ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti ˈeɪt, ðə ɹɪzˈʌlts ʌv tˈælbɑːts ɹeɪʒˈiːm tɹˈeɪnɪŋ bɪɡˈæn tə mətˈɪɹiəlˌaɪz, wˌɛn æt ðɪ ˈeɪdʒ ʌv θˈɜːtiːn, ʃiː bɹˈoʊk ðɪ ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪdmˈiːɾɚ ænd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾijˈɑːɹd fɹˈiːstaɪl wˈɜːld ɹˈɛkɚdz æt ðə nˈuː sˈaʊθ wˈeɪlz tʃˈæmpiənʃˌɪps, ænd ðˈɛn dᵻfˈiːɾᵻd ləɹˈeɪn kɹˈæp tə bɪkˌʌm ðə fˈɜːst wˈʊmən tə kəmplˈiːt fˈoːɹhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾijˈɑːɹd ˌʌndɚ fˈaɪv mˈɪnɪts.
In 1958, the results of Talbot's regime training began to materialize, when at the age of 13, she broke the 800-metre and 880-yard freestyle world records at the New South Wales championships, and then defeated Lorraine Crapp to become the first woman to complete 440-yard under five minutes.