17 Facts About Dane Bird-Smith

Dane Alex Bird-Smith was born on 15 July 1992 and is an Australian racewalking athlete.

Dane Bird-Smith competes in the 20 kilometres race walk, and has a best of 1:19:28 hours for the distance, set in 2017.

Dane Bird-Smith competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where he was the bronze medallist.

Dane Bird-Smith was the gold medallist at the Commonwealth Games in 2018, the Summer Universiade in 2015 and the Oceania Race Walking Championships in 2018 and 2014.

Dane Bird-Smith is the son of former Australian Olympic walker David Smith.

Dane Bird-Smith holds the Oceanian continental records for the 3000 metres walk and 5000 metres walk.

Dane Bird-Smith is playing AFL for the Wynnum Vikings.

The son of David Smith, an international racewalker, Queensland-born Dane Bird-Smith initially took up athletics but focused on the 400 metres.

Dane Bird-Smith attended Indooroopilly State High School and St Peters Lutheran College.

Dane Bird-Smith had his first national success in 2008 when he won the Australian youth title.

Dane Bird-Smith repeated as road and track national junior champion in 2010 and set an Australian junior record of 41:32.36 minutes for the 10,000 metres race walk while finishing fifth at the 2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics.

Dane Bird-Smith made his debut at the 2010 IAAF World Race Walking Cup, but was disqualified from the junior race for foot-lifting.

Dane Bird-Smith began to take part in senior competitions towards the end of 2011 and on his international circuit debut at the Gran Premio Cantones de La Coruna, ending the race in 13th place.

Dane Bird-Smith bettered this on the 2012 IAAF World Race Walking Challenge circuit, setting a time of 1:23:15 hours in Taicang.

In 2016 Dane Bird-Smith won a bronze medal in the 2016 Rio olympics.

Dane Bird-Smith ranked in the global top-25 for the year.

In 2015, Dane Bird-Smith placed fifth at both the IAAF Race Walking Challenge Taicang and La Coruna race, setting a new best of 1:20:05 hours at the latter.