Montag, Cowley clinch walking medal in Paris after first ever Olympic mixed marathon

Aussies Jemima Montag and Rhydian Cowley have found an inspired podium at the first Olympic medley marathon walk, with Montag seeing double with another bronze to her name in Paris.

The chance to join some of Australia’s greatest Olympians was the carrot which was dangled in front of Jemima Montag before her bronze medal heroics in the mixed marathon relay.

Walks coach Brent Vallance knew his charge was struggling to come up mentally and physically after her brilliant bronze-medal winning performance in the 20km individual event so he threw some history at Montag.

It was a genius move because it helped inspire the Melbourne walker to chase down the Italian ahead of her in the final leg and get into the coveted third position.

Montag becomes the ninth Australian track and field athlete to win two medals at the same Olympics and the first woman since Raelene Boyle in Munich in 1972 (silver in 100m and 200m).

Jemima Montag celebrates a second bronze medal in Paris. Picture: Gabriel BOUYS / AFP

The list includes some of our greatest: Edwin Flack, Stan Rowley, Shirley Strickland, Majorie Jackson, Betty Cuthbert, Marlene Mathews, Jared Tallent and Boyle.

“Any time someone dangles a carrot, that competitor in me has to go after it,” Montag said.

She certainly did that in the final leg when Cowley had got Australia into fourth, just over a minute from the lead. By the half-way mark of her second 10km stint Montag had passed Italy’s Antonella Palmisano to get into the bronze medal position.

Unfortunately despite her best efforts, silver and gold was a bridge too far with Spain (Alvaro Mari/Maria Perez) winning in 2hr50.30sec by 51 seconds from Ecuador (Brian Daniel Pintado/Glenda Morejon) with the Aussies a further 16 seconds behind (2:51.37sec).

The marathon relay, which was making its Olympic debut in Paris, involves each athlete, a man and a woman, completing two legs of just over 10km each to cover the 42.195km marathon distance.

Montag partnered Rhydian Cowley in the first Olympic marathon relay to clinch bronze. Picture: David Ramos/Getty Images

Cowley led off the race and at the first changeover was in ninth position, 23 seconds off the lead. Montag then produced a brilliant leg and got the green and gold a slight lead at the next changeover.

It was short-lived with Cowley, who finished 12th in the men’s individual 20km event, slipping back to fourth place, just over a minute, from the leaders when he completed the third leg.

Montag was fired up and gestured to the crowd under the Eiffel Tower to give her support as she raced her way into the medal equation with less than five kilometres remaining.

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For Cowley, 33, an Olympic medal was just reward for years of hard work in the sport.

“I didn’t want to let Jemima down, I just wanted to do my job and deliver her something near the front,” he said.

“Jemima has been a big inspiration to me and it was just amazing to be able to race with her and earn a bronze medal with her. I don’t quite believe it, I think.”

Australia’s second team of Declan Tingay and Rebecca Henderson had a tough morning finishing 22nd out of 25 teams.