The French Race Walk Championships took place today in Merignac (FRA), a charming city near Bordeaux.
The program was the 20 km and 50 km reserved for both men and women.
In addition for both categories there was a 35km race.
Mass participation even if the level of results was just enough.
20km men
The foreign athletes from Algeria and Spain who were entered did not show up at the start.
So 29 athletes started.
Among them the 50km World Champion Yohann Diniz (FRA) who was returning to race on 20km after almost three years of absence having competed for the last time on this distance in the European Cup in Murcia on May 17, 2017 finishing third in 1:20:37.
Victory to Gabriel Bordier (FRA) in 1:24:03, which represents the best technical result of the day, one exact minute more than his personal best (1:23:03) obtained in Bydgoszcz (POL) on July 16, 2017.
Second place to Fabian Bernabé (FRA) who trains in Spain under the guidance of Daniel Jacinto Garzon Jimenez, in 1:25:37 not so far from his personal best of 1:24:51 obtained in La Roche-sur-Yon (FRA) on March 12, 2017.
Third place to Yohann Diniz (FRA) recovering after a fatigue fracture suffered in December. The 2017 London World Champion completes the race in 1:25:51 for him a little more than a workout. If we exclude the DNF, to find in the career of the French champion a result with a time higher than today on 20km we must go back to May 24, 2009 in the European Cup in Metz (FRA), when he left in the lead, but then something did not work in his body and had to settle for an eighth place in a very modest 1:26:59.
The unexpected disqualifications of Kevin Campion (FRA) and Aurelien Quinion (FRA) have completed the framework of the race with only 27 athletes on arrival
20km women
In this race, 37 athletes at the start.
Victory for the eve favorite, Emilie Menuet (FRA) who redeems the disqualification suffered at the recent Memorial Hausleber on Feb. 24, 2018 in Monterrey (MEX) where she competed at the end of her training session in Albuquerque (USA).
Her time today was 1:33:11
Second place to Violaine Averous (FRA) in 1:35:03
Third place to Clemence Beretta (FRA), the young twenty-one who gets in 1:35:50 the new personal best on distance (previous 1:38:23 obtained in La Roche-sur-Yon, FRA on March 12, 2017.
Thirty-two athletes on arrival, with 4 DNF and 1 DQ
50km men
Victory to Florian Mayer (FRA) in 4:21:02
Second place to Jean Blancheteau (FRA) in 4:37:01
Third place to Jonathan Hobbs (GBR) in 4:37:42
50km women
Victory to Morgane Ausello (FRA) in 5:18:07
Second place to Elisabeth Cardeillac (FRA) in 5:44:43
Third place to Adele Ropers (FRA) in 6:17:02
35km men
Victory to Hugo Andrieu (FRA) in 2:44:50
Second place to Benjamin Leaute (FRA) in 2:56:08
35km women
Victory to Lucie Champalou (FRA) in 3:13:48
Second place to Maeva Casale (FRA) in 3:20:22
Third place to Elisabeth Brunet (FRA) in 3:22:57