KELLY Ruddick’s world championships dream was over before it started in Beijing on Friday.
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Illness forced Ruddick to withdraw from the women’s 20-kilometre walk for what would have been the Ballarat 42-year-old’s IAAF World Championships debut.
Ruddick told The Courier she had been struck down by labrynthitis – an inner ear problem which results in vertigo.
She gave herself as long as possible to make it to the starting line, but finally succumb on Friday morning.
Ruddick said he had had a great week-long training camp in Japan leading up to the Australian team’s arrival in China.
She said it all went downhill for her after watching Usain Bolt win the 100m gold medal.
“I spent three days in bed with an inner ear imbalance. I’ve been very unwell, with team medical staff unable to help.”
Ruddick said the condition could linger for weeks and in the end she had no choice but to withdraw.
“As you can imagine I’m devastated.”
She said she was determined to get back in green and gold, with the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics now her major goal.
With Ruddick out this left Beki Smith and Ballarat’s Rachel Tallent to represent Australia in the walk.
Making her first appearance in the world championships, 22-year-old Tallent went on to be 34th of 42 to finish, while Smith was disqualified.
Tallent was 39th of the 49 starters after 5km, 34th at 10km and 32nd at 15km. Her time of one hour, 36 minutes, 27 seconds was less than two seconds outside her personal best of 1:34.53 set in 2013.
The gold medal went to Hong Lu from China in 1:27.45.
Tallent’s older brother Jared goes for gold in the 50km walk on Saturday morning.
Based on career personal bests, Tallent is seeded two in the event. He has a PB of 3:36.53. This is bettered only by Slovakian Matej Toth, who recorded a 3:34.8 earlier this year.
This will be Tallent’s first test over the 50km this year.
He is a seasoned campaigner at the world championships.
He finished seventh in the 50km in Berlin 2009, third in the same event in Daegu (South Korea) in 2011 and third again in Moskva (Russia) two years ago.
Eureka Athletic Club member Ryan Gregson missed out on qualifying for the 1500m semi-finals. He finished seventh in the first of three heats on Thursday night.