Next Saturday the 28th edition of the Grand Prix Internacional de Rio Maior will take place, which for the 17th time will be valid as one of the stages of the Marcia IAAF Challenge.
We will never tire of saying thanks to Jorge Miguel the Ines Henriques coach for this organizational effort.
Also this year the participation is high level with 27 women (who will leave at 17:30) and 48 men (who will leave at 17:42)
20km women
The Tibetan athlete Qieyang Shenjie (CHN) is the undisputed leader, now a regular in Rio Maior since she is in her fourth participation.
In 2015, at her first presence, she DNF, but in 2016 and 2018 she returned to her training center in Saluzzo (ITA) with two victories (1:27:52 her 2016 mark, and 1:28:04 that of 2018). This year in Huangshan (CHN) she has already been capable of 1:25:37 which represents the second best seasonal performance in the world (the first if it excludes the result of Lashmanova, RUS in Sochi).
The main opponents should be:
- the teammate Wang Na (CHN), who achieved a good 1:28:31 this year but has a personal best of 1:28:15
- Sandra Lorena Arenas (COL) who in Adelaide (AUS) established her personal best in 1:28:49 on Feb. 10, 2019
- Erica de Sena (BRA) who competed only in Dudince in the 50km where she had passed at 20km in 1:41:20 and then stopped. The beautiful Brazilian athlete is one of the most fighting athlete on the distance and boasts a personal best of 1:26:59 obtained in London in 2017, which is also the record of the South American continent.
Among the outsiders we include the two home athletes, Ana Cabecinha, but above all Ines Henriques of which we have lost count of how many 20km has completed (105 or more?).
Also to follow the three Spaniards Raquel Gonzalez, Laura Garcia-Caro and Julia Takacs and Inna Kashina (UKR)
20km men
The men's race is much more complicated to decipher.
There are many aspirants to victory if we think that there are eleven athletes with a personal best of less than 1.20: 00.
In the current season the best performances have been obtained from
- Eiki Takahashi (JPN) who in Kobe on Feb. 17, 2019 was capable of 1:18:00 (6th place in the 2019 season list)
- Cai Zelin (CHN) who obtained the time of 1:19:36 in Huangshan (CHN) on Mar. 10, 2019 (12th place in the 2019 world season list)
But certainly the list of pretenders to victory cannot be concluded only with the names of the two athletes indicated.
Among the most interesting we find:
- Wang Rui (CHN) Cai Zelin's training partner which in Huangshan (CHN) missed the selection for the 50km World Cup in his country by a whisper, ending it in 3:42:08 which represents the fourth seasonal world performance. The Chinese athlete who trains in Italy in Saluzzo boasts a personal best on the 20km of 1:19:23, obtained on Mar. 4, 2017 in Huangshan (CHN)
- Eider Arevalo (COL) reigning world champion in London 2017 (1:18:53) who this year competed only in Adelaide (AUS) at the Oceania Championships, finishing in 1:21:36
- the trio of Spanish athletes with Alberto Amezcua (SB: 1:23:52 - PB: 1:19:45), Alvaro Martin (SB: 1:25:45 - PB: 1:19:36) and Diego Garcia (SB: 1:23:21 - PB: 1:19:18)
- Caio Bonfim (BRA) who recently won in the Brazilian national championships in 1:23:26, but which has a personal best of 1:19:04 obtained in London on Aug. 13, 2017
- Tom Bosworth (GBR) (SB: 1:23:34 - PB: 1:19:38)
- Andres Chocho (ECU) who competed only in Dudince in the 50km where he was leading the race to over 35km (2:36:22) and then stopped. Chocho boasts a personal best of 1:20:07 obtained in Rome in 2016.
(Versão em português - por Jorge Miguel)
Amanhã o nosso Grande Prémio de Marcha vai ser transmitido em live streaming no Facebook Rio Maior Sports Centre, no canal Rio Maior Sports Centre do youtube e no site da prova!
É já este sábado, dia 6 de abril, que se realiza o 28.º Grande Prémio Internacional de Rio Maior em Marcha Atlética, prova que mais uma vez integra o restrito grupo de competições do World Challenge de Marcha da Federação Internacional de Atletismo, que já vai na 17.ª edição.
Para esta prova já estão confirmadas as presenças de alguns dos melhores atletas do mundo, entre os quais muitos portugueses, com destaque para os riomaiorenses João Vieira, Miguel Carvalho, Miguel Rodrigues, Inês Henriques e Mara Ribeiro, mas também outros atletas consagrados como Ana Cabecinha e Pedro Isidro.
Entre os muitos internacionais destacam-se já as presenças de Eider Areválo, da Colômbia, Cai Zelin da China, Diego Garcia de Espanha, Caio Bonfim do Brasil, Andrés Chocho do Equador, Tom Bosworth da Grã Bretanha, Eiki Takahashi do Japão, e Icvan Losev da Ucrânia. Na competição femininadestacam-se as presenças de Shenjie Qieyang e Wang Na da China, Sandra Arenas da Colômbia, Bethan Davies da Grã Bretanha, Julia Takacs e Raquel González de Espanha.
Estará em Rio Maior mais um excelente grupo de atletas, dos melhores do mundo, que fazem desta a mais importante e competitiva competição de marcha em Portugal.
As provas jovens e de promoção começam pelas 15h30, estando agendadas as provas principais de 20 Kms femininos para as 17h30 e masculinos para as 17h42.
Durante a tarde haverá ainda um momento especial com uma homenagem que a organização irá fazer ao atleta olímpico riomaiorense, Sérgio Vieira, que recentemente deu por terminada a sua carreira como atleta de alto rendimento.
O Grande Prémio Internacional de Rio Maior em Marcha Atlética resulta de uma organização conjunta da Câmara Municipal de Rio Maior, da Desmor EM, SA e do Clube de Natação de Rio Maior, contando com o importante apoio da Associação de Atletismo de Santarém, da Federação Portuguesa de Atletismo e da IAAF - Associação Internacional de Atletismo. Conta igualmente com o importanteapoio de várias entidades e empresas da região.