Jane Saville winning the 2006 Australian Championships (© Getty Images)
On 20 March in Melbourne, Australia’s Olympic women's 20km race walking bronze medallist Jane Saville seems almost certain to match the likes of athletics greats such as Don Quarrie of Jamaica and England’s Daley Thompson in winning three consecutive gold medals in Commonwealth Games.
However, the climax of the racing year for the race walker who is based in Sydney and Valencia, Spain, will be the IAAF World Race Walking Cup in La Coruña over the weekend of Saturday 13 & Sunday 14 May 2006.
“As far as I'm aware” said Saville, who was the Australian team flag bearer in the opening ceremony in Melbourne, “only five athletes have achieved three consecutive Gold medals in the same event in the 17 previous Commonwealth Games.”
The five are: Don Quarrie (Jamaica) Men 100m; 1970, 1974, 1978; Pamela Kilborn (Australia) Women 80 yards/100 metres Hurdles (after 1966); 1962, 1966, 1970; Valerie Sloper Young (New Zealand) Women Shot Putt 1958, 1962, 1966; A H Payne (England) Men Hammer Throw 1962, 1966, 1970 and Daley Thompson (England) Decathlon; 1978, 1982, 1986.
In Melbourne there are likely to be three athletes that could repeat the feat (depending on selection); Maria Mutola (Mozambique) Women 800m; Beatrice Faumuina (New Zealand) Women Discus and Jane Saville (Australia) Women 20km walk.
Saville, will look to retain titles won in Manchester, England, in 2002, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 1998 the latter 20km race ending the two Games winning streak of fellow Aussie Kerry Saxby.
She has built up a hefty amount of Air miles this year already. Briefly staying at her Spanish home with her husband and coach Matt White between winning the Telstra Selection Trials & 84th Australian Athletics Championships, at Sydney on 4 February, and returning for the Women’s 5000m walk at Telstra A series in Brisbane on 3 March, which she won in wet conditions in 21:48.58 ahead of her sister Natalie in 21:56.97.
IAAF Challenge fixtures in her plans
She’ll be straight back for the IAAF Race Walk Challenge events in Europe after the Commonwealth Games.
"I haven’t been killing myself in training in Spain”. The main thing was to see Matt before he’s busy competing around Europe and I’m at the Commonwealths.”
Matt White is a professional rider with the Discovery Channel cycling team who himself competed in the 1994 and 1998 Commonwealth Games teams for Australia. “He'll be doing a lot of races” said Jane. “Probably the Giro D’Italia and the Tour Suisse, and, possibly, Le Tour. I will only be able to spend limited time with him though as I will have various sponsor commitments back in Australia.”
“I have pretty happy with my progress in training ahead” said Saville between flights on her way back to Sydney. “I was surprised at how woeful I was at last years IAAF World Championships (20th in 1:33:44), but the trial race earlier this month (first in 1:33:19) worked out well, and I hope to see a steady improvement through to the World Cup.”
“After the Commonwealth Games I’ll fly back, do the IAAF Rio Maior, Portugal, Grand Prix on 1 April and then the Coppa Sesto San Giovanni in Italy on 1 May.”
More time with Matt
“I would have liked to have been able to go to the Mexican IAAF meeting (25 26 March) but that would mean crossing too many time zones. It will be the first time I’d have missed the event in six years. It’s a shame as it’s a great race and you get a week of altitude training thrown in!”
“I would love to have been able to go to the China race again like last year too which is much like the Mexican Grand Prix, in a city centre with fans close to the course and a great atmosphere but it’s just three weeks prior to the World Cup.”
“It would be good to have races a little more spread out as my season effectively ends in the middle of May although that makes a change as I’ll be able to spend time with Matt.”
Heartbreak in Sydney
Saville won the hearts of her nation by the way she accepted the judges’ decision after being dramatically disqualified 150m from a gold medal at the Sydney 2000 Olympics. She refined her technique and has since won the 2002 Commonwealth Games and the Olympic bronze medal in Athens. In the last IAAF World Race Walking Cup in 2004 Jane set the current Australian and Commonwealth Record of 1:27:44 in finishing fourth.
Home medal podium sweep?
This month in Melbourne Saville will be one of the strongest favourites in a Games where Australia may have limited opportunities to celebrate gold medals in athletics.
“I think it’s true that since I first took part in 1994, the overall standard of the race walks in the Commonwealth has gone down. I’m expected to win but the past doesn’t count for much. In 1998 Kerry Saxby had the same expectation but I beat her. You can’t rest on your Laurels.”
“My sister Natalie had a solid 10km at the Victorian Open at the MCG last week during heavy training, and there’s Cheryl Webb snapping at her heels, plus there’s an Indian girl (Deepmala Devi) who’s improving.”
Everything will need to come right for Australia but a triple 1, 2, 3 for the home nation in the three walk events seems quite possible.
“We’re trying for it! If it happens it will help cement walking’s place in the team” said Saville.
World Cup opposition
The opposition in La Coruña is certain to be more formidable. Since her first World Cup in 1993 in Monterrey, Mexico, the biannual competition has been a favourite and Saville considers that the Australian team to be in good shape (they were fifth in the women’s team and fourth junior women’s team in 2004).
“We’ve got solid depth and will be looking to improve perhaps a third or fourth team placing in the World Cup. I’m really excited about the event, especially as we have some new blood in Kellie Whapshott and Claire Woods who gave moved up to the senior team.”
“I’ve raced twice at La Coruña with mixed results, it’s a nice fast, flat course, and if there’s no wind, fingers crossed, there should be some fast times.”
There was some newspaper talk of retirement after Helsinki but Saville plans to continue while she has her heart and soul in race walking.
“This will be my last Commonwealths but I intend to carry on until Beijing. I won’t be retiring while I’m enjoying it.”
Apart from full time training, Jane is involved in promotional work for charities, health and fitness campaigns as well as motivational speaking chronicled on her website janesaville.com.
She has a busy time schedule, but Saville seems to have every incentive and the game plan for achieving her dreams.
Tim Watt for the IAAF
