The last race walk appointment in Italy is approaching.
To host it will be as usual city of Grottammare on the coast of Ascoli Piceno for the organization of the Centro Marcia Solestà of Ascoli Piceno.
This year to honor the late Serafino Orlini the Lungomare della Repubblica of Grottammare, which until the last edition hosted the Italian Championship of 50km will be the stage for the National Final of the Individual Race Walk Trophy with a completely new test reserved to the Regions of Italy that will compete with at least one U18, a U16 and a U14 both in males and females.
Teams can be formed up to a maximum of 3 athletes per category.
We wish to spend a few words for Vincenzo Ferretti and Giovanni Ferrari, organizers of the event.
For both a life dedicated to race walk: the first ever the promoter soul of the Centro Marcia Solestà and the ASA Ascoli, the second the same life dedicated in race walking judging of which Giovanni Ferrari was, and still is, a leading exponent in Italy (as well as being an international judge for some years).
Their organizational activity has always been rewarded by high presences both from a numerical point of view and from a technical level.
We can safely say that there has been no Italian Champions who has not passed through Ascoli Piceno, San Benedetto del Tronto or Grottammare in the past.
Thank you friends, for what you have done and will continue to do: race walking still needs characters like you.
And we come to the presentation of the entries.
U18 boys
Davide Finocchietti and Aldo Andrei will be absent.
The victory will probably come out after a close confrontation between Daniele Breda (2002) and Andrea Cosi (2001).
The first Sunday was disqualified by the international jury of Reggio Emilia, the second instead ended the test with the bronze in the neck, but obviously will have in his heart recriminated a little for the recent rule on the penalty without which his would have been a clear victory.
The two have a personal best in 10km (but here they will compete on 8km) two almost similar marks: Breda (45:42) and Cosi (45:44.08 on track)
U16 boys
Revenge of the Italian Cadet Championships between Emiliano Brigante, Nicola Lomuscio and Pietro Pio Notaristefano (all of 2003) who in Rieti two weeks ago made a heart-beating race with the DQ of Brigante (current Italian record holder) 120m from the finish line, the victory of Nicola Lomuscio too, however, at risk with two red cards, the disqualification for a probably misunderstanding for Pietro Pio Notaristefano, DQed in the last 100m, but then re-admitted to second position after a protest.
There are all the ingredients for an exciting test in Grottammare.
At the female level there should be no difficulty for Martina Casiraghi to confirm the victory of Reggio Emilia in the U18 girls, also because Simona Bertini should not be at the start.
The same applies to Giada Traina, the recent winner of the U16 title in Rieti, which we see as the main favorite in the U16 girls.