The world of race walk in Rome 2016
05 Maggio 2016A preview of the teams and the names to follow in the three senior competitions of the IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships on 7th and 8th May.
The World Race Walking Team Championships will celebrate their first edition of the event previously named as the IAAF World Cup, which was held for 26 editions. The last edition was held in Taicang (China) in 2014. The format is more or less the same. The “new entry” of these championships is the inedit participation of female specialists in the 50 km, which was previously reserved to male walkers. The last barrier of athletics will be broken down in Rome on 7th and 8th May; this is the result of the decision taken by the IAAF to include the women’s 50 km in the programme of the IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships,. Erin Talcott from the USA is entered in the 50 km.
Big names expected to compete Many top names of the world “toe and heel” event will compete in Rome. Among the 432 entered athletes from 60 countries there are world and olympic champions and medallists and top-three finishers at previous editions of the World Cup. Here we present a preview of the top names to follow in the senior races in a very important test three months before the Olympic Games in Rio.
Men’s 20 km race: The entire podium of the 2015 World Championships in Beijing is announced on the fascinating course of the Eternal City. Miguel Angel Lopez from Spain, world gold medallist last summer in the 20 km race, could be challenged again by China Wang Zhen and Canadian Benjamin Thorne, one of the most surprising medals won by the Canadian team in Beijing. Wang Zhen, who won the olympic bronze medal in London, will team up with his compatriots Chen Ding, champion at the Olympic Games, and Cai Zelin, who finished second in the last edition of the World Cup in Taicang behind Ukrainian Ruslan Dmytrenko (1:18:37 national record), who will defend the title won two years ago and is the leading name of his team.
Other names to watch are Takahashi and Fujisawa from Japan (world record holder Suzuki will be absent).
Canada’s Dunfee, holder of the 50 km North-American record, and Inaki Gomez will team up with Thorne in the attempt to bid for the team podium in the 20 km, which they missed by just one point in Taicang two years ago.
Other athletes able to fight for top positions are South African Shange, British rising star Bosworth, German Pohle and Linke and the other Spanish walker Alvaro Martin.
Women’s 20 km: The two thirds of the Beijing world podium will walk on the streets of Rome. The line-up features the two most prestigious names, gold medallist Liu Hong and silver Lu Xiuzhi. Teaming up with Qyeang Shenjie the chinese walkers will start as the favourites for the world team title. Italian record holder Eleonora Giorgi starts with the third fastest time. Olympic bronze medallist Elisa Rigaudo has the seventh best time, Giorgi set the first of her three Italian records with 1:27:05. Japan, Spain, Portugal (with Cabecinha and Henriques) and Poland will be aiming to fight for the top positions. Czech Republic’s Drahotova, World junior champion in 2014 and European bronze medallist in Zurich 2014 at senior level, will be also in the line-up. Two years ago Liu Hong finished second in Taicang in the grip of Russian walkers Kirdyapkina and Alembekova. The Russian team dominated the team competition ahead of China and Portugal.
50 km: Australian Jared Tallent is the specialist for all podiums and all seasons. From Beijing to Beijng. From the 2008 Olympic Games to the 2015 World Championships with the only exception of Berlin 2009 he always won medals in all championships: the current collection of four consecutive global medals in the 50 km starts in Daegu 2011. He aims at winning his fifth medal in Rio.
The strongest teams are China, with the fastest walkers in the field, Poland, Spain, which features veterans Odriozola (who is about to turn 43) and Jesus Angel Garcia (who will turn 47 next October), who holds the record of twelve appearances at the World Championships. Russia scored a double with Ryzhov and Noskov ahead of Tallent in the previous edition in Taicang. At team level Russia predictably dominated ahead of the Ukraine, who placed three athletes in the top nine. China won the bronze medal ahead of Spain and Italy.
There are five races in the programme. Each of them will determine the team ranking: on Saturday 7th May the programme starts with the two junior 10 km races followed by the two 20 km senior races. The 50 km race will be held on Sunday 8th May.
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
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