"As any athlete knows, it’s one thing to have a good race now and then, but getting the job done frequently over five years makes you something special.
Wang Zhen is that something special".
Begins with this phrase the report on race walking by Paul Warburton published Dec. 20 on the IAAF website and of which we publish the link at the end of page for the benefit of our readers.
The report continues with the story, for the thrill seekers, of the head-to head reserved for the women’s Olympic race between Liu Hong and Maria Guadalupe Gonzalez.
Paul Warburton then reviewed the new stars that shine in the firmament of the world walk: in addition to Wang Zhen and Cai Zelin who have won the first two places in Rio are the names of Dane Bird-Smith (AUS), Lebogang Shange (RSA), Andres Choco (ECU) and two Spaniards Alvaro Martin and Miguel Angel Lopez, focusing in particular on the brilliant performance of 1:19:36 which allowed Martin to get the bronze in Rome in 2016.
The report continues with the success expected by the time of the athletes of Great Britain: Tom Bosworth and Callum Wilkinnson. The latter in particular because he needed to be peeled off the ceiling after breaking a 52-year duck since Britain last won a global race-walking title.
Turning to 50km is retraced the story of Jared Tallent and his gold medal of London 2012 received four years later in Melbourne.
The last step of this beautiful parade of Paul Warburton is the story of the most exciting race of the year: the 50km of Rio de Janeiro with Matej Toth, the same Tallent, Hirooki Arai, Evan Dunfee and Yohann Diniz.
Even more beautiful is the conclusion: “It bodes well for a sport that needed a breath of fresh air to blow through it in 2016”.
(All photos by Getty Images)
The link to the report (in inglese) in IAAF web-site: click here