A beautiful sunny day was the corollary to the now classic end-of-season race walk in Italy.
35km men
“Few, but good” are used to saying in Italy, and in fact there were few at the start (10 athletes) but the performances obtained were of an excellent level.
Particular attention deserves the winner, Michele Antonelli (ITA), not new to performances of this kind who won the title of Italian Champion in 2:33:40 new personal best (previous of 2:38:33 obtained in Grosseto, ITA on 28/01/2018)
It would have been the third European distance performance of the season, were it not for the fact that a few hours earlier for time zone reasons, in Ivano-Frankivsk (UKR) Nazar Kovalenko had won the Ukrainian Championship in 2:33:17.
For Antonelli a race always in the lead.
But it wasn't just Antonelli's excellent performance that livened up the day.
In second place ends a strong-willed Stefano Chiesa (ITA) author of a comeback race in 3:36:39. Also for him this result represents the new personal best (previous of 2:39:08 obtained in Grosseto, ITA on 28.1.2018) and finally a race from a technical point of view accepted by the jury.
In third place Gianluca Picchiottino (ITA) in his first experience in a 35km scores an excellent 2:37:32.
The young Aldo Andrei (ITA), also at his first 35km, is fourth ending in 2:38:13 and wins the title of Italian U23 Champion
Fifth place to Riccardo Orsoni (ITA) also at his first 35km which ends in 2:38:45
It seems that in Italy the long wave of the results of Sapporo is also lapping the shores of the long-distance events. In fact, it is not every day to see five results like the ones mentioned above. In the 2020 season only one athlete had done better than today's fifth (Federico Tontodonati in 2:34:55), while in 2019 the future Olympic Champion of Sapporo, Massimo Stano was unable to do better than 2:35:03.
Below the updated European seasonal list of the 35km (first 10 athletes)
20km men - Club Championship
Ten athletes at the start.
Peaceful victory for Davide Finocchietti (ITA) in 1:28:34 which ends almost 3 minutes from his personal best of 1:25:41 obtained in Podebrady (CZE) on 16.5.2021
The only athlete who could have worried him based on the accreditation time, Ettore Grillo (ITA), suffered another disqualification, giving the green light to the young athlete from Livorno.
Second place to Mattia Braggio (ITA) in 1:32:28
Third place in Afrim Memolla (ITA) in 1:33:06
20km women - Club Championship
Nineteen athletes at the start.
Resounding victory for Nicole Colombi (ITA) in 1:30:24 which establishes the new personal best (previous of 1:32:26 obtained in La Coruna, ESP on 5.6.2021)
Second place to Lidia Barcella (ITA) in 1:37:03
Third place to Sara Vitiello (ITA) in 1:38:43
20km U20 men - Club Championship
Eighteen athletes at the start.
Victory on the limit of seconds for Daniele Breda (ITA) in 1:32:21 who, however, is burdened by three red cards and therefore penalized by 120 seconds. Last season on the same course he obtained (25 October 2020) what is up now his personal best of 1:31:38.
With four seconds delay Nicola Lomuscio (ITA) take the second place in 1:32:25 new personal best (previous of 1:34:42 obtained in Ostia nil 23.1.2021)
Third place to Francesco Benvenuto (ITA) in 1:33:00 new personal best (previous of 1:43:22 obtained in Ostia on 23.1.2021)
15km U20 women - Club Championship
Twenty-two athletes at the start.
Victory to Martina Casiraghi (ITA) in 1:13:19 with the new personal best on distance. Last year on the same course he had achieved a time of 1:17:23.
The young athlete from Bergamo can be very happy of this season which ends with an improvement of 4:04 on 15km after the one obtained in Estonia in Tallin on July 15 of 2:15.87 on 10,000m track walk.
Second place to Alexandrina Mihai (ITA) in 1:16:09
Third place to Martina Quartararo (ITA) in 1:17:11
10km U18 boys - Club Championship
Thirty-five athletes at the start.
Victory to Diego Giampaolo (ITA) in 45:45
Second place to Salvatore Manera (ITA) in 46:47
Third place to Giorgio Lauria (ITA) in 47:21
10km U18 girls - Club Championship
Thirty athletes at the start.
Victory to Giada Traina (ITA) in 48:47
Second place to Giulia Gabriele (ITA) in 50:24
Third place to Sofia Fiorini (ITA) in 51:42