Olympic medal-winning walker Jared Tallent (AIS scholarship holder) has delivered a bronze medal in the 50km men’s walk event at the IAAF World Championships in Daegu.

Tallent, a dual medallist in Beijing who prides himself on being a big-time competitor, put aside the disappointment of finishing 27th in the 20km men’s walk to win bronze in his favoured event.

‘I was just really annoyed with myself,’ Tallent said.

‘You train so hard all year and you don't expect to come 27th so that fired me up for the 50km event.’

Tallent was actually in the silver medal position until 1.5km from the finish line but was passed by fast-finishing Russian world record-holder Denis Nizhegorodov.

‘I was feeling very tired last week but I came out here to get a medal and I'm really, really satisfied with that,’ Tallent said.

‘I probably went a bit too hard early going for the gold medal because the last two laps were hell. I wish the race was 46km today instead of 50km.’

The longest race of the championships was a tussle between the crack Russian and Australian teams for more than three-and-a-half hours.

Australia's 2007 world champion Nathan Deakes (AIS), competing at this level for the first time since that triumph, led the race for the first 30km before he began to feel a hamstring injury.

He stopped three times to stretch out his leg before continuing, but was passed by eventual winner Sergey Bakulin just before the 35km mark and withdrew soon after.

However 26-year-old Tallent, who was back in sixth at the 30km mark, began to pick off the competitors ahead of him and was up to second after 40km.

He tried valiantly to hold off Nizhegorodov in the last lap, but was forced to concede the silver with the finish line almost in sight.

Athletics Australia has declared any athlete who finishes in the top eight in Daegu will be selected in the London Olympic team.

Luke Adams (AIS), who finished a gallant fifth, revealed he had sustained a hip injury a month ago and had battled to get to the starting line.

‘It's been a very stressful month,’ Adams said.

‘It would have been nice to be top three but I am happy to be top five.’

‘I knew there was going to be pain. It was pretty good for 20 or 30km, the last 10km it was really sore but not sore enough to stop me.’