Nadezhda Leontyeva (R) of Russia, second, and the winner Ekaterina Medvedeva of Russia pose at the end of the Women's 10000 metres Race Walk on the day two of the 14th IAAF World Junior Championships in Barcelona on 11 July 2012 (© Getty Images)
Russian girls captured the third consecutive double and the sixth gold medal for their country at the Race Walk event in the guise of this season’s world leader Ekaterina Medvedeva and Nadezhda Leontyeva.
Bronze went to Colombia’s Sandra Arenas, the World Cup victor in Saransk two months ago. She made history for her country as she landed the first ever medal of any colour at the event and the second Colombian medal overall.
Likely feared of the reigning humidity and the 25ºC temperature, the extremely large - 38 walkers - group kicked off at a very moderate pace, the clock reading 9:36.74 for the opening two kilometers – a 48m pace - with the Czech pair of Eliska Drahotova and her twin sister Anezka making most of the early rhythm. It was the latter who stepped up the pace for the following laps covering the 2000-4000m section in a much brisker 9:13.99.
The halfway was hit in 23:23.10 for the fastest split until then, 4:32.37. At that stage, only six women proved to be strong enough to follow the Czech’s rhythm: Ukraine’s Liudmila Olianovska, the Russian duo of Medvedeva and Leontyeva, Arenas, Mexico’s Alejandra Ortega and China’s Yanxue Mao.
By the 6000m point Olianovska moved to the front and the first casualty of her pace (4:28.52 for the seventh kilometre) was Ortega while Mao began to struggle likely due to the warning she had received.
The early leader Drahotova also lost ground two kilometres from the tape and so a quintet remained at the top to fight for the three medals at stake. The ninth kilometre witnessed Olianovska still in the lead with Medvedeva, Arenas, Leontyeva and Mao trailing in her wake.
The key movement was made by Arenas exactly before the 9000m point when the Colombian found an extra gear to unleash a powerful change of speed which could only be resisted by the two Russians while Olianovska and Mao lost any chance of making the podium.
The remaining two laps promised to be more than thrilling with Medvedeva and Leontyeva looking for a minor revenge as they had been defeated by Arenas at the World Cup where the Russians had to be satisfied with third (Leontyeva) and fourth (Medvedeva).
Arenas’ lead was going to be short-lived as Medvedeva broke away from her and Leontyeva some 550m remaining. By the bell it became clear that Medvedeva would be the eventual winner and attention turned to the fierce battle between Leontyeva and Arenas, the Russian ahead of the Colombian three seconds behind the leader at the bell.
While Medvedeva crossed the finish line unopposed, Arenas tried to overtake Leontyeva on the home straight and she was about to do it but finally the Russian hold off her challenge to complete the 1-2 for her country. The frantic closing kilometre only took Medvedeva 4:09.52 for a final clocking of 45:41.74 - - 23:23.10 and 22:18.64 the two halves – for Leontyeva’s PB of 45:43.64 and Arenas’ 45:44.46.
Way back finished Olianovska (45:53.50) and Mao (46:10.60) both setting career bests.
Emeterio Valiente for the IAAF
Bronze went to Colombia’s Sandra Arenas, the World Cup victor in Saransk two months ago. She made history for her country as she landed the first ever medal of any colour at the event and the second Colombian medal overall.
Likely feared of the reigning humidity and the 25ºC temperature, the extremely large - 38 walkers - group kicked off at a very moderate pace, the clock reading 9:36.74 for the opening two kilometers – a 48m pace - with the Czech pair of Eliska Drahotova and her twin sister Anezka making most of the early rhythm. It was the latter who stepped up the pace for the following laps covering the 2000-4000m section in a much brisker 9:13.99.
The halfway was hit in 23:23.10 for the fastest split until then, 4:32.37. At that stage, only six women proved to be strong enough to follow the Czech’s rhythm: Ukraine’s Liudmila Olianovska, the Russian duo of Medvedeva and Leontyeva, Arenas, Mexico’s Alejandra Ortega and China’s Yanxue Mao.
By the 6000m point Olianovska moved to the front and the first casualty of her pace (4:28.52 for the seventh kilometre) was Ortega while Mao began to struggle likely due to the warning she had received.
The early leader Drahotova also lost ground two kilometres from the tape and so a quintet remained at the top to fight for the three medals at stake. The ninth kilometre witnessed Olianovska still in the lead with Medvedeva, Arenas, Leontyeva and Mao trailing in her wake.
The key movement was made by Arenas exactly before the 9000m point when the Colombian found an extra gear to unleash a powerful change of speed which could only be resisted by the two Russians while Olianovska and Mao lost any chance of making the podium.
The remaining two laps promised to be more than thrilling with Medvedeva and Leontyeva looking for a minor revenge as they had been defeated by Arenas at the World Cup where the Russians had to be satisfied with third (Leontyeva) and fourth (Medvedeva).
Arenas’ lead was going to be short-lived as Medvedeva broke away from her and Leontyeva some 550m remaining. By the bell it became clear that Medvedeva would be the eventual winner and attention turned to the fierce battle between Leontyeva and Arenas, the Russian ahead of the Colombian three seconds behind the leader at the bell.
While Medvedeva crossed the finish line unopposed, Arenas tried to overtake Leontyeva on the home straight and she was about to do it but finally the Russian hold off her challenge to complete the 1-2 for her country. The frantic closing kilometre only took Medvedeva 4:09.52 for a final clocking of 45:41.74 - - 23:23.10 and 22:18.64 the two halves – for Leontyeva’s PB of 45:43.64 and Arenas’ 45:44.46.
Way back finished Olianovska (45:53.50) and Mao (46:10.60) both setting career bests.
Emeterio Valiente for the IAAF
