Australian Beacroft smashes U20 world record to continue golden form

Australian teenager Isaac Beacroft shattered the U20 world record to secure gold in the 5km race walk at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Oregon. The 19-year-old from Blacktown had previously won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games just a week earlier in Glasgow. With his victory in Eugene, Oregon, Beacroft has now claimed both prestigious titles, a double that has not been achieved in the event before.

Beacroft's record-breaking time of 18:40.37 surpassed the previous world record by more than seven seconds. The win came just hours after his Commonwealth Games gold, leaving the young athlete feeling both elated and relieved. "I couldn't be happier," he said, acknowledging the difficulty of the task at hand. "It definitely wasn't easy, so I'm just so happy to get it done."

The Australian's time also saw him victory by over three seconds from silver medalist Huajia Pu, with China's Nicolo Vidal rounding out the podium in a distant third place. Despite the immense pressure of winning back-to-back titles, Beacroft remained humble and focused. "It's definitely not a walk in the park," he noted. "I've raced each race to its merits. I don't know what is harder."

While expressing his excitement over the victory, Beacroft also admitted to the challenges of transitioning from Glasgow to Oregon. "It was a bit tough coming straight from Glasgow to Oregon," he admitted. "I tried to freshen up for a day or two, but it didn't really work out. I went out with the Commonwealth Games boys and girls and didn't party too hard, but there was some celebrating nonetheless. The travel was rough, but having the team and everything together has given me a real boost."