BRITS READY FOR WORLD RACE WALKING TEAM CHAMPS

Tom Bosworth (coach: Andi Drake) is set to make his fourth appearance at the IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships this weekend and will do so in China in the form of his life.

Less than a month ago Bosworth’s growing race walking career reached its highest moment yet as he took Commonwealth silver in the 20km on the Gold Coast in a new British record of 79:38 minutes.

Bosworth has been breaking records for fun up until that point, the one mile and 3000m indoor world records last July and this February respectively to name a few, but that was his major championship medal breakthrough.

The 2018 calendar throws up another significant opportunity in the form of the IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships, an event in which Bosworth, who finished sixth on his Olympic debut in Rio in 2016, is very well versed.

He is joined in Taicang, China by Bethan Davies (Drake) and Gemma Bridge (Mark Wall), the latter set for her debut at the event whereas Bosworth competed in 2012, 2014 and 2016.

Bosworth is ranked inside the top ten in tenth among those entered for the 20km in Taicang with the course the same one used for the annual IAAF Race Walking Challenge event.

All three Brits will be treated to a completely flat, traffic-free course, while for the first time at the IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships, all events will be conducted using a pit lane area.

If an athlete receives three red cards, they will be required to enter the pit lane and, in the case of Bosworth, Davies and Bridges in the 20km, remain in there for two minutes. Should an athlete receive another red card thereafter, they will then be disqualified.

Davies, who made her debut at the Championships last time out in Rome in 2016, also enjoyed success on the Gold Coast, winning Commonwealth bronze in the women’s 20km. She has significantly lowered her personal best this year as well, clocking 91:53 in Switzerland in March.

Bridge meanwhile was fifth in that Commonwealth Games 20km and will join Davies in kickstarting the British charge in Taicang on Saturday. Bosworth will compete a day later on Sunday. Callum Wilkinson (Drake) and Heather Lewis (Chris Jones) have both withdrawn from the Championships.

The British team set to #REPRESENT in the 20km at the IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships Taicang 2018:

Men:

Tom Bosworth (Andi Drake; Tonbridge)

Women:

Bethan Davies (Andi Drake; Cardiff)

Gemma Bridge (Mark Wall; Oxford)