Winter Walking Championships are being held in Sochi (RUS) which are also valid as team championships of Russia.
On Friday, February 19, the road races of the following took place:
- 35km (men and women)
- 20km (men and women)
- 10km (men and women) U20
The day was quite cold (+ 2 ° C) and especially rainy during most races.
35km men
A group of three athletes leading up to 20km: Dementiy Cheparev (RUS), Sergey Rakov (RUS) and Kiril Shutov (RUS)
These are their split times:
- 5km: 22:06
- 10km: 44:11 (22:05)
- 15km: 1:06:15 (22:04)
- 20km: 1:27:55 (21:40)
This last 5km pass produced a jolt, and also in the following 5km Dementiy Cheparev and Sergey Rakov force the pace:
- 25km: the first two in 1:49:28 (21:33)
- 30km: Dementiy Cheparev leads in 2:10:48 on Sergey Rakov by 3 seconds
- last 5km: Dementiy Cheparev forces again and covers the last 5km in 20:39
Victory to Dementiy Cheparev (RUS) in 2:31:27
Second place to Sergey Rakov (RUS) in 2:32:36
Third place to Kiril Shutov (RUS) in 2:35:00
35km women
Two athletes battled for the title from the very beginning: Margarita Nikiforova (RUS) and Elmira Alembekova (RUS).
These are their split times:
- 5km: 23:37
- 10km: 47:03 (23:26)
- 15km: 1:10:10 (23:07)
- 20km: 1:33:43 (23:33)
- 25km: 1:56:55 (23:12)
The two leaders were still together at 25km, but probably the jerk of Margarita Nikiforova left its mark on Elmira Alembekova who lost about twenty seconds.
- 30km: Nikiforova (2:19:50 - 22:45) and Alembekova (2:20:11 - 23:16)
- last 5km: Nikiforova in 23:26 and Alembekova in 24:49
Victory to Margarita Nikiforova (RUS) in 2:43:14 best seasonal performance 2021 (improved 2:44:17 by Maria Perez obtained in Sevilla, ESP last week), but above all best world performance on 35km women (improved the performance of 2 :43:43 by Eleonora Anna Giorgi obtained in Grosseto, ITA on 26.1.2020)
Second place to Elmira Alembekova (RUS) in 2:45:00 personal best
Third place to Anastasia Kalashnikova (RUS) in 2:46:29
20km men
The battle for the victory was between Vasily Mizinov (RUS) and Sergey Shirobokov (RUS)
The two quickly got off Sergey Kozevnikov (RUS) and set the race on a very fast pace.
In the last part of the race Vasily Mizinov forced the pace and led Shirobokov by about 40 seconds.
Victory to Vasily Mizinov (RUS) in 1:18:45
Second place to Sergey Shirobokov (RUS) in 1:19:23
Third place to Sergey Kozevnikov (RUS) in 1:21:20
20km women
The usual race without history, given the presence of Elena Lashmanova (RUS) who won with an excellent time of 1:25:41
Second place to Reyxan Kagramanova (RUS) in 1:26:45
Third place to Elvira Khasanova (RUS) in 1:27:13
10km U20 men
Victory to Maksim Pjanzin (RUS) in 40:05
Second place to Dimitry Gramachkov (RUS) in 40:34
Third place to Maksim Boyko (RUS) in 40:52
10km U20 women
Victory to Elena Sborec (RUS) in 45:29
Second place to Alina Shishkova (RUS) in 46:39
Third place to Julia Xalilova (RUS) in 47:27
(Co-operation by Maris Peterson - RUS)