Aussie Claire Tallent disqualified by judge who's known her for years

The judge who disqualified Australian Claire Tallent from the women's 20km walk has known her since she was a child.

Chief race-walking judge Zoe Eastwood-Bryson, who first met Tallent when she was in Little Athletics, was today forced to issue Tallent's third and final red card while she was leading the race with 2km to go.

Tallent, the wife of Olympic and world champion race walker Jared Tallent, immediately burst into tears and fell to the ground.

Later, after the dust settled, the pair hugged.

"I'm the last person you probably want to see," Ms Eastwood-Bryson said to Tallent. "If anyone had to do it I'm glad it was me."

Tallent told the Seven Network she felt confident going into the race.

"I really thought it was my day," she said.

"I think I paced the race perfectly and I knew that I had to make a move earlier rather than later and I seemed to pick up two red cards when that happened and then I sat back and just let the race unfold and I was cheering the crowd on because I felt so fresh, fresh as a daisy, ready to sprint home.

"I didn't even seem to get cautions so I don't know."

The athlete gave birth to her first son Harvey in May last year and went back to training within days.

"It was such a big effort for us to have a family and I'm so thrilled to have our little boy. I wanted to show the world that women that have babies can do anything. They can come back and they can be competitive and you don't have to stop doing what you love because you're having a baby.

"You know, I'm old and all credit, kudos to Jemima, she's a great girl and she's going to carry the flag for many, many, many more years to come... I just thought it was my day that's all."

The emotions were completely different for 20-year-old Aussie Jemima Montag, who claimed gold in one hour 32 minutes 50 seconds.

Alana Barber from New Zealand was second and Bethan Davies from Wales was third.