News30 May 2010


Kaniskina and Chu take 10Km wins in Krakow – IAAF Race Walking Challenge

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Olga Kaniskina holds off Melanie Seeger in the Krakow 10Km (© Krakow organisers)

Olga Kaniskina of Russia and Chu Yafei of China won their respective 10Km Race Walk titles at the Na Rynek Marsz!, or "March on Market Square!” on Saturday (29), the third Race Walking Grand Prix meeting of the 2010 IAAF Race Walking Challenge.

In the women's race, it was Germany's Melanie Seeger who controlled the race early on, leading for the first three kilometers. Then Kaniskina, the two-time World and reigning Olympic 20Km champion, took over and maintained the lead through the finish. It was a close battle between the pair over the final 500 metres, but Kaniskina held on to beat Seeger by two seconds in 43:03. Seeger's 43:05 was a career best.

Liu Hong of China was a distant third clocking 43:47, also a personal best.

The men's race was considerably more competitive in the opening stages with Norway's Erik Tysse, Chu Yafei, Ireland's Robert Heffernan, Grzegorz Sudol of Poland, Mexico's Eder Sanchez and Luis-Fernando Lopez of Colombia forming the lead pack. Chu Yafei maintained command through the second kilometer with Sanchez following closely.

Yafei held on to win in 38:40, with Sanchez second in 38:46 after two warnings. The battle for third was tight as well, with Lopez holding off Sudol by eight seconds in 39:06. Sudol's finish was the highest here for a Pole since legend Robert Korzenioski's retirement.

Organisers for the IAAF

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