Tijuana prepares for start the 2005 IAAF Race Walking Challenge

The northern Mexican city of Tijuana, on the USA-Mexican border, is fully into preparations to host the start of the 2005 IAAF Race Walking Challenge which takes place in six weeks time. When the two day meeting takes place on 19 – 20 March 2005 it will mark the third consecutive year that the Mexican event has kick-started the annual Challenge.

Among the top class athletes who have already announced their interest in attending the Mexican event are Ecuador's 1996 Olympic and 2003 World champion Jefferson Perez and Australia's 2004 Olympic bronze medallist Jane Saville. The event will also serve as the Mexican trial to help select their teams for the World Championships in Helsinki, Finland.

José Antonio Baltazar, President of the Athletic Association of the State of Baja California, said that the city expects a record number of athletes from a wide range of countries.  In 2003, the Tijuana event hosted race walkers from 23 nations and drew around 10,000 spectators along the 2km course on the Paseo de los Heroes Avenue. Last year, that participation swelled to 27 nations, supported by 12,000 spectators. 

Perez, the 2004 World Cup champion who was second overall in last year's Race Walking Challenge, won in Tijuana last year, ahead of Poland's Robert Korzeniowski - the eventual Challenge winner - and Italy's Ivano Brugnetti, who respectively went on to win Olympic titles at 50km and 20km in Athens.

The women's 20km was taken last year by Italy's Olympic fifth place finisher Elisa Rigaudo, who topped the overall standings of the Challenge, thanks to victory here and two more wins in Rio Maior and Sesto San Giovanni which provided her with a perfect score of 30 points.

Spain's 2000 Olympic bronze medallist Maria Vasco, Portugal's Susana Feitor and Ireland's 2003 Challenge overall winner Gillian O' Sullivan followed her home in Tijuana.

The honour of the host nation was saved last year when three-time Olympian German Sanchez claimed the men’s 50km win, and he was followed in by 2003 winner Jesus Angel Garcia of Spain and Mario Ivan Flores of Mexico.

Korzeniowski, the greatest race walker of all times, will be missed on Tijuana’s streets in 2005. Second in 2003 and 2004, the 36-year old has officially put an end to his successful career after claiming his fourth Olympic crown in Athens. The Pole won the overall 2003 and 2004 IAAF Race Walking Challenge titles.

Javier Clavelo Robinson for the IAAF

2005 IAAF Race Walking Challenge

There is substantial prize money on offer for the Challenge, with US $30,000 awarded to first place, $20,000 for second place and $15,000 for third…, graduating down to $5,000 for an eighth place finish.

The point system is also straightforward - 10 for the winner, 9 for second place, 8 for third etc…which makes the challenge easy to follow, with rankings based upon the addition of the three best results achieved by athletes in any of the competitions.

Event Schedule:
 
19 - 20 March:Grand Prix Internacional de Marcha Tijuana 2005, Tijuana (MEX)

2 April: 14th Grande Premio Internacional en Marcha Atletica, Rio Maior (POR)

23 April: Race Walking Grand Prix, Cixi City (CHN)

1 May: Coppa Città di Sesto San Giovanni, Sesto S. Giovanni (ITA)

4 June : Gran Premio Cantones de La Coruña, Spain

6 – 14 August: 10th IAAF World Championships in Athletics, Helsinki, Finland

 
2004 IAAF Race Walking Challenge Standings
 
Women
1. Elisa Rigaudo (ITA) 30 points
2. Claudia Stef (ROM) 26
3. Maria Vasco (ESP) 24
 
Men
1. Robert Korzeniowski (POL) 28
2. Jefferson Pérez (ECU) 27
3. Ivano Brugnetti (ITA) 27