Gold medallist makes no apologies for 'selfish' racing in Aussie podium sweep

Jemima Montag claimed gold in the Commonwealth Games race walk, demonstrating a ruthless focus on victory despite competing alongside a teammate. Montag and Lizzy McMillen, both representing Australia, were the dominant figures in the final. McMillen led for nearly the entire 25-lap race around Scotstoun Stadium, battling strong winds that had affected other track and field events.

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It was pretty windy out there so having to cop the wind for a good 23 laps was a bit tough, certainly not my plan, but I'm proud of my efforts and I went as hard as I possibly could.

Despite the challenging conditions and the presence of her compatriot, Montag remained close behind McMillen for 23 laps. She then unleashed a powerful late surge to overtake McMillen and secure the gold medal. McMillen, in her Commonwealth Games debut, expressed frustration with leading for so long but accepted the outcome as part of racing.

"It was pretty windy out there so having to cop the wind for a good 23 laps was a bit tough, certainly not my plan, but I'm proud of my efforts and I went as hard as I possibly could," McMillen said. "What can you do? That's racing for you."

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What can you do? That's racing for you.

Montag, a two-time gold medallist, defended her competitive strategy, emphasizing the individual nature of the sport. "Not in a race. In training, absolutely, but in a race you have to be selfish. Unfortunately it's an individual sport, not a team," she stated. "If it was cycling or something with drafting, where you do change the lead around, then absolutely. But as much as I would love to, sometimes you have to forget it's a teammate that you care about and just remember it's another competitor and it's another body that's in front of you and to ultimately be selfish."

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I did look back a few times thinking 'Are you gonna kinda help out here?', but no.

Bronze medallist Bec Henderson noted that while the team's initial plan was for a 1-2-3 finish, individual race tactics ultimately prevailed. She explained that each athlete had different strengths and strategies, and they each executed their own plans on the day.

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I was the rabbit today, so what are you going to do?