Since we have so many walks spread across Australia each week during the summer, I have implemented my own very unofficial Walker Of The Week award. It will not have any special prize except for the recognition involved. I will review all the results reported in the VRWC Heel & Toe newsletter and nominate a short list for voting.

Last week's Walker of the Week went to 27 year old Kim Mottrom of the South Australian Walkers Club. Kim was one of our top juniors some years ago but faded in his early senior years. The past 12 months has seen him getting his motivation back and he was rewarded with an 8km PB of 36:36 on Saturday 5 May. Well done Kim!

This week's Walker of the Week will be a three way vote after 3 very significant performances here in Saransk, Russia, in the 2012 World Race Walking Cup. Here they are in chronological order.

• 15 year old Nathan Brill was the youngest competitor in the Junior Men's 10km Road Walk but he let his feet do the talking with an 8 sec PB time of 44:52, finishing 32nd from 67 starters. To finish in the top half of the field against an older group of the best Junior walkers in the world at such a young age guarantees him a place in my weekly nominations.


• 30 year old Chris Erickson was one of the very few walkers to achieve a PB in the Open Men's 20km walk but that is what he did with his 21st place time of 1:22:20. What's more, he was the first Australian to finish in the 124 strong field and his 33 sec PB give him the all important Olympic A qualifier that has pretty well ensured he will be added to our Olympic team. I was told in no uncertain terms by many of the overseas walkers and officials (the newsletter does get around!) that Chris had to be in the list of nominees – it was indeed a very popular result.


• 27 year old Jared Tallent was without doubt our top performer in Saransk with a bronze medal in the 50km walk – his time of 3:40:32 was walked from the front as he forced the pace lap after lap, the only non-Russian in a phalanx of red vests. The attrition rate was high with 1/3 of the 110 strong field failing to finish in the torrid conditions but Jared was undeterred, recording yet another superb time and gaining yet another medal in top international competition.

It is not often you get 3 performances like this in one week! And that's not even counting Andrew Jamieson's M65 world best 10km walk at Middle Park in Melbourne. Sorry Andrew! So get to it and vote as usual at www.vrwc.org.au.