Rome, world challenge for under20 walkers
05 Maggio 2016Noemi Stella, Olympic Youth bronze medallist, leads the Italian Junior team formed by six athletes, who will compete in front of the Rome crowd at the World Race Walking Team Championships.
Junior races will be held for the seventh time at the IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships in Rome next weekend on 7th and 8th May. The World team Championships will start on Saturday with the women’s 10 km junior race at 9.30 followed by the men’s 10 km competition at 10.35. In the last edition of the World Cup held two years ago in Taicang the home team scored a winning sweep over the 10 km distance at both individual and team level. This year China starts again as the favourite team, as three men and three women lead the entry list. The format leaves many chances open, as the under 20 team ranking will be based on the sum of only the two best ranked athletes.
Junior men’s race: World under 18 silver medallist Zhang Jun (born in 1998) leads the world youth list with 40:10 ahead of his compatriots Jin Xiangqian and Hu Linfeng. On their shoulders two Japanese walkers Masaya Ishikawa and Masatora Kawano will be bidding to fight for top positions. Manuel Bermudez from Spain, who finshed sixth in the World Youth Games and fifth in the European Cup, could fight for the top European position. Other athletes to watch are Mexico’s Andrés Olivas, who finished fourth in the World Youth Championships, and Noel Ali Chama, World Youth Olympic bronze medallist ahead of Cesar Augusto Rodriguez from Peru. Not to be written off is Callum Wilkinson, who finished first in Podebrady this year with a gap of 11 seconds over Giacomo Brandi, who has the 10th time among the entrants with 41:44.
Junior women’s race: China’s Ma Zhenxia won the two most recent global events, the World Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing and the World Youth Championships in Cali. She starts as the favourite (44:29 in 2016) together with her teammates Zhang Lifang and Ma Li. In the team competition many countries will be looking to fight for the podium. Finland will be led by Taika Nummi, sixth in 2015 at the European Junior Championships and European seasonal leader. Mexico will be represented by Valeria Ortuno, Olympic Youth silver medallist and fifth at the World Youth Championships. Australia, team bronze medallist behind Spain in both the men’s and the women’s ranking, will be represented by Clara Smith, eighth in the last edition, and Zoe Hunt. The best hopes of the Italian team will be carried by Giada Ciabini, tenth fastest walker among the entrants with 47:20 and by Noemi Stella, bronze medallist at the 2013 World Youth Championships and at the 2014 World Youth Games Olympic Games, who made her seasonal debut three weeks ago with a 10000m race on the track.
The programme – The programme features five competitions. Each race will determine the team ranking: the two 10 km junior walking races and the two 20 km races will be held on Saturday 7th May, the 50 km walking race will take place on Sunday 8th May.
Saturday 7th May 9.30 women’s 10 km junior race
10.35 men’s 10 km junior race
16.00 Opening ceremony
16.30 men’s 20 km senior race
18.15 women’s 20 km senior race
Sunday 8th May 9.00 50 km
SEGUICI SU: Twitter: @atleticaitalia | Facebook: www.facebook.com/fidal.it
| Condividi con | Tweet |
|
Seguici su: |