By John Bombatch
PERTH, Australia — Area racewalker Susan Randall made her week-long competition in the World Masters Athletic Championships worthwhile. The Beavercreek resident won five medals in three events. She claimed bronze, silver and gold individual medals, as well as silver and gold USA team medals.
In her final event of the Masters Championships, Randall won the women’s W40 20,000-meter racewalk with a time of 1 hour, 51 minutes and 40 seconds on Nov. 4 over the Perry Lakes Reserve circuit.
Lenka Borovickova of the Czech Republic finished second in 1:59.11, followed by Mia Del Carmen Lupercio Luevano of Mexico (2:05.35), and Diana Maria Monsalve Pulgarin of Columbia (2:45.28).
Randall also received gold as part of Team USA’s first-place finish in the 20K event.
Earlier during the World Masters Championships, Randall had placed third in the women’s 40 WMA-class 5,000-meter racewalk to earn a bronze medal.
She then claimed silver in the women’s 40 WMA-class event for the 10,000-meter (6.2 miles) racewalk inwhich she also earned a silver medal as part of Team USA’s second-place finish in the event.
Sixty three countries competed in the World Masters Athletic Championships. Host Australia was the top medals recipient with 469. The U.S. was second with 168 (70 gold, 47 silver, 51 bronze), with the combined Great Britain & Northern Ireland team finishing third in the medal count with 138.
Earlier this year, Randall, 42, was one of 15 female racewalkers invited to compete in the U.S. Olympic trials. That 20,000-meter racewalk event was held in Salem, Oregon. Randall, competing for the Shore Athletic Club out of Cranbury, N.J., finished in 1:53.59, but failed to advance to the Rio Olympic Games.
