Less than a week to go until the 2017 European Race Walking Cup on Sunday 21 May. 226 athletes representing 26 European Athletics Member Federations (and including two Authorized Neutral Athletes) have been entered for the event in the historic Czech Republic spa town of Podebrady.
Already on May 9 and 19, Marcia dal Mondo had published a focus on 20km women. We do it now for the male race.
Best competitors
Among the notable names entered are men’s 20km defending champion Miguel Angel Lopez (ESP). However, the Spaniard faces a rematch of the 2015 race as Slovakia’s Rio 2016 Olympic Games 50km race walk gold medallist Matej Toth (SVK), second two years ago and the 20km winner in 2011, has decided to contest the shorter distance once again.
Germany's Christopher Linke and Great Britain's Tom Bosworth, the leading Europeans at this distance in Rio when they finished in fifth and sixth place respectively, are also among the entries for the men's 20km.
Of interest also the other athlete in Spain, Alvaro Martin, as well as Sergey Shirobokov (RUS), (year of birth 1999) authorized to compete as independent by the IAAF, who in Sochi on February 18, 2017 stopped the clock in 1:18:25.
Personal best and season best
In the following table the personal best and season best of previous athltetes in 20km (if not otherwise indicated)
| Athlete | Nation | Personl best | Year of PB | Season best |
| | | | | |
| Miguel Angel Lopez | ESP | 1:19:14 | 2015 | 1:22:01 |
| Matej Toth | SVK | 1:19:48 | 2014 | 1:24:38 |
| Christopher Linke | GER | 1:18:59 | 2017 | 1:18:59 |
| Tom Bosworth | GBR | 1:20:13 | 2016 | 1:20:58 |
| Alvaro Martin | ESP | 1:19:36 | 2016 | 1:21:11 |
| Sergey Shirobokov | RUS | 1:18.25 | 2017 | 1:18:25 |
Direct clash over the period 2014-2017
We now analyze each individual athlete for direct clash with all the others in the period under review to give our readers a complete insight into what could happen to Podbrady.
Miguel Angel Lopez
Miguel Angel Lopez vs. Matej Toth (2-0)
| Competition | Date | Result | Lopez | Toth | Result |
| | | | | | |
| Taicang, CHN | 04.05.2014 | 1:19:21 | 5th | 28th | 1:21:33 |
| Murcia, ESP | 17.05.2015 | 1:19:52 | 1st | 2nd | 1:20:21 |
Miguel Angel Lopez vs. Christopher Linke (3-2)
| Competition | Date | Result | Lopez | Linke | Result |
| | | | | | |
| Zurich, SUI | 13.082014 | 1:19:44 | 1st | 5th | 1:21:00 |
| Murcia, ESP | 17.05.2015 | 1:19:52 | 1st | 7th | 1:22:06 |
| Beijing, CHN | 23.08.2015 | 1:19:14 | 1st | 38th | 1:26:10 |
| Roma, ITA | 07.05.2016 | 1:22:36 | 33rd | 10th | 1:20:40 |
| Rio de Janeiro, BRA | 12.08.2016 | 1:20:58 | 11th | 5th | 1:20.00 |
Miguel Angel Lopez vs. Tom Bosworth (5-2)
| Competition | Date | Result | Lopez | Bosworth | Result |
| | | | | | |
| Taicang, CHN | 04.05.2014 | 1:19:21 | 5th | 43rd | 1:22:53 |
| Zurich, SUI | 13.082014 | 1:19:44 | 1st | 12th | 1:23:17 |
| Murcia, ESP | 17.05.2015 | 1:19:52 | 1st | 16th | 1:23:54 |
| Beijing, CHN | 23.08.2015 | 1:19:14 | 1st | 24th | 1:23:58 |
| Roma, ITA | 07.05.2016 | 1:22:36 | 33rd | 34th | 1:22:55 |
| Rio de Janeiro, BRA | 12.08.2016 | 1:20:58 | 11th | 6th | 1:20:13 |
| Lugano, SUI | 19.03.2017 | 1:22:01 | 3rd | 2nd | 1:21:53 |
Miguel Angel Lopez vs. Alvaro Martin (9-2)
| Competition | Date | Result | Lopez | Martin | Result |
| | | | | | |
| Taicang, CHN | 04.05.2014 | 1:19:21 | 5th | 19th | 1:20:39 |
| La Coruna, ESP | 31.05.2014 | 1:22:26 | 12th | 18th | 1:24:00 |
| Zurich, SUI | 13.082014 | 1:19:44 | 1st | 6th | 1:21:41 |
| Renteria, ESP | 22.03.2015 | 1:19:52 | 1st | 2nd | 1:20:19 |
| Murcia, ESP | 17.05.2015 | 1:19:52 | 1st | 16th | 1:23:54 |
| La Coruna, ESP | 06.06.2015 | 1:20:04 | 4th | 14th | 1:22:04 |
| Beijing, CHN | 23.08.2015 | 1:19:14 | 1st | 24th | 1:23:58 |
| Roma, ITA | 07.05.2016 | 1:22:36 | 33rd | 34th | 1:22:55 |
| La Coruna, ESP | 28.05.2016 | 1:20:34 | 2nd | 27th | 1:25:09 |
| Rio de Janeiro, BRA | 12.08.2016 | 1:20:58 | 11th | 6th | 1:20:13 |
| Merida, ESP | 02.04.2017 | 1:22:19 | 3rd | 1st | 1:21:11 |
Miguel Angel Lopez vs. Sergey Shirobokov (0-0)
There are no direct clashes
Matej Toth
Matej Toth vs. Christopher Linke (2-1)
| Competition | Date | Result | Toth | Linke | Result |
| | | | | | |
| Lugano, CHN | 16.03.2014 | 1:20:42 | 3rd | - | DNF |
| Podebrady, CZE | 11.04.2015 | 1.20:51 | 2nd | 1st | 1:20.37 |
| Murcia, ESP | 17.05.2015 | 1:20:21 | 2nd | 7th | 1:22:06 |
Matej Toth vs.Tom Bosworth (4-0)
| Competition | Date | Result | Toth | Bosworth | Result |
| | | | | | |
| Lugano, CHN | 16.03.2014 | 1:20:42 | 3rd | 21st | 1:25:45 |
| Podebrady, CZE | 12.04.2014 | 1:20:00 | 1st | 10th | 1:22:20 |
| Taicang, CHN | 04.05.2014 | 1:21:33 | 28th | 43rd | 1:22:53 |
| Murcia, ESP | 17.05.2015 | 1:20:21 | 2nd | 7th | 1:22:06 |
Matej Toth contro Alvaro Martin (1-1)
| Competition | Date | Result | Toth | Martin | Result |
| | | | | | |
| Taicang, CHN | 04.05.2014 | 1:21:33 | 28th | 19th | 1:20:39 |
| Murcia, ESP | 17.05.2015 | 1:20:21 | 2nd | 34th | 1:28:45 |
Matej Toth vs. Sergey Shirobokov (0-0)
There are no direct clashes
Christopher Linke
Christopher Linke vs. Tom Bosworth (5-2)
| Competition | Date | Result | Linke | Bosworth | Result |
| | | | | | |
| Lugano, SUI | 16.03.2014 | DNF | - | 21st | 1:25:45 |
| Zurich, SUI | 13.082014 | 1:21:00 | 5th | 12th | 1:23:17 |
| Murcia, ESP | 17.05.2015 | 1:22:06 | 7th | 16th | 1:23:54 |
| Beijing, CHN | 23.08.2015 | 1:26:10 | 38th | 24th | 1:23:58 |
| Podebrady, CZE | 09.04.2016 | 1:10:19 | 2nd | - | DNF |
| Roma, ITA | 07.05.2016 | 1:20:40 | 10th | 34th | 1:22:55 |
| Rio de Janeiro, BRA | 12.08.2016 | 1:20:00 | 5th | 6th | 1:20:13 |
Christopher Linke vs. Alvaro Martin (3-2)
| Competition | Date | Result | Linke | Martin | Result |
| | | | | | |
| Zurich, SUI | 13.082014 | 1:21:00 | 5th | 12th | 1:23:17 |
| Murcia, ESP | 17.05.2015 | 1:22:06 | 7th | 16th | 1:23:54 |
| Beijing, CHN | 23.08.2015 | 1:26:10 | 38th | 24th | 1:23:58 |
| Roma, ITA | 07.05.2016 | 1:20:30 | 10th | 3rd | 1:19:35 |
| Rio de Janeiro, BRA | 12.08.2016 | 1:20:00 | 5th | 22nd | 1:22:11 |
Christopher Linke vs. Sergey Shirobokov (0-0)
There are no direct clashes
Tom Bosworth
Tom Bosworth vs. Alvaro Martin (2-4)
| Competition | Date | Result | Bosworth | Martin | Result |
| | | | | | |
| Taicang, CHN | 04.05.2014 | 1:22:53 | 43rd | 19th | 1:20:39 |
| Zurich, SUI | 13.082014 | 1:23:17 | 12th | 6th | 1:21:41 |
| Murcia, ESP | 17.05.2015 | 1:23:54 | 16th | 34th | 1:28:45 |
| Beijing, CHN | 23.08.2015 | 1:23:58 | 24th | 16th | 1:22:04 |
| Roma, ITA | 07.05.2016 | 1:22:55 | 34th | 3rd | 1:19:36 |
| Rio de Janeiro, BRA | 12.08.2016 | 1:20:13 | 6th | 22nd | 1:22:11 |
Tom Bosworth ve. Sergey Shirobokov (0-0)
There are no direct clashes
Alvaro Martin
Alvaro Martin vs. Sergey Shirobokov (0-0)
There are no direct clashes
Europea season 2017 list
The European seson list of first 20 athletes in 20km men updated today is the following (in red are evidenced athletes of Russia who cannot compete in international competitions).
| Time | Pos | Athlete | YoB | Nation | Venue | Date |
| | | | | | | |
| 01:18:25 | 1. | Sergey SHIROBOKOV | 99 | RUS | Sochi (RUS) | 18.02 |
| 01:18:52 | - | Sergey BAKULIN | 86 | RUS | Sochi (RUS) | 18.02 |
| 01:18:59 | 2. | Christopher LINKE | 88 | GER | Podebrady (CZE) | 08:04 |
| 01:20:28 | 3. | Kevin CAMPION | 88 | FRA | Podebrady (CZE) | 08:04 |
| 01:20:43 | 4. | Nils BREMBACH | 93 | GER | Naumburg (GER) | 23:04 |
| 01:20:49 | - | Pyotr BOGATYREV | 91 | RUS | Sochi (RUS) | 18.02 |
| 01:20:57 | - | Aleksey SCHEVCHUK | 97 | RUS | Sochi (RUS) | 18.02 |
| 01:20:58 | 5. | Tom BOSWORTH | 90 | GBR | Rio Maior (POR) | 01.04 |
| 01:21:11 | 6. | Alvaro MARTIN | 94 | ESP | Mérida (ESP) | 02.04 |
| 01:21:12 | 7. | Aleksandr LIAKHOVICH | 89 | BLR | Gomel (BLR) | 22.04 |
| 01:21:16 | 8. | Artur BRZOZOWSKI | 85 | POL | Adelaide (AUS) | 19.02 |
| 01:21:17 | 9. | Alex WRIGHT | 90 | IRL | Rio Maior (POR) | 01.04 |
| 01:21:18 | 10. | Luis Alberto AMEZCUA | 92 | ESP | Mérida (ESP) | 02.04 |
| 01:21:27 | 11. | Marius ZIUKAS | 85 | LTU | Adelaide (AUS) | 19.02 |
| 01:21:41 | 12. | Hagen POHLE | 92 | GER | Podebrady (CZE) | 08.04 |
| 01:21:43 | - | Kirill FROLOV | 93 | RUS | Sochi (RUS) | 18.02 |
| 01:21:55 | 13. | Perseus KARLSTRÖM | 90 | SWE | Rio Maior (POR) | 01.04 |
| 01:21:59 | - | PAVEL PARSHIN | 94 | RUS | Sochi (RUS) | 18.02 |
| 01:22:01 | 14. | Miguel Angel LOPEZ | 88 | ESP | Lugano (SUI) | 19.03 |
| 01:22:04 | 15. | Francesco FORTUNATO | 94 | ITA | Cassino (ITA) | 26.03 |
| 01:22:08 | 16. | Karl JUNGANNSS | 96 | GER | Naumburg (GER) | 23.04 |
| 01:22:00 | - | Vladislav SARAYKIN | 97 | RUS | Sochi (RUS) | 18.02 |
| 01:22:15 | 17. | Jakub JELONEK | 85 | POL | Adelaide (AUS) | 19.02 |
| 01:22:18 | - | Ivan KAKAYEV | 97 | RUS | Sochi (RUS) | 18.02 |
| 01:22:38 | 18. | Evgueniy ZALESSKIY | 93 | BLR | Gomel (BLR) | 22.04 |
| 01:22:46 | 19. | Alexandros PAPAMIKHAIL | 88 | GRE | Rio Maior (POR) | 01.04 |
| 01:22:48 | 20. | Nathaniel SEILER | 96 | GER | Naumburg (GER) | 23:04 |