The Italian Indoor Championships for the U18 category opened today in Ancona.
A month ago in Pescara in the 10km of the Club Championship for the same category, 46 athletes (23 boys and as many girls) showed up at the start and, like all the experts, we too were happy to see a high number of young people athletes as consequence of the wave of popularity following the Olympic medals won in Sapporo.
Unfortunately, the resurgence of the pandemic that has limited the maximum participation for these championships to 360 athletes has brought us today's start list (12 boys and 11 girls) with numbers slightly higher than those of last season.
3.000m indoor walk U18 girls
The obligatory favorite is Giulia Gabriele (born 1.11.2005) and not yet seventeen who last year here in Ancona had won silver in 14:17.00 which is her personal best and the best accreditation time.
The young athlete coached by Lorenzo Dessi (the husband of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Champion Antonella Palmisano) has all the qualities to obtain a prestige improvement that would lead her to the top positions of the indoor U18 world rankings.
A month ago in Pescara the young girl from the Fiamme Gialle won the first race of the 10km walk Clubs Championships in 48:53, almost 2 minutes off the second classified, Beatrice Bertolone.
Giulia Gabriele immediately takes the lead along with three other athletes.
After a few laps, only Lara Lou Alberti remains with her.
The split tomes at passages of Gabriele are:
- 1.000m: 4:45:5
- 2.000m: 9:31.6 (4:46.1)
- last 1.000m: 4:40:50
Clear victory of Giulia Gabriele (ITA) in 14:12.59 new personal best
Second place to Martina Sciannamea (ITA) in 14:29.75
Third place to Lara Lou Alberti (ITA) in 14:45.79
5.000m indoor walk U18 boys
The best accreditation mark (22:56.27) and the only one under 23:00.00 is that of Omar Moretti from Livorno, but the list of contenders for the podium is quite interesting with Matteo Arisi, Giuseppe Disabato (the winner of Pescara on the 10km in 46:40), Andrea Di Carlo. All of them they have an accreditation mark lower than 24:00.00 to which we add Pietro Bozzolan second in Pescara in 46:52).
After the first 1.000m, Omar Moretti forces his pace together with two fellow adventurers: Matteo Arisi and Marco Drusian. The passage to 1.000m is 4:53.4
Up to almost 3.000m the three pass together in:
- 2.000m: 9:21:7 (4:28.3)
- 3.000m: 13:51.6 (4:29.9)
Shortly after 3.000m, Omar Moretti forces again the pace and will no longer be reached.
His split times are:
- 4.000m: 18:24.3 (4:27.7)
- last 1.000m in 4:31.86
The fight for the other two medals becomes red-hot also following the decisions of the jury, just as Marco Drusian begins to feel fatigue and to detach himself.
Behind Moretti remain Matteo Arisi and Andrea Di Carlo while Pietro Bozzolan in an attempt to reach the bronze breaks up and is stopped for 30" in the Penalty Zone.
Victory to Omar Moretti (ITA) in 22:52.16 with the new personal best (previous of 22:56.27 obtained last 23.1.2022 in Marina di Carrara, ITA)
Second place to Matteo Arisi (ITA) in 22:57.05 with the new personal best (previous of 23:26.36 obtained last 19.1.2022 in Ancona, ITA)
Third place to Andrea Di Carlo (ITA) in 22:58.92
Fourth place to Pietro Bozzolan (ITA) in 23:31.83
(Photo by Fidal Grana/Fidal, Massimo Passoni and Lorenzo Dessì)
Risultati ufficiali - Official results