With the 10km U20 women the World Team Walking Championships begin on a rather muscular 2km (1km round trip) course made up of ups and downs even if not steep.
The young athletes show up at the start with a large flag of Ukraine and a composition of yellow-blue days with the colors of the Ukrainian flag is brought by the President of the World Athletics and placed on the finish line. Applause welcomes Valeriya Sholomitska, the only athlete from Ukraine present here in Muscat in Oman.
10km U20 women
Departure at 8:01am
And it is Valeriya Sholomitska (UKR) who after a lap takes the lead with the three Chinese Jinyan Jiang, Maiduo Gangla, Yunyan Yang and Olivia Sanderry (AUS) to lead the group of leaders made up of a dozen athletes.
Sholomitska who in the first lap had maintained a pace of 4:54/km increases to 4:36km in the second lap and six remain in the leading group with Heita Veikkola (FIN).
Always Sholomitska to set the pace.
Maiduo Gangla loses ground and five remain in the leading group at 5km. in 24:10.
Five to 7km (33:59) remain when Olivia Sanderry (AUS) and Valeriya Sholomitska (UKR) lose about ten meters and about 500m later Heita Veikkola (FIN) is also detached from the two Chinese who now command the race.
Spit times:
- 1km: 5:07 Sandery - (AUS)
- 2km: 9:57 (4:50) - Sholomitska (UKR)
- 3km: 14:42 (4:45) - Y. Jiang (CHN)
- 4km: 19:42 (5:00) - Sholomitska (UKR)
- 5km: 24:10 (4:28) - Sholomitska (UKR)
- 6km: 29:20 (5:10) - Y. Jiang (CHN)
- 7km: 33:59 (4:39) - J. Jiang (CHN)
- 8km: 38:49 (5:10) - J. Jiang (CHN)
- 9km: 43:11 (4:22) - Y. Jiang (CHN)
- last km in 4:37 - Y. Jiang (CHN)
At the bell the two Chinese pass in 38:49 with two seconds ahead of the Finnish. Fourth is the Australian (39:04) and fifth is the Ukrainian (39:10).
On the last lap, the fight for silver becomes hot. Heita Veikkola overtakes the Chinese Jinyan Jiang who then reacts and after 600m she returns to second position.
Order of arrival:
1.- Yunyan Yang (CHN) in 47:48
2.- Jinyan Jian (CHN) in 48:03
3.- Heita Veikkola (FIN) in 48:11
4.- Valeriya Sholomitska (UKR) in 48:53
5.- Olivia Sanderry (AUS) in 49:01.
Team standings:
1.- China: points 3
2.- Australia: points 12
3.- Spain: points 20
4.- Italy: points 29
5.- France: points 34
10km U20 men
Jaromir Moravek (CZE) immediately takes the lead and is followed by Jaromir Irinchev (FIN) and a large group including the Indian Amit, Heristone Wanyonyi Wafula (KEN), Mazlum Demir (TUR), the three athletes from Spain Pablo Pastor, Oscar Martinez Rodriguez and Pablo Rodriguez Rojas. Join them the three Italians: Pietro Pio Notaristefano, Diego Giampaolo, and Nicola Lomuscio.
For over 22 minutes the situation does not change until Moravek is reached and the group of leaders passes in the middle of the race in 23:07. They continue together until the 26-minute race, when Mazlum Demir (TUR) has an incredible progression and gains about thirty meters. When there are two laps to go, he finally passes in 27:34.
But in the meantime, under the pressure of the Chinese duen Hongren Wang and Yu Zheng and the Indian Amit, the advantage is visibly reduced.
He was joined at 34 minutes into the race by the two Chinese who detach him and also by Amit who detaches him in turn.
Split times:
- 1km: 4:25 - Moravek (CZE)
- 2km: 9:08 (4:43) - Moravek (CZE)
- 3km: 13:41 (4:33) - Moravek (CZE)
- 4km: 18:31 (4:50) - Moravek (CZE)
- 5km: 23:07 (4:36) - Demir (TUR)
- 6km: 27:32 (4:25) - Demir (TUR)
- 7km: 31:33 (4:01) - Demir (TUR)
- 8km: 35:36 (4:03) - Wang (CHN)
- 9km: 39:56 (4:20) - Amit (IND)
- ultimo km in 4:10 - Wang (CHN)
Amit then tries to catch up and overtake the two Chinese. He joined them shortly after 37 minutes of competition, but in the meantime he has already collected two red cards for irregular Marcian. The same technical situation is borne by Heristone Wanyonyi Wafula (KEN) who regardless of the two red cards continues undeterred to arrive at some meter from the leader. Behind instead recovers ground Diego Giampaolo (ITA) who finds his day of glory.
One lap from the end the situation is the following: Amit and Hongren Wang are danati, Yu Zheng and Heristone Wanyonyi Wafula (KEN) fight for bronze but Diego Giampaolo (ITA) is a few meters away from them.
Both Amit (after DQed) and Wafula are stopped in penalty zone by the jury in the last lap, while Giampaolo now on the finish line is now three meters from Yu Zheng.
The Italian also misses the entry into the straight, but finds the strength to react and recover and right on the finish line burn the Chinese for the silver.
For Giampaolo the lesson in Pescara (where he underwent what Amit and Heristone Wanyonyi Wafula underwent today) evidently is served: we can say that it is a silver won thanks to the partial technical improvement obtained in the last month in addition to the organic one. Well done.
Order of arrival:
1.- Hongren Wang (CHN) in 44:06
2.- Diego Giampaolo (ITA) in 44:14
3.- Yu Zheng (CHN) in 44:14
4.- Heristone Wanyonyi Wafula (KEN) in 45:18
5.- Mateo Romero (KEN) in 45:20
Team standings:
1.- China: points 4
2.- Italy: points 10
3.- Spain: points 13
4.- Colombia: points 25
5.- Australia: points 36
(Photos by Maurizio Damilano - ITA)