This morning in Cali were held two walk races for the U18 World Championships.
The day was hot and with a high level of humidity.
10.000m track walk boys
They start in 41 at 9:50 with five minutes after the preset.
Immediately at the start is forming a group of a dozen athletes who will be the one that will give life to the main part of the race. Between them the two Russians Sergey Shirobokov and Zakhar Sliva, the Chinese Jun Zhang, the Mexicans Federico Gonzalez and Andres Oliva, the Japanese Toshiki Ueda and the Colombian Cesar Alberto Herrera, on which are laying the hopes of the home Country.
The Italian Giacomo Brandi part very slowly in the positions behind the lines and this frankly we were very surprised.
Before half race have already finished in the Pit Lane, and stopped for 120", the Australian Kyle Swan (which will be then the last) and the Peruvian Victor Arque, who does not even time to enter the Pit Lane area and comes the fourth red card and is disqualified immediately.
At 5.000m is as follows: in the head China with Jun Zhang (21:22.39), followed closely by Cesar Alberto Herrera (COL - 21:22:41) and by the Russians Sergey Shirobokov (21:22:52) and Zakhar Sliva (21:22.82). Behind them the couple of Mexican Andres Oliva (21:24.61) and Federico Gonzalez (21:24.65).
Giacomo Brandi has recovered some lost ground at the start and walks in 10th place in 22: 10.20. Before him ten meters the Japanese Toshiki Ueda.
At 6,000m the situation does not change, only to report that the Russian Zakhar Sliva has two red cards against him for loss of contact. The passage takes place in 25:39.02 for the first and few cents more for the immediate followers.
At 7,000m leads the beautiful Mexican Federico Gonzalez (29:59.62).
Always follow the other three.
At 8.000m. returned to the top of the group the Chinese Jun Zhang (34:18.82 with a split of 4:18.81), followed by the two Russians and the Mexican Federico Gonzalez (34:19.90). The other Mexican Olivas is walking by 10". It has stepped forward to sixth Toshiki Ueda (34:53.91).
Giacomo Brandi is always in 10th place in 35:51.43 and seems to make up some places.
Before 9.000m was stopped in the Pit Lane area the Russian Zakhar Sliva, while in third potion. Cries and despairs. Restart after 120" in 11th place.
Giacomo Brandi benefits from this stop and took the 9th place in 40:21.61.
At 9.000m continues to lead the Chinese Jun Zhang (38:29.54) with a very nice walk, followed by Russian Sergey Shirobokov (38:29.71) saddled with a red card for loss of contact.
The last 1.000 sees the Russian forcing the pace, despite he has two red cards and may therefore risk very much a penalty but did not arrive.
Complete the last 1,000 meters in 3:54.70 and goes to capture the world title U18 in 42:24.41.
Behind him the silver goes to the Jun Zhang, very happy, in 42:33.68.
The bronze goes to the Mexican Federico Gonzalez ending too under 43 minutes with a time of 42:54.55.
It follows another Mexican Andres Olivas in 43:27.70 before the Japanese Toshiki Ueda in 43:34.83.
Giacomo Brandi is 9th in 44:48.39, a time that does not satisfy him; starting with a somewhat more courageous could get along with Japanese. It comforts him only the technical situation in which he is not immune to having received no one caution and of course no red cards.
These his splits per km: (4:33.43, 4:21.72, 4:24.15, 4:22.64, 4:28.26, 4:33.11, 4:33.16, 4:34.96, 4:30.38 and 4:26.78)
Behind him he comes the Russian Sliva previously fighting for medals. It seems that the new rule of the Pit Lane who offered him a second chance to have worked properly.
5.000m track walk girls
They start on time at 11:00am in thirty athletes with a warm even higher.
Immediately the biggest surprise of the day here in Cali: go to lead the group the two athletes Ethiopia Yehualeye Beletew and Ayalnesh Dejene.
Behind them all the best athletes with Zhenxia Ma (CHN), Olga Eliseeva and Margarita Kolesnichenko (RUS), the Mexican Valeria Ortuno and the two Australian Clara Smith and Jemima Montag.
You think of a flash in the pan, but it will not.
The Italians Vanessa Tomei and Anthea Mirabello start slowly (4:47.07 and 4:47.11) in the first 1.000m are 26th and 27th position. Anthea Mirabello also suffers at the first 1,000 of a red card for bent knee against him.
At 2.000m in the head Ma Zhenxia (9:20:47) in front of the team-mate Xue Ke (9:20:53) and the Ethiopian Ayalnerh Dejene (9:20.66). The two favourite Russian, together with the Chinese, Olga Eliseeva and Margarita Kolesnichenko are in sixth and eighth place.
Vanessa Tomei and Anthea Mirabello always 26th and 27th, but the Mirabello is burdened by two red cards and appears not in good physical conditions.
At 3.000m in the lead the situation does not change. There is always among the first surprise of the day Ayalnesh Dejene.
Anthea Mirabello stops on the corner that leads to the finish straight to physical problems, just as she arrived at the third red card against him and would stop in the Pit Lane for Area 60". It is laid out on the ground, entered the game also stretcher, but fortunately not needed.
vanessa Tomei has recovered some positions is 22nd in 14:56.60
At 4.000m continues to lead the Chinese couple (18:28.84 and 18:29.01) followed by Russian Olga Eliseeva (18:29.07), the Ethiopian Ayalnesh Dejene (18:29.10), the other Russian Margarita Kolesnichenko (18:29.34) and the Mexican Valeria Ortuno (18:29.83).
The last 1,000m see the attempt before of Eliseeva, immediately countering by the Chinese Ma Zhenxia, that force the pace immediately and goes to lead and will no longer be resumed.
ending in this order: Ma Zhenxia gold in 22:41.08, silver to Olga Elisee in 22:45.09, the Ethiopian Ayalnesh Dejene bronze (22:48.25) that takes the luxury of beating the other Russian Margarita Kolesnichenko, who arrives fourth, but to which time are then added 60" because in the meantime had arrived the third red card to loss of contact (in the final results she will be 12th in 23:53.64).
Fourth is the other Chinese Ke Xue (23:01.68), fifth is the only Mexican Valeria Ortuno (23:01.90).
Vanessa Tomei arrives 24th in 25:20:22.
China won, long live to China, but the bronze Ayalnesh Dejene with the Personal Best is one thing that the bookies any country would pay a high price.
Her walk have no technical problems, so it's quite acceptable, even in the presence of a style to be refined: she received by the jury only a caution.
If she continue like this we will have to reckon with a new country that faces onto the world stage.
Who knows if it will be so, but we'll know in a few years. Meanwhile, enjoy this pleasant surprise from Cali.
(frtom the web-site of IAAF)
With a swift injection of pace 700 metres from home, Russia’s Sergey Shirobokov powered away from China’s long-time leader Zhang Jun to take victory in the boys’ 10,000m race walk, the 16-year-old coming home a clear winner in the end in 42:24.41 at the IAAF World Youth Championships, Cali 2015 on Saturday morning (18).
Shirobokov played a waiting game for much of the race, buried among the leading pack and rarely showing at the front. Instead, it was left to Zhang to dictate much of the early pace.
After a slow opening kilometre of 4:30.55, he took to the front and led through 2000m in 8:50.40.
A change of gears from Zhang in the third kilometre (4:09.20) whittled the leading pack to eight.
After a brief scare in the fourth kilometre, during which he was forced to stop to put his shoe back on, Zhang soon resumed his role at the front and as he passed 5000m in 21:22.39, although the signs of distress were ringing out for many of those in his slipstream.
At six kilometres, only Russian duo Shirobokov and Zakhar Silva as well as Colombia’s Cesar Alberto Herrera were able to match Zhang’s relentless pace, though when they reached seven kilometres, Herrera began to fade and the leading trio were soon joined by Mexico’s Federico Gonzalez.
With a little more than two kilometres to go, Silva received his third warning for lost contact and was a picture of frustration when he was forced to serve a two-minute penalty, which ended his medal hopes.
Seven out of Russia
Zhang continued to push the pace at the front and soon he had only Shirobokov for company in what was a head-to-head duel for the gold.
With two laps to go, the Russian moved out into lane two and when the pair entered the back straight for the penultimate time, he swiftly changed gears and moved clear, his lead growing throughout the final lap.
In the end, he proved a dominant winner and came home in 42:24.41 to send the title back to Russia for the seventh time in nine editions.
“In the beginning I was a bit scared,” said Shirobokov, “This was my first international competition and I didn’t know how it was going to be, but after we moved to the front and all the rivals faded back, I realised it was okay.
“I am overwhelmed with the gold. I had dreamt about it. In the final two laps, that was when I realised I was going to win. The race walkers in Russia are really strong and we train really hard to be the best in the world.”
China’s Zhang held on well to set a personal best of 42:33.68 in second, with Mexico’s Federico Gonzalez taking third in 42:54.55.
“What an honour to be successful for Mexico,” said Gonzalez. “It is more than a dream for me. I want to improve now, to become an Olympic athlete and eventually win a gold medal at the 2020 Olympics.”
Cathal Dennehy for the IAAF
Shifting gears with less than 300 metres to go, China’s Ma Zhenxia stormed to victory in the girls' 5000m race walk at the IAAF World Youth Championships, Cali 2015 on Saturday morning (18) to add the world youth title to the Youth Olympic Games gold medal she won last year on home soil in Nanjing.
Ma clocked a season’s best of 22:41.08 to capture the second title in the event for China and a fourth medal overall, breaking through what has largely been a Russian stranglehold in the girls’ race walks.
“I am very happy, especially with my last lap, I was nearly flying,” said Ma, who clocked her 22:22.08 lifetime best at the Youth Olympic Games.
Ma, who turns 17 next month, bided her time early in the race, remaining well within striking range as the leading pack dwindled from 11 with six laps to go, and then to nine with four to go and just five with 800 metres remaining: Ma and her team-mate Xue Ke, the Russian pair of Olga Eliseeva and Margarita Koleshnichenko and Ethiopia's unheralded Ayalnesh Dejene.
At the bell, Eliseeva upped the tempo and attempted a break, but it was quickly thwarted as the leading trio entered the back straight for the final time.
Ma moved ahead and into the lead and quickly opened a three-metre margin, one which she extended as she rounded her way towards the finish.
Impressively, she covered the final kilometre in 4:12.07, the fastest in the contest.
Eliseeva held on for second in 22:45.09, followed by surprise bronze medallist Dejene, who clocked a lifetime best of 22:48.25.
An early leader, the Ethiopian fought her way back into medal contention over the final lap to capture the first global medal ever in a race walking event for Ethiopia, a country well known for endurance prowess but not necessarily of the heel-to-toe variety.
Further back, Ma’s team-mate Xue was fourth with a personal best 23:01.68, marginally ahead of Mexico’s Valeria Ortuno, who crossed the line in 23:01.90.
Koleshnichenko, second on the world youth lists coming into Cali, faded badly over the final lap and finished 12th.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
Russian Shirobokov celebrates the victory (by Getty Images)
female podium of 5.000 track walk with the Ethiopian surprise (photo by Getty Images)
Boys podium of 10.000m track walk (photo by Getty Images)