Jared Tallent made history in Beijing by becoming the first Australian male track and field athlete since 1906 to win two medals at the same Olympic Games!

Jared participated in Little Athletics from an early age and competed successfully at national level in two sports: triathlon (in which he placed second at state level and 19th at national level) and race walking.

At the 2000 Australian All Schools Championships Jared was unbeaten, winning the under-18 and under-20 events. Wins at the Sydney 2001 Youth Olympic Festival and the Australian under-18 championships in Bendigo secured him selection for the world youth athletic championships in Hungary.

Relocating to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra in November 2003, Jared continued to improve despite a year filled with injuries that included a femoral stress reaction. He earned selection in his first senior team for the World Race Walking Cup at just 19.

In 2007, Jared finished second over the 20km distance at the Australian championships in Brisbane. Two weeks later he achieved a new personal best in the IAAF Race Walking Challenge in China.

At the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Jared walked straight into the history books taking home the silver medal in the 50km race and beating the world record holder to achieve a massive personal best: 3:39:27. He also won the bronze medal in the 20km race.

Jared set a new personal best time of 18:41.83 over 5000m at the Sydney Track Classic in February 2009, before taking out the national 20km crown in March and stopping the clock just one second shy of his personal best over that distance. Jared defended his national 20km title in 2010.

In September 2010 Jared returned to the city of his greatest triumph, Beijing, for the final of the 2010 IAAF Race Walking Challenge. Finishing eighth over the 10km course, Jared improved his lifetime best by one minute, crossing the line in 38:29.

At the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi Jared will be more determined than ever to bring home gold for Australia.