The two walking races took place on the first day of the indoor U18 Italian National Championships in Ancona.
3.000m indoor walk U18 girls
A group composed of Giada Traina, Giulia Gabriele and Verdiana Casciotti immediately takes the lead.
The passage to 1,000m sees in the head Traina, followed by Gabriele and Casciotti in 4:49.1
Immediately after, Giada Traina and Giulia Gabriele force their pace to take a few meters off the others who are led by Sofia Fiorini, while Verdiana Casciotti is now in 5th position
At 2,000m Traina and Gabriele pass in 9:28.4 (4:39.3) and immediately after Traina forces the pace. Gabriele seems to give up but then reacts.
When there are two laps to go Traina gains about 8 meters on Gabriele and the battle for the title is over, with the last 1,000m covered in 4:43.24.
Victory to Giada Traina (ITA) in 14:11.64 new personal best (previous of 14:28.02 obtained in Ancona, ITA on 15.2.2020)
Second place to Giulia Gabriele (ITA) in 14:17.00 new personal best (broken the previous of 15: 07.35 obtained in Padua, ITA on 6.2.2021)
Third place in Sofia Giovannini (ITA) in 14:40.76 also for her new personal best (previous of 15: 08.27 obtained in Ancona, ITA on 15.2.2020)
5.000m indoor walk U18 boys
Race of a completely different dimentional, in which it was never questioned that the victory could not smile at the favorite of the eve, that Diego Giampaolo, who is practically dominating the activity of the season's U18.
The athlete of the Fiamme Gialle Simoni has been unbeaten since 18.10.2020, when, in Modena, he had to succumb to Emiliano Brigante (on the 10km outdoor) this year passed in U20 category.
Moreover this year in the storm of Ostia (ITA) he managed to get the time of 46:53 on 10km that many technicians rated better than him over the Modena distance of 44:12.
In today's race he was always in tension from the beginning looking for a result more than anything else even if the only opponent able to worry him (his teammate Ivan Giangaspero) finished almost 1:30 behind and in any case doubled.
These are his split times:
- 1,000m: 4:20.3
- 2.000m: 8:46.4 (4:26.1)
- 3.000m: 13:13.3 (4:26.9)
- 4.000m: 17:46.8 (4.33.5)
- last 1,000m in 4:17.89
Vicotry to Diego Giampaolo (ITA) in 22:04.69
Second place to Ivan Giangaspero (ITA) in 23:31.45 who wins the silver with only 3/100 advantage over the third.
Third place to Giorgio Lauria (ITA) in 23:31.48.
(Photos by FIDAL GRANA/FIDAL)