On June 15, 1955 The Italian delegation formed by the CONI president, Giulio Onesti, the General Secretary, Bruno Zauli, by the Mayor of Rome, Salvatore Rebecchini presented in Paris the candidacy of Rome.

Subsequently, on November 20, 1958 the Executive Board of the CONI appointed the Hon. Giulio Andreotti, President of the Organizing Committee, and the committee was constituted on February 25,1959.

On August 25, 1960, with the notes of the Hymn to the Sun by Pietro Mascagni, they opened the Rome Games, and the tripod was lit by Adolfo Consolini, then 43-year old.

Italy was finally able to have its Olympic Games.

Let's see what happened.

A hero in Rome 1960 was Vladimir Golubnichiy (or in Ukrainian Volodimir Holubnichiy) who on 2 June next crosses the finish line of the 80th anniversary.

Relive together, waiting for the IAAF Race Walk Team World Championships in Rome in 2016 that exciting edition of 20 km, with the final highlight of the historic photo of the Summary of the Jury of that race.

Km. 20 road walk – September 2, 1960 

1. Volodymyr GOLUBNICHIY (URS) 1:34:07.2 OR (UKR) 

2. Noel FREEMAN (AUS) 1:34:16.4 

3. Stan VICKERS (GBR) 1:34:56.4 

4. Dieter LINDNER (GER-GDR) 1:35:33.8 

5. Norman READ (NZL) 1:36:59.0 

6. Lennart BACK (SWE) 1:37:17.8 

7. John LJUNGGREN (SWE) 1:37:59.0 

8. Ladislav MOC (TCH) 1:38:32.4 

Split times

Golubnichiy: 5 Km. 22:26 

10 Km. 45:14 

15 Km. 1:08:42 

Freeman: 5 Km. 22:19 

10 Km. 45:37 

15 Km. 1:09:47 

Vickers: 5 Km. 22:40 

10 Km. 47:18 

15 Km. 1:10:01 

Lindner: 5 Km. - 

10 Km. - 

15 Km. 1:10:35 

Entry athletes were 36, from 18 countries.

Golubnichiy (Year of Birth 1936 - Ukrainian by Sumi) established the second time ever on 20 Km. in 1955, when he was a teen-ager, but in 1956 had been injured and so his Olympics was lost.

His selection was a surprise, despite being just arrived fifth to the Soviets Championships, but he was prepared for a race in warm weather.

And the Roman day was indeed hot (over 30°) and with the moisture that touched 80%.

The race was held on a circuit to be covered 13 times starting from the Olympic Stadium, Avenue of the Gladiators, Via Morra di Lauriano, the athletes arrived on the real circuit: Avenue of the Olympic Games, Via Napoleone Canevaro, Lungotevere Marshal Cadorna, Via Morra di Lauriano. The circuit had total km. 16.9. The rest was covered by the go and back link to the stadium.

Noel Freeman was the first one out of the stadium, but at Km. 5 had only seven seconds in front of Ken Matthews (GBR) and Golubnichiy.

At half race Golubnichiy race he was in the lead with 20 seconds in front of Matthews, 23 seconds on the Australian and almost a minute on the Soviet (at that time national champion 20 Km.) Gennadiy Solodov who was impressing with a thrilling comeback.

They followed Vickers and Lindner.

At three quarters of the race Golubnichiy and Solodov and were in the lead with 1:05 in front of Freeman, while Matthews was forced to retire due to problems in the leg.

Shortly after Km. 17, the twist of the disqualification of Solodov and Golubniciy begins the triumphal walk that will bring to the Olympic gold; it was not a piece of cake because he had to rive back the constant attacks of the Australian who finished second just nine seconds, closing the last quarter of the race in a way nothing short of amazing and perhaps late. Probably Freeman threw to the wind the chance of a lifetime.

Behind Freeman followed Stan Vickers, Dieter Lindner and, in fifth place, the winner of 50 Km. in Melbourne 1956, Norman Read.

The record of the race, however, remained firmly on the shoulders of Spirin: Golubnichiy had not even succeeded in improving it.

Eighth placing to the Czechoslovakian, Ladislav Moc, which then finished the athletic career, will devote to the judgment.

It will, among other things, judge in Split, at the European Championships of 1990 and will end his career being Chief Judge in Olympic Games in Atlanta 1996.

Italians were not among the leaders.

Already at 10km were out of the fight, and without any hope of inclusion in the top fifteen positions.

Stefano Serchinich was ranked 21st in nearly 10 minutes behind the winner.

Luigi De Rosso followed him in 22nd place in almost 11 minutes.

Gianni Corsaro finally he finished in 26th place for more than 12 minutes.

Strange, but true, (and it was the disappointment of the Roman public) the placement of the Italians, who suffered more than others in the heat and humidity.