The law of numbers speaks clearly in athletics: don't improvise!
But the law of numbers in the 50km walk has a variable that sometimes goes crazy: “on your marks” and “fire of the gun” and he takes the lead from the first to the last meter: Yohann Diniz (FRA) seems out of everyone's reach.
One year after his dramatic downfall in Rio, the French race walker was victorious at the IAAF World Championships London 2017. In fact, his 3:33:12 clocking there was arguably the performance of the championships.
Not only was it the second-fastest time in history, just 39 seconds shy of his world record, but he was utterly dominant. None of the other 47 men in the field covered even one kilometre faster than 4:16. Diniz clocked 4:15 or quicker in 27 of his 50 kilometres, topped by 4:03 for the 48th kilometre.
Injury forced Diniz to miss the European Championships last year, but he returned to 50km action earlier this year, winning the European Cup title in 3:37:43 – a time no one else in the world has bettered since April 2015.
This season seems to present a more human and perhaps even more beatable Yohann Diniz because a lot can, and will, happen in a 50km race.
The opponents
China and Japan above all.
China
Wang Qin (CHN) made a breakthrough in Huangshan earlier this year, clocking 3:38:02, the fastest time by a Chinese race walker for seven years. He also performed well in his two biggest races last year, finishing fifth at the World Race Walking Team Championships and second at the Asian Games.
Niu Wenbin (CHN) and Luo Yadong (CHN), who clocked 3:41:04 and 3:41:15 respectively in Huangshan, join Wang on the Chinese team.
Japan
Hirooki Arai, the most successful of the walkers of the Land of the Rising Sun, will not be competing, as he had to submit to the strict selection law of Japan.
Yusuke Suzuki (JPN) is back at the international 50km race.
Since he returned to action, last year, he has finalized this distance, but has also recorded his second and third fastest time ever for 20 km.
Suzuki made an impressive debut at the distance in April, clocking a national record of 3:39:07. Another strong showing in what will be just his second 50km race could land Suzuki with his first senior global medal.
Asian Games champion Hayato Katsuki (JPN) and former national record-holder Tomohiro Noda (JPN) are Japan’s other entrants for the 50km. Following a bronze medal in 2015, two medals in 2017 and a podium sweep at last year’s World Race Walking Team Championships, hopes are high for another strong showing from Japan.
The others
Matej Toth (SVK), Haward Haukenes (NOR), Dzmitry Dziubin (BLR) and Maryan Zakalniytskyy (UKR) are the most accredited.
The history of the 50km
It is unthinkable to conclude this overview on the 50km without speaking of him: Jesus Angel Garcia Bragado (ESP) who will be 50 years old on 17 October 2019
It will be at the start of his 13th World Championship on 50km, but he will also be the oldest competitor ever in the history of the World Championships.
For us he has already won, as at his first appearance in Stuttgart 1993 when he finished in 3:41:41.
We dedicate the photo cover of the news to him. He is portrayed together with two other monuments of the world 50km race walk: Robert Korzeniowski (POL) and Hartwig Gauder (GER).
Our hypotheses of success for obtaining a medal.
| Athlete | Gold - % | Silver - % | Bronze - % |
| | | | |
| Yohann Diniz (FRA) | 51 % | 51 % | 51 % |
| Wang Qin (CHN) | 30 % | 40 % | 50 % |
| Niu Wenbin (CHN) | 25 % | 35 % | 40 % |
| Luo Jadong (CHN) | 25 % | 30 % | 30 % |
| Yusuke Suzuki (JPN) | 25 % | 30 % | 30 % |
| Hayato Katsuki (JPN) | 20 % | 25 % | 30 % |
| Tomohiro Noda (JPN) | 20 % | 25 % | 30 % |
| Haward Haukenes (NOR) | 10 % | 20 % | 20 % |
| Maryan Zakalnitskyy (UKR) | 10 % | 10 % | 10 % |
| Matej Toth (SVK) | 10 % | 10 % | 15 % |
Start list: click here
Jesus Angel Garcia Bragado biography: click here