Juan Manuel Molina of Spain celebrates winning bronze in the men's 20km race walk (© Getty Images)
Reigning World 20km walk bronze medallist Juan Manuel Molina of Spain is set to make his 2006 debut at his specialist event on 25 March in Tlanepantla De Baz, Mexico (near Mexico City), the first leg of the IAAF Race Walking Challenge 2006.
“I’m looking for a new experience as I have not ever been at a 2500m altitude, 1800m in Font Romeu is my record so far,” confirmed Molina earlier this year. “I travel to Mexico alongside my coach José Antonio Carrillo (three weeks in advance) to get accustomed to such high altitude.”
Molina, who will turned 27 on 15 March, has also scheduled his second 20km performance on home soil in La Coruña in May: “It’s a curious thing as the level in the IAAF World Race Walking Cup is usually even higher than at an Olympics or World Championships because there are up to five men representing very powerful squads such as Russia and China instead of only three at a major championships in summer.”
“The matter is that the European Championships in Gothenburg (Aug 2006) will have a bigger audience and impact in every circles and for that reason the major summer events (Olympics, Worlds or Europeans) are more attractive even for us, the walkers”.
The Spaniard made a major breakthrough precisely at the last Europeans in 2002 held in Munich where he snatched his first medal at a senior level by taking the third place in a 1:20:36 clocking.
“That bronze medal was a turning point in my athletics career. It was marvellous to share the podium with ‘Paquillo’ (Francisco Fernández) at the top and let’s hope we can go up to the podium again in Gothenburg”. Molina lowered his PB to 1:19:44, the clocking which gave him the bronze medal at the Helsinki World Championships, with barely eight seconds separating him from the silver medal taken by Fernández.
With regard to his current form Molina is delighted with how the 2006 season is developing: “I’m very satisfied as in a gap of only eight days I was able to perform pretty well over 5km on the track (PB of 19:03, 11 February in Lorca) and also over 50km when I made my debut at that distance during the Spanish Championships held in León on Sunday 19 February”.
Asked on why he tackled the 50km event at the nationals Molina pointed out: “My coach thought that I might perform reasonably good and he convinced me to compete over 50km”. The result left the Spaniard more than happy: “Despite the annoying wind I was timed 3:55:12 and became national silver medallist.
Even more promising on 4 March in Madrid he established a new personal best of 38:46 for 10km. But will he be able to threaten countryman ‘Paquillo’ Fernández this season at 20km?
“I only think of winning whenever I compete but I consider him the most consistent walker in the world as he has successively taken one gold and three silver medals the last four years at the major championships. He is a reference for the rest of the Spanish walkers; for instance, when he smashed the World record performance (1:17:22) it was very encouraging for us”.
Emeterio Valiente for the IAAF
