Montag’s magnificent effort earns her bronze
Amanda (Montag’s mother) wasn’t surprised at her comeback to clinch bronze, saying, “She is so tough … she wouldn’t give up that easily!”
When her dream of a podium spot was fading at the 15km mark in the Paris heat, Jemima Montag drew on the memory of her late grandmother and Holocaust survivor Judith and a chorus of encouragement from family and friends, to find an extra gear and win Olympic bronze in the women’s 20km race walk.
The 26-year-old Maccabi Victoria Athletics Club (MVAC) life member – who’d come sixth on debut in Tokyo – slashed 44 seconds off her PB and Oceania record time, to finish last Thursday’s race in 1:26:25.
She became only the second female Australian to win an Olympic medal in that event since Athens 2004, when Jane Saville claimed bronze.
Then, in a classy gesture that reflected her values, she went to the aid of exhausted runner-up Spaniard Maria Perez – who’d finished just six seconds ahead – lifting her arm over her shoulder to prevent her from falling.
Montag had been fifth in the 37-strong field – well behind eventual winner Yang Jiayu (1:25:54) from China, who’d broken away early – when she experienced a moment of doubt.
At that point, she was 20 seconds behind Perez.
Wearing a bracelet made of part of a necklace that Judith had given her and her sisters Piper and Andie, Montag revealed after the race that at the 15km mark, “I really questioned my desire for a medal and then I heard my youngest sister [Andie] scream with a crackling voice – ‘This is your race!’ – and then I thought, okay … maybe.
“At the 17km mark, I could see third and fourth and it was just a matter of committing.
“It was so good to have them on the sidelines, in their [team Jem Australia] t-shirts and I was really proud of my toughness in the final kilometres.
“It feels like a dream come true to say that I’m an Olympic medallist … the bronze feels like gold!”
Reflecting on the bracelet, Montag said, “It certainly gave me strength out there”.
“Paris is the city my nanna and her father sought refuge in. Nanna had a great resilience … and that’s absolutely what you need to get through a gruelling race walk.”
Another asset up Montag’s sleeve, apart from her physical preparation, was her sound mental approach.
“I had a real sense of calm, of wanting the medal, but not needing the medal – and that’s a critical difference,” she said.
Her father Ray told Channel Nine post-race, “I am so proud. This is a great moment for Jemima, as no matter what happens going forward, she’s always going to be an Olympic medallist.
“But I’m proud of her as an entire person,” he said of the medicine student and International Olympic Committee Young Leader, who founded the Play On project to encourage schoolgirls to stick with sport.
Amanda (Montag’s mother) wasn’t surprised at her comeback to clinch bronze, saying, “She is so tough … she wouldn’t give up that easily!”
MVAC president Len Bogatin and club life members David Grace and Harry Procel, were also in the crowd, while at Melbourne’s Elsternwick Cinema, MVAC members watched the race together on the big screen.
Montag said her message for young girls who watched her dream come true is, “Play on, in your own way!”
On Wednesday afternoon (August 7, Australian time), Montag was due to compete in the inaugural Olympic marathon mixed relay race walk.
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