It was the day of 50km. at the Asian Games in Jakarta. Race full of twists played in climatic conditions beyond the normal limit. A devilishly hot, starting from 8 and, above all, a humidity of 90%. It was difficult for the misty cape to see the highest floors of the many skyscrapers in the city center.
Race, therefore, highly conditioned by these weather conditions.
At the start at 6.00, eight athletes representing five nations will be present at the starting line.
The quality is, however, excellent because there are the 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th of the Taicang IAAF World Race Walk Team Championships.
The initial rhythm is good (4.35/4.40 per km.) and so we arrive practically all in a group up to 20km. (pass in 1:33:57, just behiong the pack Joo and Hendro alone).
At this point with the rising sun and the rising humidity, the first "defaillance" starts. The first to accuse the crisis is the Chinese Wang Rui who comes off the leading group and after 8 km. he will abandon the race. Meanwhile enter in the Penalty Area, the Korean Chilsung Park (later disqualified) and the Indian Sandeep Kumar (he also disqualified after some minutes).
In this way a trio is formed with the two Japanese (Satoshi Maruo and Hayato Katsuki) and the Chinese Wang Qin. The three pass to 30 km. in 2:20:20.
Around the 32nd km. the Chinese goes into crisis and so the two Japanese go shoulder to shoulder up to 36th km. when Katsuki, already burdened by two red cards, receives the third and must also enter the Penalty Area.
Maruo finds himself in the lead and passes at 40km. in 3:11:13. In second place passes, an increasingly fatigued, Wang Qin (3:12:12). In third place Hayato Katsuki, who after the stop begins an exciting comeback (3:12:54).
At 41km. Another twist: Maruo who is leading the race goes into deep crisis and is overtaken by Wang Qin and later by Hayato Katsuki who will complete his comeback at 44km.
The last 5 km are a tremendous suffering.
The rhythms are falling down swirlingly and for everyone thefinish line becomes almost a mirage.
In these difficult, almost prohibitive conditions, Katsuki for the happiness of coach Shigeyuki Shimizu, concludes in the first position at 4:03:30.
Split times each 10km:
- 10km: 47:05
- 20km: 46:52 (1:33:57)
- 30km: 46:23 (2:20:20)
- 40km: 52:34 (3:12:54)
- 50km: 50:36 (4:03:30)
Silver medal for the Chinese Wang Qin in 4:06:48 (last 15km covered in 1:20:30, average of 5:22 per km.).
Split times each 10km:
- 10km: 46:58
- 20km: 46:24 (1:33:22)
- 30km: 47:19 (2:20:41)
- 40km: 51:31 (3:12:12)
- 50km: 54:36 (4:06:48)
Third place for the Korean Joo Hyunmyeog (4:10:21) that in the last km. passes one off Maruo.
They finished the race in five (one DNF and two DQ).
It is the first time in the brief history of the Penalty Area rule, that the victory goes to an athlete who has stopped for five minutes in the Pit Lane.
This is also a record of this tremendous race.