The almost 300-day break of the Olympic champion in the 50km race from Rio de Janeiro 2016, Matej Tóth, ended on Sunday 12 July. The 37-year-old Olympic champion showed up at the start of the 5000m race in Dubnice nad Váhom.
Almost five years have passed since Matej Toth's last participation in a 5.000m track walk. His last outdoor result dates back to 15.9.2015 when in Banska Bystrica he stopped the stopwatch in an interesting 19:41.85 while his personal best (18:54.39) dates back to 11.6.2011 and always obtained on the bank Bystrica track.
His last indoor 5.000m instead dates back to 28.1.2018 when in Bratislava he finished in third position (19:43.70) behind Erick Barrondo (GUA) who won in 19:23.59 and Alex Wright (IRL) second in 19:25.20.
After the cancellation of the entire spring walking season due to the coronavirus, Matej had lost his motivation for a while, but then he managed to gradually regain the desire to train and compete.
Certainly a 5.000m on track for an athlete who is usually used to doing it ten times as much is only a very small training, but the return of race feelings is something that even in the Olympic Champions need. In addition there is also the reason why with this participation will help Banská Bystrica's Dukla in the opening phase of the championship.
5.000m track walk men
Matej Toth's main contenders and opponents were down on paper Miroslav Uradnik (SVK) credited with an interesting 19:57.28 and the young Daniel Kovac (CZE) credited with a good 20:43.87.
Lightning start at the head of the race of Miroslav Uradnik (SVK) who immediately gains at the first passage of the 200m about twenty meters to Matej Toth (SVK) and Daniel Kovac (SVK).
The first 1,000m are covered in an unofficial 3:50.8.
Uradnik who, in our opinion, proposes a walk not good to see (with the center of gravity of the body following an excessive displacement of the torso forward), he soon fatigues and his advantage over Toth at 2.600m was reduced to 10m.
In the following lap the Olympic Champion rcatches him and at the passage of 3.000m (11:55.3 for Toth) we can say that the race for the victory is already over. The unknown of the mark remains. The following laps see Matej Toth with these unofficial passages: 3,400m: 13:32.0; 3,800m: 15:08.0; 4,200m: 16:44.0; 4,600m: 18:20.0
He wins the race in 19: 54.58
Second place to Miroslav Uradnik (SVK) in 20: 30.43 which precedes for third place Daniel Kovac (SVK) in 21: 10.91
In this crazy 2020 season, a world list different from the usual ones we are used to is starting to take shape: that of the 5.000m track walk.
With his performance today, Matej Toth is in second position behind Perseus Karlstrom who had obtained the mark of 19:06.68 in the early days of the pandemic (7.3.2020) at the Duncan Mackinnon Reserve, Glenhuntly, Melbourne when it was still possible to compete.
Here is the updated ranking of the first ten performances.
3.000m track walk women
The favorite of the race is undoubtedly Maria Czakova (SVK) and the fiercest opponent is Hana Burzalova (SVK).
Departure immediately in the lead of Maria Czakova (SVK) with the first 1,000m in 4:19.0.
It is immediately clear that it will no longer be reached and that the battle will only concern the place of honor for which, in addition to Hana Burzalova (SVK), the young Alzbeta Ragasova (SVK) sheds light. It will be the latter in the last two laps to make her the silver of the day.
Victory to Maria Czakova (SVK) in 13:20.60
Second place to Alzbeta Ragasova (SVK) in 14:12.06 in front of Hana Burzalova (SVK) in 14:24.10.