This is Jemima’s second bronze medal for the Games after finishing third in the 20km Individual race six days ago.
The feat makes Jemima the first Australian woman in athletics to win two medals at the same Games since Raelene Boyle in 1972.
She becomes just the ninth Australian in track and field to win two medals at the same Games, joining legends of the sport: Betty Cuthbert, Shirley Strickland, Marjorie Jackson, Edwin Flack, Jared Tallent, Stan Rowley, Marlene Mathews and Raelene Boyle.
Declan Tingay and Rebecca Henderson also combined as the second Australian team and raced their hearts out to place 22nd.
Spain won the gold medal in 2:50.31, with women’s individual silver medallist Maria Perez anchoring. Ecuador claimed silver in 51 seconds back and Australia (Cowley/Montag) were just 16 seconds further back.
Rhydian had their team in ninth place and 23 seconds behind at the first changeover. After Jemima’s first leg she placed Australia at the front of an eight-team pack.
Rhydian walked strongly to keep his team in touch and handed back to Jemima in fourth place and 1:07 off the lead.
“Jemima is a big inspiration for me. It's just amazing to be able to race with her and to earn a bronze medal with her,” Rhydian said.
“I didn’t want to let Jemima down; I just wanted to do my job and deliver her somewhere near the front.
“I think it's probably easier being the starting leg because you get that big pack in that first leg to start off with.
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“It makes it a bit easier to just work through. And we went through so quick. I think it was only about 10 seconds off my 10km personal best going through there. So that was good.”
Around halfway through the final leg Jemima stormed past Italy, and was closing on Ecuador but ran out of road.
Each athlete walked two legs of equal distance, with all four legs equal to the marathon distance (42.195km) around the Trocadero course below the Eiffel Tower.
For Jemima, the prospect of the walk double was something she hadn’t considered until days before the race.
“The day after my individual, I was trying to just go for an easy race walk again to prepare for this,” she said.
“My coach said, ‘I'm going to dangle a carrot for you. There's only been four track and field Olympians to get two medals at the same championships and you're in for a chance’.
“I thought, ‘Oh gosh’. Anytime someone dangles a carrot, that competitor in me has to go after it.
“I've never had to double before. The hardest part about it was just lifting again, physically and emotionally. It was all about teamwork today.
“When I lost motivation to do it for myself, it was about doing it for Ryds, doing it for our coach who was going bonkers on the sidelines and doing it.”
