Elisa Rigaudo storms to victory in Leamington Spa (© Tim Watt)
The midsummer sun and temperatures of up to 29C led to a high attrition rate in the seventh Leamington Spa Grand Prix of Race Walking yesterday (17 June).
The event functioned, in part, as a dress rehearsal for the EAA European Cup of Race Walking to be held on the same Victoria Park course on 20 May 2007. With London 2012 on the horizon, the organisers of the European Cup hope the event will act as a catalyst for a domestic race walking revival, and as such a strong overseas challenge was invited this year to increase the level of the racing.
Italian triumph and misfortune
The three senior races – men’s and women’s 20km and the men’s 50km – provided the core of the day's programme which also included junior competitions.
Elisa Rigaudo of Italy, the Olympic Games 6th and 2005 World Championships 7th placer, was the dominant winner of the women’s 20km, leading the whole way for a 1:29:11 finish.
"I’m pleased with a season's best time. I like the weather - I had expected rain in England,” confirmed the overall IAAF Race Walking Challenge winner of 2004, who was delighted by her victory in Leamington Spa.
Another prominent Italian Race Walker, the men’s 2005 World Championship 50km bronze medallist Alex Schwazer, did not have such a good day. The national recordholder who had his sight set on a sub-4 hour race in the men’s 50km lasted until 17km before an upset stomach curtailed his race. As such, the win was taken by Augusto Cardoso of Portugal in 4:10:11, an extremely comfortable fourteen and half minutes clear of Luis Silva, also of Portugal.
Diniz's show of fitness
Yohan Diniz who had set the French national record (1:20:20) in April 2005 but was disqualified at the World Championships in Helsinki later in the summer, yesterday's senior men 20km in 1:23:19, ahead Rafal Augustyn of Poland, with his French teammate Dennis Langlois in third.
Diniz, 28, who is already pre-selected for the 20km at the European Championships in Gothenburg this summer, also hopes to be selected at 50km, and needed to prove is fitness to selectors after losing four months of training due to injury. Indeed, like Rigaudo in the women’s 20km, Diniz led from the start setting off at national record pace, arriving at 5km in 20:08.
However, Augustyn, together with Langlois caught up again by 11km, with the three reaching 15km in 53:40 before Diniz again pulled away for the victory.
Augustyn who finished second in 1:23:31 needed to walk under 1:23:00 to qualify for the European squad for Gothenburg. At the World Cup of Race Walking in La Coruña, Spain, in May he was just sixteen seconds outside that, and frustratingly, a week later walked 1:23:01 in Zaniemysl in Poland.
Locals beaten by German visitors
In the Junior Men’s 10km, Britain’s Nick Ball, who finished 11th in the World Cup of Race Walking, built a big lead and seemed set to retain his event title, but was disqualified in the final kilometre, handing the victory to Christopher Linke of Germany. Another of the major names on show, Germany's Maik Schneider, who was 19th at La Coruña, also didn't pass the scrutiny of the judges yesterday.
"I feel I was lucky when the two walkers in front of me were disqualified,” said the winner afterwards. “I thought the course was good but did not expect the hot weather.”
There was also a German victory in the Junior Women’s 10km, with Jenny Grasse (50:38) taking the honours ahead of her compatriot Sonja Birkemeyer (50:55). Local hope Rebecca Mersh, was also unable to retain her title finishing in a distant third place in 52:41. The two Germans ahead of her were also inside her winning time from 2005.
Honours from the honoured
UK Athletics President Lynn Davies presented the medals the day after he had himself been honoured. The 1964 Olympic Long Jump champion had been awarded a CBE (Commander of the British Empire) in Queen Elizabeth II’s Birthday honours list, for his various roles in athletics.
Tim Watt for the IAAF
NB. we apologise for the late posting of this report which was due to computer difficulties encountered by our correspondent.
Click here for FULL RESULTS
