Jemima walks the talk
Australian walker Jemima Montag has joined an elite list of Australian track and field athletes to win two medals at a single Olympics.
Jemima Montags powers to her second Olympic medal Photo: Dan Himbrechts/AAP
Montag and teammate Rhydian Cowley won bronze in the inaugural Olympic marathon race walk in Paris on Wednesday.
Montag, who also won bronze in the women’s 20km walk in Paris, is just the ninth Australian track and field to be a dual medallist at the one Olympics.
The list includes Olympic legends Shirley Strickland – who performed the feat at three consecutive Games from 1948 – Betty Cuthbert and another walker, Jared Tallent.
Montag said the relay marathon was difficult after her individual 20km race six days ago.
“In some ways it was harder but in other ways I had so much more adrenaline with it being my first ever team event,” she said.
“The day after my individual, I was trying to just go for an easy race walk again to prepare for this.
“That’s when my coach said: ‘I’m going to dangle a carrot in front of you’.”
Coach Brent Vallance told Montag of the select group of Australian track and field athletes to be double-medallists at the same Olympics.
“Any time someone dangles a carrot, that competitor in me has to go after it,” Montag said.
Cowley led off the relay walk and was ninth after the first leg.
Montag then steamed to the lead at the midpoint before Cowley completed the third leg in fourth spot.
The 26-year-old Montag made ground on the last leg to secure bronze in two hours 51 minutes and 38 seconds.
“It was all about teamwork today and when I lost motivation to do it for myself, it was about doing it for Rhyd and doing it for our coach who was going bonkers on the sidelines,” she said.
AUSTRALIAN TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETES TO WIN TWO OR MORE MEDALS AT A SINGLE OLYMPICS:
* Edwin Flack (1896 – 800m gold, 1500m gold)
* Stan Rowley (1900 – 60m bronze, 100m bronze, 200m bronze)
* Shirley Strickland (1948 – 100m bronze, 80m hurdles bronze, 4x100m relay silver; 1952 – 80m hurdles gold, 100m bronze; 1956 – 4x100m relay gold, 80m hurdles gold)
* Marjorie Jackson (1952 – 100m gold, 200m gold)
* Betty Cuthbert (1956 – 100m gold, 200m gold, 4x100m relay gold)
* Marlene Matthews (1956 – 100m bronze, 200m bronze)
* Raelene Boyle (1972 – 100m silver, 200m silver)
* Jared Tallent (2008 – 50km walk silver, 20km walk bronze)
* Jemima Montag (2024 – 20km walk bronze, marathon walk relay bronze)
