10km U20 Women
The race of the U20 athletes offered the solo of Serena Di Fabio (ITA) who went immediately to the top of the race and maintained the position until the end.
Equally interesting, although with some technical problems detected by the jury, was the race of the other two Italian athletes in the race who accompanied the winner on the podium settling for places of honor: Rebecca D’Alessandro and Francesca Gloria Buselli.
Behind the Italian trio arrived the two Spanish athletes Paula Elvira Moreno and Ana Gonzalez.
Official results:
1.- Serena Di Fabio (ITA): in 43:28
2.- Rebecca D’Alessandro (ITA): in 45:51
3.- Francesca Gloria Buselli (ITA): in 47:14
4.- Paula Elvira Moreno (ESP): in 47:48
5.- Ana Gonzalez (ESP): in 47:55
10km U20 Men
After 5 km a group of four athletes lead the race (21:15). They are: Clément Rabreau (FRA), Lucio Di Lizio (ITA), Gabriel Gonzalez (ESP), Nicolas Collazo (ESP). They are followed by Miguel De Arriba (ESP) in 21:22.
They pass at 3km in 12:56 and at 4km in 17:06.
It is almost always the French athlete who set the pace and the four pass together both at 7km (29:39) and at 8km (33:50). Before the ninth passage Gabriel Gonzalez force the pace ad pass at 9km in 37:51 followed by Clément Rabreau and Lucio Di Lizio (37:55).
In the last lap everything happens.
Gonzalez forces the pace again and flies confidently to victory.
Clément Rabreau pull ahead of Lucio Di Lizio and goes to collect a prestigious second place.
Nicolas Collazo recovers almost 15 meters to Lucio Di Lizio and 500m from the arrival pull ahead of him. The Italian gives up, but the jury DQed Nicolas Collazo so Di Lizio wins the bronze. Fourth place to Joel Peltonen (FIN)
Official results:
1.- Gabriel Gonzalez (ESP): in 41:48
2.- Clément Rabreau (FRA): in 41:55
3.- Lucio Di Lizio (ITA): in 42:05
4.- Joel Peltonen (FIN): in 43:21
5.- Manuel Azzolini (ITA): in 43:28
Half Marathon Race Walk Women
Compact group for the first 5km led by the favorites, Kimberly Garcia Leon (PER), Antonella Palmisano (ITA) and Paula Milena Torres (ECU).
The group thinned out and shortly after the passage at 7.095 Kimberly Garcia Leon and Antonella Palmisano passed in 30:29 with a few meters of advantage over Paula Milena Torres. In the next lap Garcia Leon forces the step and stays a few meters Palmisano. They move on to 8,095: Garcia Leon (34:43), Palmisano (34:48), Torres (34:53). At half race race the situation is as follows: always in the lead Garcia Leon (43:20), followed by Torres (43:27) and Palmisano 43:13). Behind them Lucia Redondo (ESP) broke from the first position of 1:28.
During the 12th lap they change positions at the top of the race. Paula Milena Torres is stopped in the penalty area for 120 seconds; after she will be DQed after the 4thb red card for bent knee.
The passage at 12.095km is as follows: Garcia Leon (51:56), Palmisano (52:21). Redondo follows at 1:54 from the leader while Torres is in fourth place standing by 2:23.
At 13.095km Garcia Leon leads in 56:14 and Palmisano is 32 seconds behind.
At 15.095km Garcia Leon leads in 1:05:01 and Palmisano is 36 seconds behind.
With 4km to go Garcia Leon has a lead of 46 seconds and represents his maximum lead during the race. There is a small recovery of Palmisano in the final part of the race
Official results:
1.- Kimberly Garcia Leon (PER): in 1:31:44
2.- Antonella Palmisano (ITA): in 1:32:21
3.- Lucia Redondo (ESP): in 1:34:22
4.- Lauren Harris (USA): in 1:36:04
5.- Ana Delahaie (FRA): in 1:36:59
Half Marathon Race Walk Men
Compact group at 5,095 km leaded by Andrea Cosi (ITA) and Francesco Fortunato (ITA). The pack include also Declan Tingay (AUS), Leo Kopp (GER), Christoper Linke (GER), Noel Chama (MEX), David Hurtado (ECU), Matteo Giupponi (ITA), Eider Arevalo (COL). Caio Bonfim (BRA) pass 25m behind.
Between 5km and 9km the pace is always set by Andrea Cosi who gains a few meters on other walkers.
The mid-race pass again sees Cosi leading the pack in 40:37.
His lead has been reduced to 1 second and the chasers are always the same athletes more Ivan Lopez (ESP) and Veli-Matti Partanen (FIN). Caio Bonfim is still 13 seconds behind the leader.
At 12.095 the situation changed as shortly before Declan Tingay forced the pace and detached Linke, Cosi and Fortunato of 6 seconds. Behind them Hurtado, Arevalo and Lopez. Bonfim is now 8 seconds off the leader.
After 1:10 of the race Fortunato and Hurtdao force the pace and gains a ten meters on Cosi that was catched by Bonfim.
The next round Hurtado receives the third red card and is stopped in Penalty Zone. Now Bonfim is second, Cosi is third and Linke is fourth.
At the bell Fortunato leads in 1:19:20, Bonfim follows in 1:19:46, Cosi is third in 1:19.54 followed a few meters by Linke.
The last lap is a catwalk for Francesco Fortunato who wins in 1:23:00. Second place to Caio Bonfim in 1:23:40. For the third place Christopher Linke (1:23:46) has the better on Andrea Cosi (1:23:59) who must pay attention and resist the return of Eider Arevalo (1:23:59). Sixth place to Aurelien Quinion (FRA) in 1:24:01
“I couldn’t be happier than that – says Francesco Fortunato – although it was not easy to get here and compete again four weeks from the middle of the team World Championships, but I was focused and had good feelings. I am very happy for my last five kilometers, and very fast. another important win I wasn’t thinking about the European record, some of the strongest were present and now let’s see what happens in the season”. Sensational the change of pace of the Italian that becomes impressive for everyone with two partials of 3:44 in the last and penultimate kilometers, 18:47 in the final five, confirming to be in terrible condition.
(Editors note: From social media we have discovered that the real goal of this season of Fortunato is to participate in the famous Italian television program “Dancing with the stars”, for which he is always ready!)
Fortunato set new Area and Italian Record, Linke, Arevalo and Quinion set new German, Colombian and French National Record. Cosi obtain only the new personal best. What a race !
Full Photo Album (by CAS-Ondrej Plechacek):
