Jared and Claire Tallent: these two are made for walking

By Tim O'Connor
Updated November 2 2012 - 3:04pm, first published September 30 2010 - 3:07pm
THE TALLENT TEAM: Jared and Claire Tallent are full of confidence for the Delhi Games.
THE TALLENT TEAM: Jared and Claire Tallent are full of confidence for the Delhi Games.

GOLD, gold, gold. That's the only colour circling the minds of Australian racewalkers Jared and Claire Tallent.The couple, who jetted off to Delhi yesterday, are brimming with confidence ahead of their 2010 Commonwealth Games campaign.For Ballarat's own Jared, Commonwealth Games pressure is nothing new, having walked his way to a bronze medal when the Games were in Melbourne in 2006.But for Claire, the experience is a new one.Both athletes competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where Jared became the first Australian to win two athletics medals in the same Games since 1972, with silver in the 50-kilometre and bronze in the 20-kilometre walk.Claire finished 27th in her only event, the 20-kilometre.The pair are usually able to cheer each other from the sidelines, but this year's Commonwealth Games scheduling means Jared and Claire will compete at the same time.''This time it's going to be hard to be racing and trying to watch her racing. It's going to be an interesting experience. It's great to go to the Games together. We went together in Beijing but weren't married,'' Jared said.Jared said they hope to room together while in Delhi, and would continue to work together in their final preparations before competition on October 9.''Every day we train together and go to competitions together, so it's just normal to be at a competition like this together,'' he said.Jared, 25, said his confidence was sky-high after recording a personal best over 10 kilometres at the 2010 IAAF Race Walking Challenge Final in China earlier this month.''I managed to beat all the other guys from the Commonwealth and other Australians. That's positive and gives you a lot of confidence, but you've got to convert that into performing on the day,'' he said.''I think this time around the main competition is going be the other Australian athletes. I haven't been beaten in the last year or so by any of the other Aussies and I don't want to let them beat me now.''Claire has set the bar just as high. The 29-year-old described herself as ''leaner and meaner'' in her pursuit for a spot at the top of the podium.''That's what my aim has been and things are shaping up in the right way. Fingers crossed, I handle the heat a bit better than the others and keep strong throughout the race and get there,'' Claire said.''The Australia women have never lost the walk (at the Commonwealth Games) so the pressure's on me to hold that tradition together.''

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