18/06/2022   Jerez de la Frontera (ESP): Sofia Santacreu Calatayud and Daniel Morilla Garcia win the U18 Championship of Spain






 

 
 
The LXXI edition of the Spanish U18 National Championships is underway in Jerez de la Frontera (ESP).
The two walking events are scheduled for:
- 5.000m walk on track for U18 girlds today at 9:55
- 10,000m track walk U18 boys tomorrow
 
 
5.000m. track walk U18 girls
 
The National U18 Championship of Spain begins with a bang and with the U18 girls walking event.
The new name that comes to the fore is that of Sofia Santacreu Calatayud (ESP) born on 7.2.2006 of the JA Sabadell who obtains the new record of the Championships by knocking down the previous one of 23:38.32 which resisted from 8.7.23006 and which had been signed by Lorena Castrillo Gonzalez in Ourense (ESP)
The very young athlete until this morning have a personal best on the 5.000m distance of 23:12.35 established at the municipal stadium of Igualada (ESP) on 6.6.2021.
 
She today for the first time she broke the wall of 23:00.00 stopping the clock in 22:54.22 with an improvement of 44.10 seconds.
If this gives us so much, it is not unthinkable in this season or in the next one to see one of the historical records in the history of race walking in Spain collapse over this distance: that of Maria Vasco Gallardo who, from U18, in the distant 5.4.1992 had obtained on his home track in Barcelona the time of 22.29.30
 
Second place to Julia Suarez Piza (ESP) in 23: 21.82
Third place to Aldara Meilan Garcia (ESP) in 23: 32.62
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

10,000m. track walk U18 boys

 
There are 19 young athletes who show up for the start at 9:45 am.
The best accreditation time is that of Miguel Espinosa Olivares (47:40.52) followed by Ivan Molina Espartero (48:19.27) and Elies Bellester Tataret (48:19.89).
 
The prediction of the medals is a bit difficult as more than half of the athletes present have not obtained a mark on the distance during this season.
And in fact it will be the only Miguel Espinosa Olivares to fight for a medal and in particular for the victory from the beginning of the race with the two most fierce opponents: Daniel Morilla Garcia and Daniel Monfort Moreno.
This trio will be chased by Asier Diaz De Diego, Javier De Arriba Castilla, Pablo Sanchez Rivas and Pablo , ma già aglionzalez Villares.
 
The first 5.000m saw Pablo Sanchez Rivas alone in the lead, passing mid-race in 21:24. Even at 6,000m he still leads in 26:10. He is catched a few meters later, but he always remains at the head of the group of leaders.
 
 
 
 
 
At 7.000m the turning point of the race.
Miguel Espinosa Olivares forces the pace and remain in seven, but already at 8.000m (35:08) only three remain in the lead: Miguel Espinosa Olivares, Daniel Monfort Moreno and Daniel Morilla Garcia. Pablo Sanchez Rivas is detached by about 15 meters and loses ground.
 
The last 2,000m are a head-to-head among the top three who all try to break away from their opponents but still remain together. The most lucid seems to be Daniel Morilla Garcia. When there are 200m to go, all three are still together.
A heart-pounding finale also for a possible intervention by the chief judge in the last 100m.
At 130m to go Daniel Morilla Garcia and Miguel Espinosa Olivares forces and try to fight for the victory, but Daniel Monfort Moreno does not give up and to return with them. He will only give up in the last 10m.
 
The two swoop across the finish line together and only with a flicker Daniel Morilla Garcia will have the better of the opponent.
The two embrace immediately for the happiness of the result obtained and, we add, for having shown an exciting and very correct race finale from a regulatory point of view.
Chapeau!
 
The victory will go to Daniel Morilla Garcia (ESP) in 45:20.26 who, in his first experience on the track, approaches the 43:58 on the road obtained on 30.1.2022 in Lepe.
Second place to Miguel Espinosa Olivares (ESP) in 45:20.58. In addition to silver, Miguel Espinosa also obtained a significant improvement compared to the previous best obtained at the Vallehermoso Stadium in Madrid on 6.6.2021. However, it should be noted that he too in Mostoles this season (16 January) had achieved an interesting 44:23 on the road.
The bronze goes to Daniel Monfort Moreno (ESP) in 45:21.95, almost the same time obtained last May 28 in La Coruna (45:21) in the road test.
 
The common denominator of these three medals is given not only by the fact that the race was decided after a fight up to the finish line, but also by the fact that all three young athletes were born in 2006 and therefore still have ahead of them an U18 season.
If that gives us so much, we should see sparks guaranteed at least for next season among the young Spaniards and their Italian opponents.
 

 


(Photos by Miguelez - ESP)



Risultati Ufficiali - Official results