Next Saturday in Ostia (ITA), barring last-minute government decisions to the contrary, the Italian Championship of the 50km for men and 35km for women will finally be held.
It was initially scheduled for March 1, 2020 in Bergamo, but the outbreak of the pandemic had caused it to be moved to December 6, 2020 in the new headquarters of the tourist port of Ostia, for the organization of the Lazio Regional Committee of Fidal, together with the Group sporting Fiamme Gialle of Ostia and Vatican Athletics.
The second wave of the pandemic had recommended a further move to January 23, 2021 with the result that it will be the championships of 2021.
The course
A completely flat 2km circuit on the shore of the Tyrrhenian Sea will be the setting for this Championship which for the occasion will also be open to international athletes who will compete for the entry standar to Tokyo Olympic Games.
Judges team
The judging team will consist of three international judges (as required by the World Athletics rules for the validation of entry standard) and four other national judges with proven experience.
Among the international judges we remember the names of José Dias of Portugal who this year in Tokyo will cross the finish line of his fourth participation in the Olympic Games and of Dolores Rojas of Spain (this year at her third Olympics after Athens and London) bur knows as the volcanic organizer of Cantones de La Coruna.
Entered athletes
35km women
The star is Eleonora Anna Giorgi, bronze medalist at the Doha 2019 World Championships on the 50km, which is presented with an accreditation on the 35km of 2:43:43 obtained on 20.1.2020 in Grosseto and which represents the best world performance on the distance of past season.
The outsiders are Lidia Barcella, Federica Curiazzi and Beatrice Foresti.
| Bib | Athlete | YoB | Cat. | Club | Acrredit |
| 801 | GIORGI Eleonora Anna | 1989 | SF | RM002 G.S. FIAMME AZZURRE | 2h43:43 |
| 802 | BARCELLA Lidia | 1997 | SF | MI221 BRACCO ATLETICA | 2h58:44 |
| 803 | CURIAZZI Federica | 1992 | SF | BG003 ATL. BERGAMO 1959 ORIOCENTER | 3h10:09 |
| 804 | FORESTI Beatrice | 1998 | SF | BG003 ATL. BERGAMO 1959 ORIOCENTER | 3h11:14 |
| 806 | RUSSO Annalisa | 1998 | SF | TN104 GS VALSUGANA TRENTINO | |
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50km men
It is the most interesting competition for the selection of the three participants in the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Nine Italian athletes are entered only.
Among the nine Italian athletes at least five have the potential to win and at least seven to obtain the pass for participation in the Olympic Games.
It will truly be a very interesting race to follow both from a technical and a strategy point of view.
The presence of foreign athletes is interesting, some of which may also be winners of the test:
- Berdeja Cristian David (MEX): personal best of 3:50:19 of 2015
- Vega Ortiz Jesus Tadeo (MEX): personal best of 4:04:49 of 2019
- Salazar Julio cesar (MEX): personal best of 3:52:30 of 2017
- Papamichail Alexandros (GRE): personal best of 3:49:56 of 2012
- Erent Bruno (CRO): personal best of 4:05:02 of 2019
| Bib | Athlete | YoB | Cat. | Club |
| 10 | BERDEJA VILLAVICENCIO D (I) | 1981 | SM | MESSI MESSICO |
| 16 | SALAZAR ENRIQUEZ Julio (I) | 1993 | SM | MESSI MESSICO |
| 15 | VEGA ORTIZ Jesus Tadeo (I) | 1994 | SM | MESSI MESSICO |
| 13 | PAPAMICHAIL Alexandros (I) | 1988 | SM | GRECI GRECIA |
| 12 | ERENT Bruno (I) | 1990 | SM | CROAZ CROAZIA |
| 11 | AGRUSTI Andrea | 1995 | SM | RM056 G.A. FIAMME GIALLE |
| 2 | CAPORASO Teodorico | 1987 | SM | RM053 C.S. AERONAUTICA MILITARE |
| 9 | DE LUCA Marco | 1981 | SM40 | RM056 G.A. FIAMME GIALLE |
| 18 | COPPINI Niccolo' | 1997 | SM | FI002 ATLETICA FIRENZE MARATHON S.S. |
| 7 | ANTONELLI Michele | 1994 | SM | RM053 C.S. AERONAUTICA MILITARE |
| 6 | MONTOLEONE Luca | 1990 | SM | BO007 S.E.F. VIRTUS EMILSIDER BO |
| 5 | DEI TOS Leonardo | 1992 | SM | BZ066 ATHLETIC CLUB 96 ALPERIA |
| 4 | MICHELETTI Juriy | 1998 | SM | BG003 ATL. BERGAMO 1959 ORIOCENTER |
| 3 | GIUPPONI Matteo | 1988 | SM | BO011 C.S. CARABINIERI SEZ. ATLETICA |
| 8 | CHIESA Stefano | 1996 | SM | BO011 C.S. CARABINIERI SEZ. ATLETICA |
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20km men
It is the men's race with the highest number of entries (35) and is also valid as the 20km Individual Italian Championship.
There are four athletes who should compete for the title of Italian Champion and the relative medals of lesser value:
- Giorgio Rubino (personal best 1:19:37 dating back to 2009)
- Federico Tontodonati (personal best 1:21:20 dating back to 2019)
- Francesco Fortunato (personal best 1:22:01 dating back to 2017)
- Riccardo Orsoni (personal best 1:28:17 dating back to 2019 from U20) silver medal at the U23 European Championships on 10,000m track walk in Boras (SWE)
Marc Tur Pico (ESP) on the other hand, with a personal best of 3:54:51 in 2019 on the 50km and a personal best of 1:22:26 in 2014 on the 20km, opted instead for his participation in the 20km.
For the U20s it will also be valid as Italian road championship
20km women
With 43 registered athletes it is the race with the most participants.
A cut above the others we see Valentina Trapletti who in the last season achieved a mark of 1:32:05, but who boasts a personal best of 1:29:57 obtained at the 2018 European Championships in Berlin.
For the medals we see with interest Mariavittoria Becchetti (personal best of 1:34:01 dating back to 2016) who has been dedicating herself to the longest distance for a couple of years, but who wants to try the 20km again at least once.
And with equal interest we see Nicole Colombi even if rumors of her environment give her as a non-starter due to a physical problem.
Also interesting should be the battle between Sara Vitiello and Simona Bertini whose goal is that of the medal.
Ivana Renic (CRO) is also registered, boasting a personal best of 1:34:48 on the 20km
For the U20s it will also be valid as Italian road championship
10km men
One name above all, Diego Giampaolo, who in one of the last races of the 2020 season in Modena (ITA) stopped the clock in 10km road walk in 44:12
10km women
Here too one name above all, Verdiana Casciotti, who in the last race of the 2020 season in Grottammare (ITA) stopped the click in 10km road walk in 53:19