McMillen (SYP) in the under-20 10km walk, clocking 51:21. Just 17, she definitely is within reach of the World U20 Championships standard of 48:20. Second in the U20 event was Emma Blanch (STG) 53:37 with Hannah Bolton (MIN) third in 53:43.

In the Men’s under-20 10km walk, the favourite Jack McGinniskin (MIN) had little trouble taking the win in 49:21. The rapidly improving Westfields Raven Pyda, 17, was an impressive second in 50:59. Third was Bankstown’s Riley Whatman in 55:53.

Results https://www.nswathletics.org.au/events/100704/&cat=2643-2644-2697-2698-3489&f=list

Images Athletics NSW Facebook

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW

Images: Left to right: Carl Gibbons, Hannah Mison, Elizabeth McMillen and Jack McGinniskin (courtesy of David Tarbotton)