25/03/2021   Huangshan (CHN): The fastest 20km men in history






 

 

A star race was held in Huangshan, in the Anhui region. The weather conditions perfect with 10 degrees at the start and the rain that stopped falling half an hour before the start helped to achieve these great results.
 
 
The 1.000m course (500 go & back, with two large turning points) has been the traditional one of Huangshan for about ten years now.
When a 50km (or 35km) is turned the course cecame 2,000m (1,000m go and 1,000m back). The attention to the width of the two sectors of the carriageway (the forward one and the return one) is almost maniacal by local measurers.
 
And we come to our race.
 
Certainly the dominator was Wang Kaihua, but both Zhang Jun and Cai Zelin, and also the surprise of the day, Cui Lihong (born in 1999) fought hard, remaining for most of the race (about 17 km) In the wake of the leader of the province of Guandong (separated by about ten seconds).
The third place and the final time of the young man, born in 1998, Zhang Jun (who we remember silver at the U18 World Cup in Cali, COL behind Shirobokov, RUS) are not a surprise.
 
 

 

 

 
The Junnan boy, who certainly can be considered the rising star of China's firmament, had already shown in the December races that he had improved considerably. He had won the 15km in the time of 57:10, beating Wang Kaihua himself and had arrived shoulder to shoulder with the Olympic champion Chen Ding in the 10km ended in 38:17. The final time of 1:17:39 means for him a 2:38 improvement on personnel (1:20:17) which was established in Nomi, JPN on 17.3.2019.
 
 

 
 
 
Already immediately after the race we had sensed that the final times would place the Huangshan race in first place as overall the fastest competition ever.
We wanted to better analyze the results.
 
One athlete under 1:17:00; three athletes under 1:18:00; three athletes under 1:19:00; an another one athlete under 1:20:00 makes a total of eight athletes under the barrier of 4:00/km.
Moreover, twelve athletes under 1:21:00; eight under 1:22:00 and fourteen under 1:23:00.
In total 42 athletes under 1:23:00.
Impressive numbers for an ever-growing movement with good-value athletes.
With these results, the Chinese nation has responded to the great Japanese marks and has also approached the Japanese nation qualitatively even if, probably, the latter as top athletes is still slightly ahead.
 
Below is the world season list updated to date
 
 

  Mark Competitor Nat Venue Date
1:16:54 Kaihua WANG CHNCHN Huangshan (CHN) 20 MAR 2021
1:17:20 Toshikazu YAMANISHI JPNJPN Kobe (JPN) 21 FEB 2021
1:17:39 Zelin CAI CHNCHN Huangshan (CHN) 20 MAR 2021
1:17:39 Jun ZHANG CHNCHN Huangshan (CHN) 20 MAR 2021
1:17:52 Lihong CUI CHNCHN Huangshan (CHN) 20 MAR 2021
1:18:04 Eiki TAKAHASHI JPNJPN Kobe (JPN) 21 FEB 2021
1:18:04 Shuai SUN CHNCHN Huangshan (CHN) 20 MAR 2021
1:18:42 Salih KORKMAZ TURTUR Antalya (TUR) 06 MAR 2021
1:18:44 Hao XU CHNCHN Huangshan (CHN) 20 MAR 2021
10  1:18:45 Vasiliy MIZINOV RUSRUS Sochi (RUS) 19 FEB 2021
10  1:18:45 Koki IKEDA JPNJPN Kobe (JPN) 21 FEB 2021
10  1:18:45 Perseus KARLSTRÖM SWESWE Murcia (ESP) 14 MAR 2021
13  1:18:59 Yao ZHANG CHNCHN Huangshan (CHN) 20 MAR 2021
14  1:19:23 Sergey SHIROBOKOV RUSRUS Sochi (RUS) 19 FEB 2021
15  1:19:29 Eduard ZABUZHENKO UKRUKR Antalya (TUR) 06 MAR 2021
16  1:19:33 Wenchao NIU CHNCHN Huangshan (CHN) 20 MAR 2021
17  1:19:40 Diego GARCÍA ESPESP Murcia (ESP) 14 MAR 2021
18  1:19:54 Luis Alberto AMEZCUA ESPESP Murcia (ESP) 14 MAR 2021
18  1:19:54 Andres Eduardo OLIVAS NÚÑEZ MEXMEX Dudince (SVK) 20 MAR 2021
20  1:20:02 Satoshi MARUO JPNJPN Kobe (JPN) 21 FEB 2021

 

 

The men's 20km race at the Olympics in Sapporo will almost certainly be the hardest fought and the one with the most difficult predictions.
In addition to the Chinese / Japanese duel, other athletes are able to enter this contest.
We mention some of the best known:
- Salih Kormaz (TUR) improved this year at 1:18:42;
- the two Russians Vasiliy Mizinov and Sergey Shirobokov (assuming they are allowed to compete with ANA status)
- the Swedish Perseus Karlström (this year 1:18:45), who hardly loses a few races and when he loses it he always wins the medal
- Eider Arevalo (COL) a bit below his standard at the beginning of this season, the Colombian, but we are sure that, like Jefferson Perez in the past, he wold be always in perfect shape at the critical moment of the season
- the Spanish, first of all that Diego Garcia (this year 1:19:40), are certainly able to do well.
Presumably it will also be a very difficult race to judge technically, but we leave this to the proven experience of the Tokyo 2020 jury.
 
Speaking of technique, the Huangshan competition left some perplexity on the severity of the jury. Some coaches on the field informed us that, certainly nothing can be said about the walking technique of the first classified, Wang Kaihua and of the third, Zhang Jun (and in the meantime, believe us, this is already a good thing).
Some doubts have highlighted the technique of the Olympic vice-champion Cai Zelin, already with 2 red cards before the 5km and then author of a very close comeback. Even the fourth classified, Cui Lihong was not blameless and he would have deserved some red card too.
In the final, then, given the large number of athletes fighting for a position very close to each other, there was a bit too much permissiveness.
However, this does not detract from the great absolute value of the race.
 
To better highlight the high quality of the competition, here are some examples (first 8) of as many very fast races held around the world in recent years and, at the end, the comparison between Suzuki's race in Nomi on 15 March 2015 and Wang's one. Kaihua on March 20, 2021.
 
 
The 5 races with the fastest average (of first 8)  (time under  1:19:00)

 

 

Huangshang = March 20, 2021 = Average = 1:18:10 

 

1) Wang Kaihua = 1:16:54

2) Cai Zelin = 1:17:39

3) Zhang Jun = 1:17:39

4) Cui Lihong = 1:17:52

5) Sun Shuai = 1:18:04

6) Xu Hao = 1:18:44

7) Zhang Yao = 1:18:59

8) Niu Wenchao = 1:19:33

 

 

La Coruna = June 18, 2019 = Average = 1:18:14 

 

1) Toshikazu Yamanishi = 1:17:41

2) Massimo Stano = 1:17:45

3) Jusuke Suzuki = 1:17:54

4) Perseus Karlström = 1:18:07

5) Vasiliy Mizinov = 1:18:41

6) Christopher Linke = 1:18:42

7) Caio Bonfim = 1:18:47

8) Diego Garcia = 1:18:58

 

 

Kobe = February 18, 2018 = Average = 1:18:34 

 

1) Eiki Takahashi = 1:17:26

2) Toshikazu Yamanishi = 1:17:41

3) Daisuke Matsunaga 1:17:46 

4) Koki Ikeda = 1:19:13

5) Isamu Fujisawa = 1:19:15

6) Fumitaka Oikawa = 1:19:17

7) Irooki Arai = 1:19:19

8) Masatora Kawano = 1:19:52

 

 

Nomi = March 17, 2019 = Average = 1:18:35

 

1) Toshikazu Yamanishi = 1:17:15

2) Masatora Kawano = 1:17:24

3) Koki Ikeda = 1:17:25

4) Yusuke Suzuki = 1:17:47

5) Isamu Fujisawa = 1:17:52

6) Zhang Jun = 1:20:17

7) Rhydian Cowley = 1:20:19

8) Georgiy Sheiko = 1:20:21

 

 

Paris = August 23, 2003 =  Average = 1:18:52

 

1) Jefferson Pérez = 1:17:21

2) Francisco Fernández = 1:18:00

3) Roman Rasskazov = 1:18:08

4) Noé Hernández = 1:18:14

5) Luke Adams = 1:19:35

6) Ivan Trotski = 1:19:40

7) David Márquez = 1:19:46

8) Ilya Markov = 1:20:14 

 

 

 

 

The contest between Yusuke Suzuki (JPN) in Nomi 2015 compared with Wang Kaihua in Huangshan 2021

 
 
 

 

 

Yusuke Suzuki

(1:16:36)

Wang Kaihua

(1:16:54)

     
5km

19:04

19:22

10km

38:06 (19:02)

38:40 (19:08)

15km

57:15 (19:09)

57:15 (19:09)

ultimi 5 km

19:21

19:21

 

 

The 18" difference accumulated in the first 10km: 38:06 for Suzuki, 38:40 for Wang who finished the race faster (38:32 for the Japanese; 38:14 for the Chinese).

 

 

And finally, below you will find the top 30 athletes on the "all time" list on the 20km walk

 

 

  Mark Competitor Nat Venue Date
1:16:36 Yusuke SUZUKI JPNJPN Nomi (JPN) 15 MAR 2015
1:16:43 Sergey MOROZOV RUSRUS Saransk (RUS) 08 JUN 2008
1:16:54 Kaihua WANG CHNCHN Huangshan (CHN) 20 MAR 2021
1:17:02 Yohann DINIZ FRAFRA Arles (FRA) 08 MAR 2015
1:17:15 Toshikazu YAMANISHI JPNJPN Nomi (JPN) 17 MAR 2019
1:17:16 Vladimir KANAYKIN RUSRUS Saransk (RUS) 29 SEP 2007
1:17:21 Jefferson PÉREZ ECUECU Paris-St-Denis (FRA) 23 AUG 2003
1:17:22 Francisco FERNÁNDEZ ESPESP Turku (FIN) 28 APR 2002
1:17:23 Vladimir STANKIN RUSRUS Adler, Sochi (RUS) 08 FEB 2004
10  1:17:24 Masatora KAWANO JPNJPN Nomi (JPN) 17 MAR 2019
11  1:17:25 Sergey SHIROBOKOV RUSRUS Cheboksary (RUS) 09 JUN 2018
11  1:17:25 Koki IKEDA JPNJPN Nomi (JPN) 17 MAR 2019
13  1:17:26 Eiki TAKAHASHI JPNJPN Kobe (JPN) 18 FEB 2018
14  1:17:33 Nathan DEAKES AUSAUS Cixi City (CHN) 23 APR 2005
15  1:17:36 Zhen WANG CHNCHN Taicang (CHN) 30 MAR 2012
16  1:17:38 Valeriy BORCHIN RUSRUS Adler, Sochi (RUS) 28 FEB 2009
17  1:17:39 Zelin CAI CHNCHN Huangshan (CHN) 20 MAR 2021
17  1:17:39 Jun ZHANG CHNCHN Huangshan (CHN) 20 MAR 2021
19  1:17:40 Ding CHEN CHNCHN Taicang (CHN) 30 MAR 2012
20  1:17:41 Hongjun ZHU CHNCHN Cixi City (CHN) 23 APR 2005
21  1:17:45 Massimo STANO ITAITA La Coruña (ESP) 08 JUN 2019
22  1:17:46 Julio MARTÍNEZ GUAGUA Eisenhüttenstadt (GER) 08 MAY 1999
22  1:17:46 Daisuke MATSUNAGA JPNJPN Kobe (JPN) 18 FEB 2018
24  1:17:52 Isamu FUJISAWA JPNJPN Nomi (JPN) 17 MAR 2019
24  1:17:52 Lihong CUI CHNCHN Huangshan (CHN) 20 MAR 2021
26  1:17:53 Zhide CUI CHNCHN Cixi City (CHN) 23 APR 2005
27  1:17:56 Alejandro LÓPEZ MEXMEX Eisenhüttenstadt (GER) 08 MAY 1999
28  1:18:04 Shuai SUN CHNCHN Huangshan (CHN) 20 MAR 2021
29  1:18:06 Viktor BURAYEV RUSRUS Adler, Sochi (RUS) 04 MAR 2001
29  1:18:06 Vladimir PARVATKIN RUSRUS Sochi (RUS) 12 MAR 2005