(English version - from IAAF website)

10 km U20 women

The U20 women’s 10km at the IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships Rome 2016 proved to be a cracking race with a real burn-up over the last 300 metres between the two leading Chinese race walkers.

As Ma Zhenxia and Ma Li shot through the finish line there was no impression of a conveniently agreed and possibly diplomatic tie. Both clearly wanted the victory, and it needed a photo finish to separate them by an amazing six-thousandths of a second – the first time any race at any World Cup has seen leading race walkers finish on the same second.

There was a brave bronze for Mexico’s Valeria Ortuno three seconds later, not only rewarded with a medal for refusing to yield when the pace ratcheted up, but a personal best by 15 seconds and an area U20 record on a day when new marks were few and far between.

Earlier, everyone toed the line in the shadow of the Constantine Arch and strode out down the Via di San Gregorio like Roman troops 2000 years ago – except these junior women were going a fair bit quicker.

Even so, a clutch of race walkers appeared to belie their personal bests to head to the front of the field including Finland’s Taika Nummi alongside Tayla-Paige Billington wearing the green and gold of Australia.

Right behind, Ma Li and Italy’s Noemi Stella were putting on a show for home fans, but the pace was still a modest 14:03 going through 3km.

Shortly after, the cap-wearing Ma Zhenxia came level at the front for the first time and the leading group of 18 started to splinter with remnants flying off the back.

Germany’s Teresa Zurek was next to chance her arm at the front, and the sudden injection of pace reduced the phalanx to nine.

It was no wonder. The pace had shot up to 23:12 for halfway with Ortuno also making her first bid for glory.

By 6km the charge had reduced the numbers to six with Australia’s Zoe Hunt having the race of her life just about hanging on to the leaders’ coat tails, but also labouring under the threat of two disqualification cards that soon turned into all three.

Just before 9km, there was an almighty sprint from Ma Zhenxia, who lit the afterburners of a 44:29 personal best from March.

She looked a comfortable first, but was soon looking over shoulder as her teammate and Ortuno gave chase.

Ma Zhenxia, the world youth champion, gave it a second burst to lose her pursuers, and still they came back at her.

Going on to the track, there was at last daylight between China and Mexico, but at the finish line, only technology made the division.

Back in the day of the naked eye, a recorder would surely have made it a tie.

Stella came home a good fourth, and Nummi looked delighted with fifth.

Needless to say, China took the team prize, Mexico were second, and Australia third.

At least three race walkers were given a two-minute pit stop in a bold experiment designed to spare athletes the ignominy of total disqualification.

Once a third card came in, as it did for Hunt, they were shepherded into the sidings and set back on their way after two minutes.

As an idea it has legs, and allowed the fallen to put theirs back into action and complete the race.

The winner has a thicker vest than the difference between she and second, but a win is still a win.

"It feels pretty good to win after very hard training," Zhenxia said. "The beginning of the course is difficult but the rest of it was very good

"I won today thanks to my relaxed attitude, and because there was a strong field."

The second Ma was in doubt about the winner until technology made the difference.

Li explained: "We did not know who had won, and we had not planned to finish together." And although it was only fourth for Stella, it was as good as gold.

"I felt like I won," the Italian said. "I had two terrible months because of a back injury. As a result, I did not expect to finish fourth, but I just gritted my teeth throughout and just kept my rhythm."

20 km women 

With her 20km victory at the IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships Rome 2016, Liu Hong is one step close to completing the grand slam of major race walking titles.

The Chinese race walker is the world record-holder and a two-time world champion. She also topped the IAAF Race Walking Challenge standings for the past two years and even won the world junior title back in 2006.

But the IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships is one title that, until today, had eluded the 28-year-old.

Showing no signs of feeling the effects of a recent cold she had mentioned at the pre-event press conference, Liu was always present at the front of the race. But she didn’t have it all her own way.

Mexico’s Maria Guadalupe Gonzalez set a national record of 1:28:48 at the 2014 edition of this event. Since then, she has been undefeated, winning the Pan-American title and various Race Walking Challenge events. She proved to be Liu’s toughest rival throughout the first half of the race.

Liu led a lead pack of seven through 5km in 22:10. Only four of those – Gonzalez, China’s Olympic silver medallist Qieyang Shenjie and home hope Eleonora Giorgi – were still in contact at half way, reached in 43:51.

But just before 12km, which was covered in 52:17, Liu Hong upped the pace and opened a gap on Gonzalez. Qieyang and Giorgi were locked in a battle for third place.

A few minutes later, Qieyang clipped a cone on the tightest turn of the two-kilometre loop, falling to the ground. But she regained contact with Giorgi within a minute of being back on her feet and then began to close on Gonzalez to challenge for second place.

A third Chinese 1-2 finish of the day began to look like a distinct possibility.

Liu, meanwhile, continued to plough on ahead. She passed 15km in 1:05:00, having covered the previous 5km in 21:09, and was some 14 seconds in front of Gonzalez and Qieyang. Giorgi’s chances of securing a medal in front of her home crowd were beginning to fade as she trailed six seconds behind the leading trio.

Just one lap later, a rejuvenated Giorgi rejoined Gonzalez and Qieyang in what became a three-way battle for two medals. But with two red cards to her name, Giorgi knew that she couldn’t afford to make any mistakes.

Qieyang eventually faded, leaving Giorgi and Gonzalez side by side. The Italian dug in and gritted her teeth in a desperate bid to take the silver medal. But shortly after Liu entered the stadium on her way to an assured victory, Giorgi was shown a third red card was disqualified, leaving Gonzalez alone in second place.

Liu crossed the line in 1:25:59, the second-fastest time in the history of the championships, to complete the Chinese sweep of all the individual gold medals on offer on Saturday.

“I was always in front but I felt a bit nervous because I didn't know if the others had more energy or if their rhythm could speed up,” said Liu. “I had to keep turning to check them and keep up my speed.”

Gonzalez smashed the North American record with her time of 1:26:17, outlining her status as a genuine contender for an Olympic medal.

Qieyang came through for third place in 1:26:49 while Brazil’s Erica de Sena finished fourth in a South American record of 1:27:18.

The biggest cheers were reserved for Italian veteran Elisa Rigaudo. At 35 years of age, the 2008 Olympic bronze medallist equalled her best ever finish at this event to place fifth in 1:28:03.

With four athletes in the top eight, China secured their seventh gold medal of the day by taking the team title. Australia, led by 12th-place finisher Regan Lamble, took team silver while Colombia clinched the bronze medal, just six points ahead of Portugal.

Having produced the most dominant performance of the day, Liu looks well on her way to completing her grand slam of titles at the Rio Olympics later this summer.