Blacktown’s Isaac Beacroft Smashes World Record to Secure Historic Golden Double in Oregon

Australian race walker Isaac Beacroft has continued an extraordinary run of form, claiming gold and setting a new world record in the under-20 5km race walk at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

The 19-year-old athlete from Blacktown achieved the historic feat at the iconic Hayward Field, crossing the finish line in a time of 18:40.37. The performance shaved more than seven seconds off the previous world record mark.

The victory follows closely on the heels of Beacroft’s gold medal performance in the 10km race walk at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow just over a week ago. This latest triumph secures him a rare and prestigious gold-medal double across both the Commonwealth Games and the world under-20 championships.

Reflecting on Pressure and Victory

Following his Saturday victory, Beacroft expressed his excitement and relief after facing high expectations as a freshly crowned Commonwealth champion.

"I'm over the moon, I couldn't be happier," Beacroft said.

"I knew coming in it was going to be so hard. It definitely was pretty hard, so I'm just so happy to get it done."

Reflecting on the expectations surrounding his performance, he added, "It's a massive relief. I felt a fair bit of pressure going into this one, you are a Commonwealth champion, [people think] surely it's a walk in the park to do juniors."

"It's definitely not. I have raced each race to its merits, I don't know what is harder."

"I'm stoked to have won both, that's all I can say on that."

Overcoming Travel Challenges

Beacroft's outstanding performance saw him secure the top spot ahead of China’s Huajia Pu, who took the silver medal with a time of 18:43.70, finishing more than three seconds behind the Australian. Italy's Nicolo' Vidal took the bronze medal, placing third with a time of 18:56.19, more than 12 seconds behind Beacroft.

The journey from Glasgow to Oregon was not without its hurdles, with Beacroft admitting that the rapid turnaround and travel logistics proved challenging.

"I had a day or two after my race to try and freshen up," Beacroft explained. "I didn't really freshen up there, I went out with the Commonwealth Games boys and girls."

"I didn't go too hard on the partying, but there was some definitely done, then it was pretty rough to travel here."

"There was a delay with the plane, but I think getting here and getting around the whole team has given me a real lift," he added.

More Success for Australia

In other events at the championships, the Australian women's 4x100m sprint relay team—comprising Thewbelle Philp, Zara Hagan, Grace Crowe, and Emilia Reed—delivered a strong performance by winning their heat.

The World Athletics U20 Championships will conclude with one final day of events.