By Şevket F. ERBAY
European Race Walking Team Cup sees yet another world record in Podebrady, Czechia. Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion Massimo Stano shattered the previous mark by 57 seconds in a competition with a 32-strong field and led the Italian team to glory. Italy has 12 podiums in Podebrady but just missed the top spot to Spain, both acclaimed five titles, by the silver majority.
Stano, who had never won a European Cup race before, entered the 35 kilometres race in front and maintained a good pace for just over 41 minutes in 10K. When he hits the 20K mark at 1:21:42, he decides to go for a world record if it goes. He took the lead at the 24th kilometre mark, 15 seconds ahead of Polish Maher Ben Hlima, then covered the last ten kilometres with an average of 3:57 per kilometer. He concluded the course in 2:20:43 by breaking the world record set by Evan Dunfee last month in Dudince while progressing his personal best by 2 minutes 31 seconds.
"The approach to the race was not to set out to break the world record, but the strategy was to close the last 20 kilometres as fast as possible. That was my mission, then the world record was the consequence," said joyful Stano after the contest, where he did not even get a single warning during the race. He led Italy to the team glory over Spain as his team-mates Riccardo Orsoni and Matteo Giupponi finished inside top 10.
Behind Stano, former 20K Euro Cup winner German Christopher Linke claimed silver by breaking German record in 2:23:21 and Spanish Miguel Angel Lopez established another national record (2:23:48) to have bronze. Both flags are also raised for the team ceremony by changing the order, as the Spaniards take silver in the ranking.
MARIA RETAINS
Spain, one of the World's best race walking nations, collected five golds here in Podebrady and reclaimed the men's 20K title in 10 years. The vastly talented Paul McGrath, 2024 European silver medallist, secured European Cup victory by breaking championship record in 1:18:05. He established 3:50 kilometer split four times (13th lap in 3:47) and was able to finish ahead of Francesco Fortunato of Italy, who also registered a PB. In the finish line, the group of seven broke one hour and 20 minutes barrier and all of these men established their best-ever walks except four-time World Championship medallist Perseus Karlström, who finished seventh place.
On the women's side, the Spanish star Maria Perez retained her 35K title by a considerable 36-second margin over Italy's former Olympic gold medallist Antonella Palmisano. Perez clocked 2:38:59 as Palmisano broke Italian record in 2:39:35 as came second. Other Italians Nicole Colombi (2:41:47) and Federica Curiazzi (2:45:39) have concluded in the top five as the nation swept the team cup.
Two-time Olympian Lyudmila Olyanovska won the women's 20 kilometres title to become the first female European Cup winner from Ukraine. The 32-year-old Olyanovska has covered in half mark 44:24 and came in negatif split on top of it. She recorded 1:27:56 to claim gold medal as two Frenchwomen followed her as Clemence Beretta established the new national record.
