Tags:
The fifth edition of the European Athletics U18 Championships will be held on Italian soil in Rieti, a town which has played host to many significant competitions over the years including the famous RietiMeeting, in which eight world records have been set, as well as the 2013 European Athletics U20 Championships.
From July 16-19, 2026, at the Raul Guidobaldi Stadium, the best young athletes from all over Europe will come together for an event that promises to be truly spectacular!
Race walking events are scheduled as following:
– Day 3 (Saturday Jul. 18, 2026): at 9:05 the final of 5.000m track race walk U18 boys
– Day 4 (Sunday Jul. 19, 2026): at 9:00 the final of 5.000m track race walk U18 girls
The Jury
Chief Judge: Mara Baleani (ITA) – Gold Level
Judge: Luis Maroto Escudero (ESP) – Gold Level
Judge: Shaun Gallagher (ITA) – Gold Level
Judge: Iris Harish (ISR) – Silver Level
Judge: Markku Ruonavaara (FIN) – Silver Level
Judge: Davide Bandieramonte (ITA) – Silver Level
Final of 5.000m track race walk U18 boys
Nineteen boys at the start representing following Countries: CRO (1), ESP (2), FIN (1), FRA (2), GER (2), HUN (1), IRL (1), ITA (2), POR (2), ROU (1), TUR (2), UKR (2). The only athlete with a personal/season best under 20:00.00 is Gabriel Gonzalez (ESP – 19:57.58) and four more athletes entered with a personal/season best under 21:00.00. They are Vitalii Tarasiuk (UKR – 20:41:12), Marcos Lopez (ESP – 20:31.29), Patrik Pivarski (CRO – 20:24.43) and Muhammed Emir Isik (TUR – 20:38.05).
Report of the race
If there was any doubt about who would stand on the top step of the podium, it was immediately dispelled by the turn to the 1,000m.
Gabriel Gonzalez (ESP) was firmly in command in 3:58.7, already 10.9 seconds ahead of Davide Sorressa (ITA – 4:09.6).
The next turn to the 2,000m saw the Spanish champion still firmly in command in 8:03.0 (with a turn to the second 1,000m in 4:04.3), while the Italian champion passed in 8:21.7 (with a turn to the second 1,000m in 4:12.1), his gap to the leader increasing to 18.7 seconds.
At 3,000m, Gonzalez passed in 12:14.8 (with a third-place finish at 1,000m in 4:11.8), while Sorressa slipped to fourth (12:36.1).
Second place now belongs to another Spaniard, Marcoz Lopez (ESP), in 12:34.7 (4:10.5 – 8:22.8 – 12:34.7), followed by Patrik Pivarski (CRO) in 12:35.8 (4:105 – 8:23.5 – 12:35.8), 19.9 seconds and 21.0 seconds behind the leader, respectively.
During the fourth kilometer, Gabriel Gonzalez continued his pace and excellent technique. His 4,000m split time was 16:29.0 (with a third-km split in 4:11.8). Matteo Henault (FRA – 16:41.1) moved into second place, while Sorressa (16:44.0) and Pivarski (16:44.8) finished third and fourth, respectively. The battle for the podium heats up.
In the final 1,000m, Gabriel Gonzalez is unstoppable, completing a final 1,000m walk in 4:04.76 to easily win the gold medal.
The battle for silver is decided in the final meters of the race.
With 100m to go, Patrik Pivarski (20:19.2) is still ahead of Davide Sorressa (20:19.7), who makes a final effort and passes him on the home straight.
Silver went to the Italian in 20:40.16 (a new personal best) and bronze to the Croatian (20:40.66).
Riccardo Rabai (ITA) finished fourth in 20:43.22, while Matteo Henault (FRA) gradually lost ground after the fourth kilometer and had to settle for fifth place in 20:56.62, which still represents his new personal best.
Photo Gallery by Francesco Grana/Fidal and RFEA
