On Saturday in Forlì (ITA) the first day of the U16 National Review took place with the two walking races over the distance of 3.000m for women and 5.000m for men.
3.000m track walk U16 girls
There are 14 young athletes who compete for the title of Italian U16 Champion and to bring valuable points to their region for the global ranking of athletics tests.
As always happens the very young athletes do battle, but we must admit that this time the audience who watched the race from the stands saw a good race.
Two athletes in particular gave the show: Elisa Marini (2006) from Macerata and Giulia Gabriele (2005) from Rome.
We do not know who is the coach of the athlete from the Marche region, while we personally know that of the Roman athlete (Lorenzo Dessì from Yellow Flames, former walker and husband of Antonella Palmisano).
It was with him that the following morning we had a good time in front of a coffee to review how beautiful these two very young U16s gave us to see in particular in the last lap of the track, but even more so in the last 50m of the race where, usually, the very young they break down also for the innate desire for victory.
The photo, from the Fidal website, which we publish on the cover clearly demonstrates that at 14 and 15 years old you can walk, exite and win medals without having omitted anything of the technical gesture.
So congratulations to the two coaches for the approach they gave to these two very young girls, of whom we hope we will certainly hear about in the future.
The first 1,000m saw Elisa Marini in the lead in 4:59.5
At 2.000m the two are together in 10:03.8 (5:04.3)
On the last lap both try to win (last 1.000m in 4:34.0), but the victory goes to Giulia Gabriele in 14:37.80.
Second place to Elisa Marini in 14:40.17
Third place to Francesca Vinti in 15:02.24
5.000m track walk U16 boys
If we had wanted to bet on a certain winner, before the start, at least 60% of the experts would have bet on Omar Moretti of Tuscany who with his 24:27.84 was by far the leaders of the 2020 season.
Behind him only Davide Lena Neumann of Friuli Venezia Giulia seemed able to worry him (24:49.79).
But in U16 the head-to-head of the race is something that can hardly be expressed only in terms of timing.
The victory comes after a series of battles to get the lead, often with sudden accelerations and followed by equally sudden decelerations that put a strain on the youthful muscles of those who are not yet used to mentally managing the race.
And so it was also in Forlì.
Omar Moretti immediately takes the lead, followed by Davide Lena Neumann, Giuseppe Disabato, Andrea Di Carlo and Federico Ciaschetti.
Shortly before the 1.000m Davide Lena Neumann takes the lead, thinking of making his second time count among the starters.
He passes to 1.000m in 4:43.5, but the first red card against him breaks down and fades, together with the one for Salvatore Campanile.
It is detected at the head of the race by Omar Moretti who leads the group both
- at 2.000m in 9:26.0 (4:32.5)
- at 3.000m in 14:12.5 (4:46.5)
Meanwhile Davide Lena Neumann is stopped by the jury in the penalty area and goes out to the games for the victory.
Shortly after the same fate will suffer Jacopo Gagliardi.
Shortly before 4.000 (18:56.1 - 4:43.6) there are two to fight for the victory: Omar Moretti and Giuseppe Disabato and it seems that the favorite is able to succeed despite both being burdened by two red cards.
Behind them in thirty seconds is Andrea Di Carlo and in another twenty seconds Federico Ciaschetti.
5:07 pm: Omar Moretti's third red card materializes just as he passes into second position in front of the table of the Chief Judge who invites him to stay for 30” in the penalty area.
For Giuseppe Disabato it seems like an opportunity to win, but he still doesn't know that while he takes the lead, the third red cards for him will arrive at the jury table.
He will be stopped in the penalty area on the last lap when there is 80m to go.
Andrea Di Carlo (but he still does not know it) is now at the head of the race with no more than ten meters on Omar Moretti that dejected does not react and decides to settle for what is a bronze for him (but with a little more obstinacy perhaps it would have turned into silver).
Andrea Di Carlo passes in front of the penalty area and sees the opponent still inside, understands and stretches just enough to never be reached.
Victory in 23:54.85 new personal best (previous of 24:51.09 set again here in Forlì on the occasion of the Festival of 5.10.2019 when he finished ninth.
Second place for Giuseppe Di Sabato in 23:58.38 who despite the stop in the penalty area obtained the new personal best (previous of 25: 33.52 obtained in Molfetta on 25.7.2000)
Third place to Omar Moretti in 24:01.85. Even he, despite the stop in the penalty area, gets the new personal best (previous of 24:27.84 obtained in Campi Bisenzio on 12.9.2000)
Fourth place to Federico Ciaschetti in 24:16.52 also personal best for him. (previous of 24:27.02, always established here in Forlì on the occasion of the Festival of 5.10.2019 when he finished sixth.
But the thriller sequence of the race isn't over.
A sudden communication from the speaker informs the public that the runner-up, Giuseppe Di Sabato, would be disqualified.
The series of protests then opens, first by the representative of Puglia, then by that of Abruzzo demanding a review of the order of arrival.
After the explanations of the jury it all ends in a soap bubble.