It is not easy to organize a walking event in the best lounge of the cities.
It's not easy because the courses are not really ideal for athletes, and because a good part of the audience today still continue to smile and does not understand why it's not better to run.
It happens almost everywhere.
It's no exception Trieste, where in May the well-known "Bavisela" (marathon and half-marathon) reverse in the best lounge of the city the mass of people you do not expect and that race walk can not even imagine until fit-walking will not even be in Italy, as in the US and in China and the Far East a carrier vehicle.
But today the ingredients were all here, and perfect.
Three athletes who recently participated in the London World Championships, with honorary godmother of the 9th memorial Rodolfo Crasso, Antonella Palmisano, who gave the blue team the only medal, which might even be of a different color.
Along with her, instead at the start, the London adventure team-mate, Valentina Trapletti, and to make precious the men's race, her partner Francesco Fortunato, the star of the men's race.
To corollary to the three athletes from London 2017 who Ruggero Poli managed to bring to Trieste, also other good names of the Italian walk of the moment: in men Stefano Chiesa and Leonardo Dei Tos, and in women Sibilla Di Vincenzo and Nicole Colombi.
Then the race of the others.
That of the 43rd edition of the "Intercity", which again competed in Trieste, like last year, athletes from Juventus Atletica de Sabadell (ESP), AK Koper (SLO), US Scanzorosciate (ITA (GER), TV Buchlertall (GER), and also other athletes from Slovenia and Croatia, Serbia, from Sweden, Austria, Slovakia and South Africa.
Opening ceremony
In the evening of yesterday the opening ceremony.
As often happens in Trieste, the ceremony opens on the notes of "The Girls of Trieste" magically played by the band of the infantry soldier with the plumed hat of the Julian city.
On the stage of the authorities with homage honors by Michele Lobianco, Human Resources Advisor and Citizen Services.
And then the presentation of the athletes with short words by everyone.
The leit motiv is the message launched by the three participants in London 2017, Antonella Palmesano, Valentina Trapletti and Francesco Fortunato: Race walk is not hard work if we love it, and we love it. Come and see us tomorrow morning.
In this message we found a forceful Francesco Fortunato, chatty as always, but particularly cocky by his recent training stay in Germany with his friends Christopher Linke and Jonathan Hilbert.
The race
The ingredients were all right, but Jove pluvio was not good today.
From the youth category, alternating rain and dense clouds alternated in the morning, complicating the morning of the workmen.
At the start of the race the rain was now a master and it affected the whole race.
Immediately in the lead from the first laps the men's favorites with Stefano Chiesa to set the pace and Leonardo Dei Tos and Francesco Fortunato behind.
In the group also the brothers Manuel and Marco Giordano competing in the Intercity for the Marcia Club Centro Lazio and the old acquaintance Ruggero D'Ascanio that from Matera went up here.
His race will be beautiful (44:01) !
In women Valentina Trapletti is also in the top positions of the group for some laps, while Nicole Colombi and Sibilla Di Vincenzo walk further behind.
Some jury's interventions, to tell the truth of being too cautious, probably taking into account the climatic conditions, suggest Stefano Chiesa to follow behind the pair of Dei Tos and Fortunato who head to the top of the eighth lap (just over half the race, the round is 667 meters).
In women always leads a beautiful, as usual, Valentina Trapletti with Nicole Colombi and Sibilla Di Vincenzio behind, the latter with two red cards charged.
Two laps and open the roofs of the sky.
Jove pluvio obviously does not like Trieste since last June when played the same joke for the walkers of the Absolute Championships on track.
Competing even more the work of jury while athletes try to survive trying on the course to as little as possible in those who are changing from a walk course to a ghetto of a mountain stream.
In this scenario ar three-round to go, Francesco Fortunato force the pace and earns five meters on Leonardo Dei Tos. Stefano Chiesa is behind.
In women it has changed little: always in fornt Valentina Trapletti, always second Nicole Colombi and always third Sibilla Di Vincenzo.
At the end Francesco Fortunato will win in 41:43 (41:42.816) on Leonardo Dei Tos (41:52).
Despite the adverse weather conditions, these two athletes have given birth to a good duel.
In the third place Stefano Chiesa (41:56).
In women victory to Valentina Trapletti (, second place to Nicole Colombi while in the last lap arrives the third proposal of disqualification that leaves Sibilla Di Vincenzo incredulous in a tearful tear.
Third arrives a Croatian good athlete, Ivana Renic (CRO), in 47:32.
Full results in the section Results or directly download from this link: click here
Photo album: clik here
Antonella Palmisano and Francesco Fortunato