DECLAN TINGAY'S PATH TO PARIS
Published Fri 19 Jul 2024
At just 25 years old, Declan Tingay is set to return to the Australian Olympic Team for the second time at the Paris Olympic Games.
Over the last two years, at three global meets, Tingay has been Australia’s leading 20km race walker. Now a Commonwealth Games Silver Medallist and a national record holder, Tingay is ready to leverage his experience when he steps onto the start line and launches Australia’s campaign in Paris.
“I'm older, I am mature, and I have more years of consistent training under my belt. This year the focus has just been on consistent training and banking races for experience rather than desperately trying to find races to qualify,” Tingay said.
Tingay found a new gear over the 2023 international season to further shave down his personal best and place 8th at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. Crossing the line in 1:18.30, Tingay delivered a powerhouse 20km Race Walk performance on the big stage.
Returning to the fold in 2024, the former Southern Districts Little Athlete has continued to be tested throughout the Australian domestic season by the countries’ evolving depth in the race walks.
“The qualifier is so much harder than it was even one or two years ago. Knowing that you’ve got people you compete against domestically coming into the quota, and getting the qualifiers, means your margin for error domestically is so much smaller.”
“I think the pressure to perform locally [is] higher than it has ever been before.”
Now with a spot on the Australian team secured, Tingay is looking forward to yet again pulling on the green and gold and racing through the streets of Paris.
“It is hard to describe how good of a feeling it is to be among the first people to compete in athletics,” Tingay said.
“You get that special feeling that for a brief moment in time, it is all about you and you get to feed off that energy around you.”
Tingay will have double duties this time around thanks to the newly added Marathon Race Walk Mixed Relay. For the first time at the Olympics, the mixed team relay will see 25 teams contest the race. Each team will include one female and one male, who will race over the marathon distance of 42.195m in four stages of approximately 10km each, alternating throughout the race.
“It's nice having two opportunities to compete at the same Championship,” said Tingay.
Tingay’s consistency and dedication over the last two years have produced huge improvements in the performance and results of the young race walker. With just one week until race time, Tingay is eager to put his hard work to the test.
“I know I am going to be excited to be on that start line and I will be eager to get off and race.”
Declan Tingay will line up for the 20km Race Walk Final on Thursday the 1st of August at 1:30 pm WST.
To watch all the athletics action at the Paris Olympics, head to 9NOW.
For more information on how you can get involved in athletics, contact Athletics West on 08 6272 0480 or email admin@athleticswest.com.au.
By Imogen McDonald, Athletics West
Posted 20 July 2024
