Another commanding victory for Valeriy Borchin in the Daegu 20Km Race Walk (© Getty Images)
Daegu, Korea - Valeriy Borchin raised arms aloft, then crossed himself as he crossed the line in 1:19:56 to retain his World title after a ruthless exhibition of race walking in which he had made a decisive break shortly before the 15km point.
As he waited at the line, the man who now has one Olympic and two World titles at the age of 25 was able to welcome his delighted colleague Vladimir Kanaykin, who took silver in 1:20.27. The two men had time to embrace and flourish the Russian flag before they were joined at the finish by Luiz Fernandez Lopez, who collected Colombia’s first World Championship medal with a time of 1:20.38.
The Russians had withstood the expected challenge from the Chinese walkers who have forced their way to the top of the world lists this year, the best of whom on the day was an exhausted Zhen Wang, who staggered as he took fourth place in 1:20.54, his face a mask of distress.
The 20-year-old Chinese, set the year’s fastest time of 1:18.30 in winning at Taicang on 22 April, but this was a sterner test for him. He carried the Chinese cause however, as his colleagues Yafei Chu and Hao Wang, winner of the IAAF World Race Walking Cup in Chihuahua last year, could only finish in 11th and 13th place respectively.
Unusually, lifting is a feature of races; here it was a feature at the finish as medical attendants carried away several walkers who had collapsed with their efforts in the hot and humid conditions – notably home walker Hyunsub Kim, who had clearly given every last speck of energy in finishing sixth in 1:21.17.
Two places behind him, Japan’s 23-year-old Yusuke Suzuki also wobbled as he finished in 1:21.39. It was hardly surprising given the efforts he had put in after joining Italy’s Giorgio Rubino in a breakaway just before the 5km mark.
While the Italian eventually faded back into the pack at the halfway point, and was disqualified shortly afterwards, Suzuki, in sunglasses, red shirt and sporting a pale blue scarf, hung on even after the inscrutable Borchin had passed him on the decisive break shortly before the 15km checkpoint.
Rubino and Suzuki had passed the 5km checkpoint in 21:03 with a five seconds lead over Zhen Wang, who in turn was six seconds clear of the chasing pack.
As Rubino came to the turn shortly afterwards he glanced back to see what kind of impact his effort was making. The two men pushed on, lengthening their lead, now side by side, now choosing different sides of the road, alternating the lead to help each other along.
Behind them, the pack was as one. Suzuki checked his watch regularly. Rubino, all in white with a peaked cap, simply pressed on.
By now Borchin was beginning to give some semblance to the chase as the field began to string out.
After passing the 8km checkpoint, it was the Japanese athlete who began to push into the lead, with the wiry Italian shadowing him. Both blue lines of the 9km marker in 37:00, with the pack crossing 30 seconds later as rain began to fall.
Suzuki, pouring water over his head and mopping his body with a sponge, now had a clear and widening gap ahead of his fellow traveller.
At the halfway point, the gap was 32 seconds on the pack, still marshalled by Borchin. Suzuki was timed at 40:58, with a three-second gap over his fading companion, and the pack were on 41.33.
Shortly afterwards, Borchin moved up in pursuit, with Wang Zhen alongside.
Rubino was spent, and slipped back into the pack. Suzuki was working hard, mouth agape, and his winning margin was diminishing. He passed the 12km marker in 48.53, and the pack, which had now swallowed the Italian up, crossed around 23 seconds later.
By the 14km marker Suzuki was well in the sights of Wang Zhen and Borchin, and beginning to look nervously over his shoulder. His gap was down to around four seconds.
Borchin struck soon afterwards, moving past the Japanese walker after 58:05 and opening up an immediate lead as the Chinese walker struggled to match him.
Within the space of 20 seconds, the race was decided.
The Russian reached the 15km point in 1:00.42, with a seven seconds lead over Wang Zhen, and with Suzuki hanging on, three seconds adrift of the Chinese athlete. Borchin’s lead over the chasing pack, led by his fellow countryman Vladimir Kanaykin, was 25 seconds.
Borchin was working hard, his face showing the strain, taking the opportunity to pour water over his head. But he was away – by the 16km point, as he glanced briefly back over his left shoulder, his gap over Wang Zhen was around 20 seconds.
At the 18km point Borchin, not looking back now, passed in 1:12.11. His gap was around 36 seconds, with Kanaykin in silver medal position, followed by Lopez, who had moved a few paces ahead of the suffering Chinese athlete.
One kilometre further on, Borchin crossed in 1:16.01, with Kanaykin passing the same mark around 37 seconds later, holding a five seconds gap over the Colombian. The race was settled.
Mike Rowbottom for the IAAF
