Race walking: It took time but teen got there

SMASHING: Laura Langley broke two national age-group records over 10km in Auckland last Sunday. PHOTO/FILE

THREE months ago all the signs were that it was going to happen for race walker Laura Langley in Rome - but it didn't.

Instead, Langley smashed her personal best 50-minute mark over 10km last Sunday at the Harry Kerr 5 x 10,000m after settling for 52:53 at the IAAF World Race Walking Team Championship in Rome in May.

In doing so the 18-year-old from Napier, who Graeme Jones coaches, smashed the New Zealand women's under-20 and under-19 records at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland.

Langley, who had a personal best of 51:54 before that, clocked 49m 22.7s to eclipse the U20 record Courtney Ruske, of Canterbury, held for two years.

Her under-19 national record was in the hands of someone who was much closer to home, Amanda Gorst, 29, who left the region as a teenager with race-walking Masters mother Gabrielle Gorst, a former NZ Masters champion, and father Tony several years ago.

Amanda's record was 51:02.74, on July 16, 2004, at Grosseto (Stadio Zecchini), Italy.

"I heard a lot about them from Graeme who told me she [Amanda] was a very good walker and I think she holds the under-19 3000m record," says Langley of Amanda, who clocked 13:52.09 over 3km in Wellington on March 12, 2004.

For Langley it's a good feeling to go under 50 minutes although she is intending to whittle it down by a minute at the NZ Road Championship on September 10 at Masterton.

"I'm going to compete as a senior for the second time, which means I'm going up an age group so I can compete in 10km races rather than 5km as juniors do," she says, hoping to peak there.

She can't wait to see Alana Barber and partner Quentin Rew compete at Rio.