On Thursday and Friday next in Gyor (HUN) the two European U18 Championship race walking events will take place on the 5,000m track walk for girls and 10,000m track walk for boys.
Presenting these events is always a rather difficult undertaking. In the youth sectors the lists are very labile and surprises are always around the corner.
5.000m U18 girls track walk
Twenty-six athletes representing 15 countries are registered for the competition.
The best accreditation times (which among other things are the only ones under 24:00.00) belong to Hanna Zubkova (BLR), Julia Perrichon (FRA) and Olga Fiaska (GRE).
Hanna Zubkova (BLR) is entered with a personal best indoor of 22:50.59 obtained in a local race at the beginning of the season, but we remember that her outdoor personal bvest is 23:48.45 (obtained in Grodno, BLR on June 16, 2017) and that this year in the international indoor meeting U20 in Minsk (BLR) she was also capable of a 23:24.66. All these three results in the order of absolute continuity make her the most accredited leader.
Olga Fiaska (GRE) is the most accredited opponent, who last weekend in Katerini (GRE) brought the personal best to 23:22.11 and is currently the outdoor season leader. Also Fiaska has an incredible continuity this year (unbeaten in Greece, three times under 24:40 on 5km road walk and with another result (24:03.80) on 5.000m track walk.
The bronze should not escape Julia Perrichon (FRA) the strongest of the two French athletes (the other is Camille Moutard, FRA). Even Perrichon last weekend in Blois (FRA) was able to a great 23:58.37 even if she is entered with a personal best of 23:48.05.
10.000m U18 boys track walk
Twenty-two athletes representing 13 countries are entered for the race.
The two European season leaders on the distance are Davide Finocchietti (ITA) and Aldo Andrei (ITA) who recently showed at the U18 Italian Championships in Rieti finishing both under 44:00.00 (victory of Finocchietti in 43:50.23 and second place of Andrei in 43:56.99).
Another contender of the victory or a place on the podium in our opinion is Pedro Conesa Ceron (ESP) that last week almost saved himself in Gijon (ESP) affair the title in a quiet 45: 33.67. We remmber, however, that the Spanish on the road distance on May 5 in the U20 race of the World Team Championships in Taicang got an excellent 42:35 classifying 18th, but first of the athletes of 2001 (this performance is now the second in the World, on the road distance, behind the one of Sergey Kozhevnikov, RUS - ANA obtained in Sochi, RUS on Feb. 18, 2018).
Other interesting athletes are:
- Johannes Frenzl (GER) with a performance of 44:12.68 obtained in Potsdam (GER) on June 13, 2018
- Yurii Zamryha (UKR) with a performnce of 44:45.70 obtained in Lutsk (UKR) on June 14, 2018
- Anthimos Kelepouris (GRE) with a performance of 45:28.27 obtained in Trikala (GRE) on June 14, 2018
- Lubomir Kubis (SVK) who last week in Banska Bystrica obtained an excellent 20:50.46 on 5.000, track walk which if actually the best European performance of the season (the athlete has a personal best on the 10km road race of 44:58 obtained on March 24, 2918 in Dudince (SVK)
There are all the ingredients to watch two good races.