Sergey Kirdyapkin of Russia in the 50km Race Walk in Helsinki in 2005 (© Getty Images)
Sergey Kirdyapkin did what has seemed impossible before in an event of such distance and demanding such endurance as the 50km Walk: the Russian decided the competition by making a move before the 10km point and was able to keep his fast pace through to the finish, taking the gold medal and bettering his personal best by more than three minutes in his first major competition.
Kirdyapkin’s 3hr 38min 08sec, a little more than two minutes slower than Robert Korzeniowski’s World record set in the Paris World Championships in 2003. Kirdyapkin's more experienced countryman, Aleksey Voyevodin, the bronze medallist at the Athens Olympics, took the silver, more than three minutes behind Kirdyapkin. Alex Schwarzer took a surprising bronze medal, setting the Italian national record with his 3:41:54.
Trond Nymark (NOR) was fourth in another national record of 3:44:04 and Zhao Chengliang (CHN), who occupied the third spot in the race for a long time, finished fifth in 3:44:45.
Even before the race, it was clear that there will be a new champion. The commanding figure of Robert Korzeniowski was not missed for long, though. Korzeniowski, who won the last two editions of the World Championships and a bunch of other gold medals in big competitions including the Olympics in Athens last summer, saw that he might already have a successor in the making.
Kirdyapkin sped away from the others before the 5km point was reached. Although he was quite quickly caught after his first attempt to breakaway, he was always determined to move early and he finally was able to make his decisive strike after 9km.
Three Russians, Kirdyapkin, Voyevodin and Vladimir Kanaykin had a gap of about 10 seconds before three Chinese, Zhao, Xing Shucai, Han Yucheng and two Latvians, Aigars Fadejevs and Modris Liepins, when the 10km point was reached.
After this, the race was just about the Russians, with Kirdyapkin trying move away from the others at a much faster pace than in the start. The walk started with 22min per 5km pace, but Kirdyapkin went close to 21min/5km clockings in the later part of the competition.
Of the Russians, Kanayakin got disqualified before the 20km point and the Latvians were dropped, too, with Fadejevs also disqualified early. At halfway, there were only five walkers left at the top with Russians Kirdyapkin and Voyevodin leading side by side followed by three Chinese.
Zhao was the only one of the Chinese actually keeping up with the Russians, and after 30km both Xing and Han were in big trouble dropping behind quickly.
Kirdyapkin just continued to walk faster also leaving Voyevodin almost two minutes behind him at 40km point. Zhao was already almost three minutes behind in third place with the main group moving closer to him lead by Trond Nymark (NOR), Jesus Angel Garcia (ESP) and Schwarzer.
Schwarzer finally caught Zhao with 7km, or just over three laps of the 2km race loop to go, with Nymark following closely behind and taking fourth place.