News09 Mar 2003


Segura and O'Sullivan take 20km honours in IAAF Race Walking Challenge in Tijuana

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Gillian O'Sullivan racing in Tijuana IAAF Race Walking Challenge - 8 March 2003 (© Juan Ramón Piña de la Fuente)

Mexico's Bernardo Segura and Ireland's Gillian O'Sullivan won the 20km titles yesterday (8 March) at the inaugural event of the IAAF Race Walking Challenge, being held this weekend in this northern city on the USA-Mexican border.

Segura, bronze medallist at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and O'Sullivan, fresh from her recent World Indoor 3000m record in Ireland, posted the fastest times ever walked in Mexico to win the first 20km events of the six-event Challenge, which will culminate at the 9th IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Paris, this August.

33-year old Segura, from the state of Mexico, clocked 1:19:06 and defeated Spain's European champion Francisco Javier Fernández, the fastest man ever over the distance (1:17:22), who crossed the finish line two seconds later – 1:19:08.

Poland's three-time Olympic gold medallist Robert Korzeniowski (1:19:11) grabbed the bronze, ahead of Mexico's Alejandro Lopez (1:19:49), who was third last year in Turin at the World Race Walking Cup.

Ecuador's 1996 Olympic champion Jefferson Perez, initially registered to race, did not start due to a breathing problem.

More than 60 athletes started the race in the Paseo de los Héroes and the main pack stayed together until Segura, Fernandez, Korzeniowski and Lopez made a break half way into the race, and the rest of the field could not respond to their faster pace.

It was on the eighth of the 10 lap-course when López began to drop away, although he was always supported by thousands of local fans.

When the leading trio passed the 19km mark (1:15:14), Segura moved up front with the two Europeans right on his heels.

The Mexican, who trains at high altitude in Bolivia, never relinquished and found the extra strength to maintain his lead and give Mexico a sound home win in the first event of the Challenge.

Segura immediately collapsed after taking the tape in Plaza del Rio but managed to kiss the ground, thank God, and had his body covered by a Mexican flag.

”I believe nobody expected a result like this one and it is personally very satisfying because some people thought I should have retired”, said a tired winner, who is also Director of Sports for the Mexico City government.

For Segura, "it's just the start of a long season", which includes a competitive tour in Europe, the Santo Domingo Pan American Games and the World Championships in Paris.
 
”There are seven or eighth athletes who can medal in the Olympics or the Worlds. I won today, but I insist this is just the start of the season and anyone could win,” added the Mexican, who owns the fastest performance on a track (1:17:25.6), set in Fana, Norway, in 1994.

Although he could not add to his birthday celebrations - he turned 26 on Thursday - Spain's Francisco Fernández seemed to be happy with his result as "I arrive here far from my best form that I usually have in the spring time, and both Robert and Bernardo made the competition very tough.”

Korzenowski was very pleased by his time and even happier because the race was a great show. “I think Bernardo Segura will recover his Olympic gold medal next year,” said in clear reference to the Mexican's disqualification in Sydney.

”I am very lucky to compete with the world's best in 20km as my my No. 1 goal this year is the 50km title in Paris,” he added.

Mexico's Claudio Vargas, José Hernández, Omar Segura, Luis Bautista and Juan José Sánchez were disqualified, while USA's Dave Doherty and Ecuador's Andrés Chocho and Esferino Ramírez did not finish.

In the women's field, held two hours earlier, O'Sullivan covered the 10-lap course in 1:29:55 to claim an easy win in Tijuana.

Russia's Nadezhda Ryashkina (1:31:39) and Portugal's Susana Feitor (1:32:34) who usually have a strong finish were a distant second and third, respectively.

After the start, the athletes moved away slower than expected but even so some 10 women began to separate themselves from the rest of the field.

On the third lap,  the 26-year old Cork University College Club member increased the pace and from that point on was never threatened again, and went on to achieve a comfortable victory.
 
Norway's Kjersti Plätzer, second in the Sydney Olympics, Australia's Commonwealth Games gold medallist Jane Seville and Italy's Elizabeth Perrone all missed out on a podium finish.

Rosario Sánchez was the first Mexican to cross the finish line in seventh position, while Russia's Olimpiada Ivanova, the current World champion and World best holder, finished a disappointing 42nd.

”I felt strong enough so I decided to break away soon. I knew the field very well and I was confident I could keep my lead through the finish,” indicated a happy O'Sullivan, who was tenth in the Sydney Olympics.

“I tried to speed up the pace and I did, but as the start was much slower than expected I could not achieve the time I planned. Anyway, I cannot complain,” she added.

Three women did not complete the course: Poland's Silwia Korzeniowska, Robert Korzeniowski's sister, Ireland's Olive Loughnane and Spain's Eva Pérez.

According to the local authorities, some 30,000 people watched the two races along the course, held in temperatures of 18 degrees Celsius, 30%  humidity and a 11-16 km/h wind.

The Tijuana event ends on Sunday with the 50km race, in which Spain's Jesus Garcia and Mexico's Edgar Hernandez, silver and bronze medallist in the 2001 Edmonton World Championships, start as the clear favorites.

Javier Clavelo Robinson for the IAAF 
       

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