Over the next weekend, in addition to the Gold Level meeting in Podebrady in the Czech Republic, the Balkan Race Walking Championships will take place in Glyfada (GRE) near Athens, in the area of the old airport.
The following races will be scheduled:
- 35km senior men and women
- 20km senior men and women
- 10km U20 men and women
- 10km U18 boys
- 5km U18 girls.
Only five nations have presented a complete team for these Games: Bulgaria, Turkey, Romania, Serbia and Greece as the organizing country.
35km men
The best accretitation times are those of:
- Marius Iulian Cocioran (ROU) with a personal best and season best of 2:38:00 obtained on 30.1.2022 in Lepe (ESP) when he finished ninth
- Alexandros Papamichail (GRE) with a personal best of 2:36:35 obtained on 28.2.2021 in Megara (GRE) which is also the national record of Greece. This year, however, again in Megara on 23.1.2022 he failed to do better than 2:39:43
- Mert Atli (TUR) with a personal best and season best of 2:44:20 obtained on 22.1.2022 in Antalya. This performance is also Turkey's national record.
35km women
The only two accreditation performances under the wall at 3:00:00 are those of:
- Olga Fiaska (GRE) with a personal best and season best of 2:59:08 obtained at the Greek Championships in Megara on 23.1.2022 when she finished fourth.
- Ana Veronica Rodean (ROU) with a personal best of 2:59:27 obtained in Podebrady (CZE) on 16.5.2021 which is also Romania's national record
20km men
The best accreditation times belong to:
- Abdulselam Imuk (TUR) with a personal best of 1:23:28 obtained on 6.3.2022 in Antalya. This year, however, again in Antalya on 22 January he did no better than 1:27:50 to finish third
- Zacharias Tsamoudakis (GRE) with a personal best of 1:25:11 obtained on 16.7.2017 in Bydgoszcz (POL). This year, however, at the Greek Championships in Megara on 23.1.2022 he did no better than 1:32:26, still obtaining the victory
- Selman Ilhan (TUR) with a personal best of 1:25:20 obtained on 14.3.2020 in Ivano-Frankivsk (UKR), while this year he did not compete in the 20km
20km women
The best credit times belong to:
- Ayse Tekdal (TUR) who, however, does not compete for the team classification. His personal best of 1:29:47 obtained in Podebrady (CZE) dates back to 16.5.2021
- Kader Dost (TUR) who instead competes for the team classification. He has a personal best of 1:33:45 obtained in Antalya (TUR) on 6.3.2021, while this year, again in Antalya on January 22nd he obtained the time of 1:36:38
- Mihaela Acatrinei (ROU) with a personal best of 1:34:43 obtained in Timisoara (ROU) on 20.2.2021, while this year again in Timisorara on 13.2.2022 she failed to do better than 1:42: 29
In the U20 and U18 categories the best accreditation performances are those of:
- 10km U20 men: Mazlum Demir (TUR) with the personal best of 41:51 obtained on 22.1.2022 in Antalya (TUR)
- 10km U20 women: Emine Ceylan (TUR) with the personal best of 47:50 obtained on 12.3.2022 in Batman (TUR)
- 10km U18 boys: Seyhmus Capat (TUR) with the personal best of 44:53 obtained on 12.3.2022 in Batman (TUR)
- 5km U18 girls: Esra Bingol (TUR) with the personal best of 44:53 obtained on 12.3.2022 in Batman (TUR)
Scheduled program
- 15:30: 5km U18 girls
- 16.15: 10km U20 men
- 16:16: 10km U18 boys
- 16:17: 10km U20 women
- 16:18: 35km men
- 16:18: 35km women
- 5.15 pm: 20km men
- 17:16: 20km women