Robert Korzeniowski (6) walking next to Aigars Fadejevs (5) of Latvia (© Luis Saladie)
Thousands of spectators, flocked to applaud the walkers at the XVII Gran Premio El Corte Ingles in La Coruña, the penultimate leg of the 2003 IAAF Race Walking Challenge, and witnessed Poland's Robert Korzeniowski cross the finish line in the 20km in 1:19:56.
"Yesterday evening, I went to the opera to listen to a Polish concert," he confessed after receiving the trophy for his second victory in La Coruña. The 35-year-old athlete had claimed the European Cup back in 1996. "And to my greatest surprise, they actually came here on the circuit today to support me. It motivated me even more."
Korzeniowski's success came as no surprise. He was the strongest favourite as Spain's Fransisco Fernandez, the World record holder over 20 km, who had defeated the Polish athlete last week in a 10km race, decided not to compete in order to nurse a small injury.
Korzeniowski, who also organizes a race in his home town - the event will be held next weekend - was right on track to victory after only 3 km in today's race. He would never relinquish the lead, and a light drizzle and cooling temperatures could not stop his winning effort.
At mid-race, reached in 39.40 minutes, the Pole was well ahead of his nearest opponent, Mexico's Cristian Berdeja who later faded away but secured a place in the top ten. When Korzeniowski broke the tape, his time was of 1:19:56, more than a minute ahead of the circuit's record set by Italy's 1980 Olympic champion Maurizio Damilano in 1992.
The women's 20km course record, on the contrary was shattered by Russia's Yelena Nikolayeva, the gold medallist at the 1996 Olympics, and the recent winner of the European Cup.
The experienced Russian rewrote the history books as she crossed the line in the official time of 1:27:25, improving the previous record set by Spain's Maria Vasco last year, by 1 minute and 22 seconds.
Nikolayeva started slowly, waiting in the main pack, only to take the lead at the mid-race point and then break away definitely.
With two victories in two participations, Ireland's Gillian O'Sullivan, second in the challenge standings at the start behind Portugal's Susana Feitor, was the quickest to impose a furious pace. The athlete from Cork, who joined Korzeniowski's training group two years ago, was more than ten metres clear of her opponents after only 600 metres of the race. She had built her victories in Tijuana, Mexico and Sesto Giovanni, Italy, using the same tactics.
However, two early warnings forced O'Sullivan to slow down considerably and adopt a different strategy. "I felt well," she explained afterwards. "But, I had to stop that because of the warnings," she confirmed.
Under Irish-like weather conditions, O'Sullivan would manage to cling onto a precious second place, holding off Norway's Kjersti Platzer. Susana Feitor, who had made a quick appearance in the lead after 3 kilometers, then faded away and had to settle with 6th place.
The inaugural IAAF Race Walking Challenge will conclude with the men's 20km and 50km, and women's 20km races at the 9th IAAF World Championships in Athletics, Paris, 23-31 August 2003.
By an IAAF Correspondent
