It is already time to return to the walking races at the stadium of Tallin (EST) which hosts the U20 European Championships from Thursday 15 July to Sunday 18 July.
The first final scheduled is the women's 10.000m track walk which starts at 19.30 (18:30 CET) on the first day of competition.
10.000m track walk U20 women
Let's start with the European list on the distance of the first ten athletes in the following table.
The list, however, does not take into account the performances of the two Russian athletes recently admitted to compete as Authorized Neutral Athlete as the results they obtained were prior to the decision of World Athletics.
There are two athletes who boast the best accreditation times: Valeriya Sholomitska (UKR) with her 46:20.91 established in Lvov (UKR) in 20.5.2021 and Yuliya Khalilova (ANA) with her 46:43.95 established in Cheboksary (RUS) on 3.8.2019.
The gap with the third best time of entries for Sholomitska exceeds 1:30, while for Khalilova it is about 1:20.
We will probably see, judges permitting, a fight between the two indicated and Eliska Martinkova (CZE), with the Portuguese (Ines Mendes, Adriana Viveiros and Bruna Marques) and the Italians (Anita Laiolo, Vittoria Di Dato and Martina Casiraghi) to play the other placings up to eighth.
Report of the race
There are 31 at the start and the pack remains with a large number of athletes for several laps.
As soon as around 3,800m on a forced by Yuliya Khalilova we begin to thin out.
- at 5.000m
Three are the leaders: Eliska Martinkova, Yekaterina Petrova and Yuliya Khalilova (23:22:06), followed 2 seconds by Martina Casiraghi. On the other hand, the main favorite Valeriya Sholomitska (UKR) (23:29:17) loses ground and is defending fifth position from Maele Biré-Heslouis (FRA) (23: 32.97)
- from 5.000m to 10.000m
The French catches and passes the Ukrainian before 6,000m and goes to undermine the Italian Martina Casiraghi.
On the technical front Eliska Martinkova (CZE) already has two red cards against her, while the two Russians have none.
Maele Biré-Heslouis (FRA) also overtakes Martina Casiraghi (ITA) just before 7,000m.
At the 7,000m crossing this is the order:
- Eliska Martinkova (32:25.51)
- Yuliya Khalilova (32:33:29)
- Yekaterina Petrova (32:37:27)
- Maele Biré-Heslouis (32:44.04)
- Martina Casiraghi (32:50.87)
The situation appears to have crystallized even at 8,000m.
- Eliska Martinkova (37:03.57)
- Yuliya Khalilova (37:10.53)
- Yekaterina Petrova (37:17.85)
- Maele Biré-Heslouis (37:19.88)
- Martina Casiraghi (37:37.92)
Immediately after the 8.000m Yuliya Khalilova reaches and overtakes Eliska Martinkova who, however, resists.
Yuliya Khalilova (ANA) (photo by Getty Images)
At 9.000m the situation is the following:
- Eliska Martinkova (41:49.06)
- Yuliya Khalilova (41:49.33)
- Maele Biré-Heslouis (41:57.83) who in the meantime has reached and overtaken Yekaterina Petrova who is now burdened by two red cards. Martina Casiraghi is always fifth in turn burdened by a red card.
Yuliya Khalilova overtakes Eliska Martinkova just before the bell and goes towards a well-deserved victory, but she too has to watch out for a jury ruling (1 red card).
Victory to Yuliya Khalilova (ANA) in 46:14.21 best European U20 seasonal time
Second place to Eliska Martinkova (CZE) in 46:23.74 new personal best
Third place went to Maele Biré-Heslouis (FRA) in 46:32.84 new personal best
Fourth place to Yekaterina Petrova (ANA) in 46:43.85
Fifth place to Martina Casiraghi (ITA) in 47:08.27
Sixth place to Valeriya Sholomitska (UKR) in 47:49.98
The pack shortly after the start (photo by Tobiad Lackner for Fidal)