29/04/2022   Mersin (TUR): New U23 national record for Meryem Bekmez






 

 

 

On Tuesday, April 26, 2022, on the track of the Olympic Stadium in Mersin (TUR), which hosted the Mediterranean Games in 2013, a selection competition was held for the most important athletes in Turkey in order to verify the state of form.
The participation was not the usual one offered in Turkey but at least one result was of interest.
The race took place over the distance of 20,000m track walking and was reserved for both senior and U20 athletes of both genders.
 
 
20,000m men
 
Two athletes at the start, and only one completed the race.
Victory to Serkan Dogan (TUR) in 1:29:59.82
For him fourth performance will figure with personal best on the distance on the track, having never competed in this event.
However, it should be remembered that his time on the road is of a different value. In fact in Antalya (TUR) on 11.2.2017 he had obtained a good 1:23:46.
The other athlete at the start, Isa Arslan (TUR) did not completed the race.
 
 
 

 
 
 
20,000m women
 
Even in the women's event there were only two athletes at the start.
And it was in this race that the most interesting result was obtained: that of Meryem Bekmez who with her victory in 1:33:52.90 achieved the new U23 national record of Turkey over this distance.
Second place to Secil Akpinar (TUR) in 2:09:44.19
 
 
 

 

 
 
20,000m U20 men
 
Victory to Mazlum Demir (TUR) in 1:29:58.06 who walked for most of the race shoulder to shoulder with Serkan Dogan then beaten on the last metres.
For Mazlum Demir this was the first experience on double distance and starting with the track event was certainly a demonstration of good will.
Second place to Ahmeth Sipahi (TUR) in 2:11:40.95
 
 
20,000m U20 women
 
Victory in Sukran Ayaz (TUR) in 1:54:24.17
Second place in Busra Zarifgil (TUR) in 2:19:52.45