Ventris, Bolt take world awards

Bunbury racewalking legend Lyn Ventris took her place among the luminaries of world athletics last month when she was bestowed with a major international award in Barcelona.

Ventris, 56, was in Spain to collect her prize as the International Association of Athletics Federation World Female Masters Athlete of the Year — the second consecutive time she has won the title.

The awards, in their 100th year, were marked by a glittering ceremony and attended by a who’s who of athletes, including Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, London Olympic Games chairman Lord Sebastian Coe and Prince Albert II of Monaco.

Ventris would not rule out attempting to claim the prize for an unprecedented third straight year in 2013.

“Put it this way, I’m not going to stop trying,” she said.

“I’ve got a couple of other records I want to break.

“There’s certainly scope to do it but I’d be very lucky.”

Next year is shaping as another busy one for Ventris, who will compete at the Australian Masters Championships in Canberra and the World Masters Athletics Championships in Brazil in October.