Australian athlete Jemima Montag won bronze in the 20km race walk at the Paris Olympics.
The 26-year-old Melburnian was third to cross the finish line in a field of 45 entrants, behind China’s Jiayu Yang and Spain’s Maria Perez.
Monday broke his own national record by crossing the line in a time of 1:26:25, the second time he has broken it this year.
She immediately ran to help Perez, who was battling exhaustion after crossing the finish line.
Montag is the second Australian to medal in the event after Jane Saville took bronze in Athens 20 years ago.
A standout athlete at major events, Montag was second at last year’s world championships and won gold at the previous two Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast in 2018 and then Birmingham four years later.
Jemima Montag has added to Australia’s medal tally after claiming bronze in the 20km race walk.
Montag’s grandmother was a Holocaust survivor who escaped the horrors of Auschwitz and died three years ago shortly before competing in the Tokyo Games.
Earlier on Thursday, Ecuador’s Brian Pintado won the opening track and field event of the 2024 Olympics, powering through the final stages to take gold in the men’s 20km walk.
Pintado clocked a winning time of 1:18:55, while the minor medals went to Caio Bonfim of Brazil (1:19:09) and Spain’s Álvaro Martín (1:19:11).
Australian Declan Tingay was with the leading pack for the first 15km and held on to finish 11th in 1:19:56, one place ahead of compatriot Rhydian Cowley.
Jemima Montag broke her own national record on her way to bronze
The third Australian, Kyle Swan, was 35th.
Both races were delayed by half an hour due to overnight thunderstorms.
Montag and her Australian teammates will be back in action next Wednesday when the mixed marathon and relay race makes its Olympic debut.
More to come.