Colchester race walker Dominic King is shaping up well for the World Championships
Dominic King finishes the men's 50km race walk at the London Olympics in 2012. King will be back competing along The Mall at this summer's World Championships. Picture: PA - Credit: PA
Dominic King is peaking at the right time for what will be his fifth global senior championships, following a personal best at the British 20K race-walk Championships in Leeds last weekend.
Dominic King, of Colchester Harriers, who set a PB for the 20K race walk last weekend. - Credit: Archant
The experienced King, from Colchester, will once again be competing over the longer 50K race walk in a Great Britain vest, at this summer’s World Championships in London.
The 34-year-old made his international debut as a raw 19-year-old at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester in 2002, and finished sixth at the following Commonwealth Games in Melbourne just four years later.
In addition, King has competed at two Olympic Games, in London 2012 (finished 51st in the 50K) and at Rio in 2016 (disqualified).
Now he is turning his attention to London again as part of a promising Great Britain race walking squad which includes fellow East Anglian athlete Callum Wilkinson (20K event).
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And the signs are encouraging, following his third personal best in just three weeks.
“My PB for 20K had stood for 13 years, until I broke it in Spain three weeks ago,” explained King.
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“I clocked 87 minutes 20 seconds in Spain, and chopped a further 72 seconds off it last weekend (86:08), which at least confirms that I am in pretty good shape and that my training is going well.
“It was my last 20K race before London, and I’m really pleased with it. I did set the early pace, but essentially I treated it as my own race, trying to do 4mins 20secs for each kilometre, and I was inside that,” added King.
Coached by Frinton-based George Nibre since 2010, King is excited about the potential in the Great Britain race walking squad.
“British race walking is as strong as its been for a very long time, and I’ve been race walking for 25 years,” enthused King, who works as a sports development manager at the University of Essex Students Union.
“That goes for juniors as well as seniors, and women as well as men. Everyone is inspiring each other, and pushing each other on.
“Just because you achieve a qualifying time, it is no longer guaranteed that you will be selected for a GB squad, because of the competition,” added King who, like his twin brother Daniel King, a fellow international race walker, is a member of Colchester Harriers.
