Logo

News18 Apr 2000


Champions to compete in Leamington Spa

FacebookTwitterEmail

Olympic and World Champions to compete in Leamington Spa
UK Athletics

19 April 2000 - On Sunday 23 April in Victoria Park, Leamington Spa the World's top race walkers will compete in the EAA Race Walking Grand Prix. The race includes a seven nation match between China, France, Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain.

Amongst the competitors will be Daniel Plaza, Spain's first ever Olympic Champion in any sport. He is the current Olympic Champion over the 20km distance. The event will provide a good indication of whether he will be able to hold on to his title in Sydney this year.

In the Women's 20km race the Gold and Silver medallists from last year's World Championships in Seville, Liu Hongyu and Yan Wang from China, will battle it out head to head.

The 50km race sees more top class walkers, including Ivan Brugnetti, Silver medallist at last year's World Championships in Seville.

The UK has selected its strongest possible team in a branch of the sport which has witnessed great improvements over the last twelve months.

Chris Maddocks, British number one last year will contest the 20km race alongside a rejuvenated Darrell Stone, who was fourth in the last two Commonwealth Games. The women's team features Sara-Jane Cattermole who broke the British 20km record two weeks ago in Perth and Lisa Kehler, Great Britain’s most successful female walker in recent years, having won two Commonwealth Bronze medals.

The event will be the highest calibre walking event in the UK since the 1985 World Race Walking Cup on the Isle of Man and is set to put Leamington Spa firmly on the international competition map.

Event Programme:

9:00am Men's 50km
10:00am Junior Women's 10km
11:15am Junior Men's 10km
1:30pm Women's 20km
3:15pm Men's 20km 

International athletes to watch:

Women - 20km
Liu HONGYU China World Champion 1999, World Cup Champion 1999, World record holder
Yan WANG China 2nd World Championships 1999
Erica ALFRIDI Italy        2nd European Championships 1998
Elizabeth PERRONE Italy 2nd Olympic 10km 1996
Anna SIDOTI Italy        World Champion 10km 1997, European Champion 10km 1998

Men - 20km
Li ZEWEN China        3rd World Championships 1999
Yu GUOHUI China 2nd World Cup 1999
Francisco FERNANDEZ Spain 3rd European Championships 1998
Daniel PLAZA Spain Olympic Champion 1992
G. DE BENEDICTUS Italy 3rd Olympics 1992, World 3000m Record holder

Men - 50km
Ivan BRUGNETTI Italy 2nd World Championships 1999
Arturo DIMEZZA Italy        4th Olympics 1996
Giovanni PERICELLI Italy 2nd World Championships 1995
Dominic McGRATH Australia 3rd Commonwealth Games 1998

 

 

Loading...