Further Information 

Competition Stats

AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
3000m walk: 2000 (U20 All Schools) - 1st, 2001 (U18) - 1st
5000m walk: 2000 (U20 All Schools) - 1st
10km walk: 2000 (U20) - 3rd, 2001 (U20) - 1st, 2002 (U20) - 1st
10,000m walk: 2002 (U20) - 2nd, 2003 (U20) - 1st
20km walk: 2002 (U20) - 1st, 2003 - 3rd, 2005 - 5th, 2006 - 3rd, 2007 - 2nd, 2008 - 1st, 2009 - 1st, 2010 - 1st
30km walk: 2004 - 1st, 2006 - 2nd
50km walk: 2006 - 3rd, 2007 – 1st, 2009 - DNF

INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
World youth championships: 2001 - 10,000m walk 7th (44.50.94)
World junior championships: 2002 - 10,000m walk 19th (45.41.19)
World Race Walking Cup: 2004 - 20km walk 75th (1:30.01), 2006 - 14th (1:21.36, team 2nd), 2008 - 20km walk 10th (1:19.48, team 3rd)
World championships: 2005 - 20km walk 18th (1:23.42), 2007 - 20km walk DQ
Commonwealth Games: 2006 - 20km walk 3rd (1:23.32)
Olympic Games: 2008 – 20km walk 3rd (1:19.42), 50km walk 2nd (3:39.27)

ANNUAL PROGRESSION
5000m walk:
1999 22.22.6
2000 21.17.59
2001 21.23.21
2002 21.11.70
2003 20.49.85
2005 19.13.95
2006 19.12.27
2008 19.01.94
2009 18.41.83
2010 18:51.39

20km walk:
2002 1:40.21
2003 1:31.24
2004 1:27.02
2005 1:22.53
2006 1:21.36
2007 1:21.25
2008 1:19.41
2009 1:19.42
2010 1:19.15

50km walk:
2006 3:55.08
2007 3:44.45
2008 3:39.27
2009 3:38.56
2010 3:54.55

EVENTS / PERSONAL BESTS
3000m walk: 11.21.04 - Canberra, 29/10/2005
5000m walk: 18.41.83 - Sydney, 28/02/2009
10,000m walk: 40.41.5 - Valga (EST), 27/05/2006
20km walk: 1:19.41 - Melbourne, 23/02/2008
30km walk: 2:06.27 - Canberra, 10/06/2007
50km walk: 3:38.56 – Melbourne, 22/11/2009

Interesting Facts

Jared is one of six children raised on the family potato farm in Newlyn, just outside of Ballarat. He lost his right index finger in an accident when he was two.

Jared is studying to become a physical education teacher at the University of Canberra and works as a tour guide at the AIS. His interests include travel, F1 motor racing and training.

Jared started competing in Little Athletics where he met his long-term coach Daryl Biggin. He became engaged to fellow Australian representative walker and Beijing team member Claire Woods in Germany in June 2007. Jared and Claire had their wedding less than two weeks following the 2008 Olympics Games in the aptly named town of Walkerville in the USA.

Sporting Career

1999 – 2001 – Jared competed at a national level in two sports – placing second at state and 15th at national level in triathlon while also breaking through in race walking. At the 2000 Australian All Schools he was unbeaten, winning the U18 and U20 events. Wins at the 2001 Youth Olympic Festival in Sydney and the Australian U18 championships in Bendigo secured him selection for the world youths.

2003 – 2005 – Jared relocated to the AIS in November 2003 and continued to improve in 2004 despite a year filled with injuries. He earned selection in his first senior team for the 2004 World Walking Cup at just 19, winning the national 30km title in August. Soon after he began his coaching relationship with Brent Vallance. In April 2005, Jared was selected for the world championships after surprising with an A-qualifying performance of 1:22.53 at the IAAF Walking Challenge event in Cixi City (CHN), becoming the youngest member of the team.

2006 – After winning his second national 20km bronze medal, Jared completed a clean sweep of the medals for the Aussies by taking the bronze in the 20km at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games. He finished an important 14th at the World Walking Cup in La Coruna, ensuring that along with Nathan Deakes and Luke Adams, Australia won its first ever men’s team medal at the event – a silver. On his return he finished second (to Deakes) in the national 30km event in Hobart before making an outstanding 50km debut in a time of 3:55.08 in Deakes’ world record race in Geelong.

2007 – Set a new personal best at the IAAF Race Walking Challenge in Shenzen, China. World championships selection followed. Looking good to finish top eight, he was disqualified soon after 15km. Before 2007 was out, Jared competed in the Australian 50km walk championships in Melbourne, winning in 3:44.45, the third fastest time ever by an Australian.

2008 – In a quest to walk both distances in Beijing, Jared also won the 20km championships in a personal best time (1:19.41) in Melbourne in February 2008. In his Olympic debut, Jared finished with two medals – silver in the 50km and bronze in the 20km. In the 20km, Jared clocked 1:19.42, just one second slower than his lifetime best to claim the bronze medal. In the 50km he set a massive personal best (3:39:27) to win silver – the first time Australia has won a medal in the long walk event. Jared is also the first Australian male since 1906 to win two medals at the Games. Jared recorded a DNF at the 50km national championships in Melbourne in December.

2009 – Set a new personal best time of 18:41.83 over 5000m at the Sydney Track Classic in February before taking out the national 20km crown in March, stopping the clock just one second shy of his personal best over that distance.

The year saw Jared place third in the 20km walk in the opening round of the IAAF Race Walking Challenge in Chihuahua (MEX), fifth in Round 3 of the series in Wuxi (CHN) and post a DNF in Round 6 in La Coruna (ESP).

In August Jared placed sixth in the 20km walk and seventh in the 50km walk at the Berlin world championships. The next month Jared placed fifth (39:28) at the season-ending IAAF Race Walking Challenge in Saransk, Russia.

A win in the national 50km walk championships (3:38.56) in Melbourne in November capped Jared’s impressive year on the world race walking circuit.

2010 – Jared’s 50km national crown was backed up with his victory in the Australian 20km race walking championship held in conjunction with the first instalment of the IAAF Race Walking Challenge in February.

Crossing the line in a new personal best time of 1:19.15, Jared then turned his attention to leading the Australian team at the IAAF Race Walking Cup in May.

Competing in the 50km event, Jared battled extreme heat, wind and physical illness to cross the line in a time of 3:54.55 to secure the bronze medal and assist in ensuring Australia’s team result of fifth overall.