Jared Tallent’s second triumph in the IAAF Race Walking Challenge could be said to very much a family affair.
The 2008 winner, and second last year, topped the standings in 2013 and banked a cheque for USD$30,000 thanks in part to his new coach: his wife and international race walker Claire, herself a former winner in Challenge races.
The Tallents also moved from their Australian Institute of Sport base in Canberra to Adelaide, but not from Jared’s lofty position in the Challenge.
However, when it came to really big winners, Yelena Lashmanova was the women in the money.
By taking the IAAF World Championship 20km in Moscow, the Olympic champion also headed the Challenge women’s standings and walked away, literally, with USD$90,000 in total – USD$60,000 for the World Championships win and another USD $30,000 for topping the Challenge standings.
It underlined the 21-year-old’s meteoric rise since her surprise IAAF World race Walking Cup win on home turf at Saransk two years ago.
