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Tuesday, 17 July 2018

The 2018 Tampere IAAF World U20 Championships will be one to remember for student athlete Declan Tingay after he secured the 10,000m Australian U20 record with a time of 40:49.72.

The 19-year-old was unlucky to just miss out on a podium spot, finishing the race-walk category in fourth place.

The positive for Declan is that he breaks the record formerly held by Olympic medallist Dane Bird-Smith.

Speaking after the event, Declan said he was thrilled with his performance.

“The perfect race, the race was perfect I couldn’t ask for more,” he said.

“I’ve been focussing a lot on my technique for the past five weeks and I think it all came together today.”

Declan has been closing in on Bird-Smith’s record for some time, narrowly missing it during the Championships trials earlier in the year.

Race-walking proved a strong event for the Australians, with Declan’s teammate Kyle Swan finishing in sixth place with his own personal best.

Meanwhile, it was mixed emotions for UWA Athletics Club’s Lauren Hyde-Cooling, who made an important step forward in her pole-vaulting career, but found it difficult to reach the heights she had made during qualifying.

Both athletes can be proud of their performances and the experience gained in Tampere, exposing them to the quality standards expected on the international stage.

Media references

Louis Humberstone

Graduate Officer, UWA Sport Marketing, Communication and Events

[email protected]

6488 3768

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