In the first sports weekend of January at the Palaindoor of Padua (ITA) the first competitions of the Veneto Regional Indoor Championships were held.
The two walking races over the classic distances were held in the late morning of Sunday 8 January.
3.000m indoor women
The most interesting race was the one reserved to women in which 18 athletes showed up at the start.
All attention was on Alexandrina Mihai (ITA) competing for the first time in the U23 category.
The young athlete of Athletics Brescia 1950 Metallurgica San Marco did not betray expectations and immediately started the year 2023 with fireworks.
She is in the lead from the beginning to the end and she has completed the laps of the Padova oval in a crescendo with the following split times:
- 1.000m: 4:30.2
- 2.000m: 8:57.7 (4:27.5)
- last 1.000m in 4:22.36
So for her an excellent start to the season sealed by a victory in 13:20.06 which represents the new indoor personal best.
The previous indoor personal best dates back to 5.2.2022 and was obtained at the Italian U20 Championships of the 2022 season when she won the U20 indoor title with a mark of 13:49.40. A progress of 29:34 therefore which also bodes well for future activity on the road over the 20km distance.
Second place to Sara Buglisi (ITA) in 14:49.02
Third place to Martina Nacchi (ITA) in 14:56.97 also for her new personal best (previous of 15:26.97 obtained on this same indoor facility on 9.1.2022.
5.000m indoor men
In the men's race only seven athletes at the start
Victory to Mattia Pasqualotto (ITA) in 25:24.49
These are his split times:
- 1.000m: 4:56.5
- 2.000m: 9:49.3 (4:52.8)
- 3.000m: 15:15.1 (5:25.8)
- 4.000m: 20:33.0 (5:17.9)
- last 1.000m in 4:51.9
Second place to Marco Giovannetti (ITA) in 25:28.70
Third place to Giulio Bellin (ITA) in 25:29.96