Sergey Kirdyapkin of Russia in the 50km Race Walk in Helsinki in 2005 (© Getty Images)
Helsinki, FinlandSergey Kirdyapkin after his 50km Race Walk win at the 10th IAAF World Championships in Athletics commented, “I love to walk. I can just walk and walk for hours around the city.”
The 25-year-old was referring to his adopted hometown of Saransk, Russia, but he could have just as easily been describing his tour of the Finnish capital during his commanding win. After breaking from compatriot Aleksey Voyevodin just past the midway point, he cruised to a 3:41:25 victory, the largest victory margin ever at a World championship.
Despite the huge gap he created on the runner-up, Kirdyapkin said he didn’t expect to succeed three-time World and Olympic champion Robert Korzeniowski.
“Actually, I’m completely surprised with the victory,’ he said after a performance that fell just shy of his personal best. “I don’t think that I performed with some super, super performance. But I was just preparing for the result that I showed today.”
He began preparing just five years ago, a relatively short period in which to rise to the top of event.
The chemistry turns middle distance runner to race walker
A self-described recreational athletes in his youth, Kirdyapkin moved from his native Insar to Saransk, the sprawling capital of the Russian state of Mordavia in 1997 to pursue a degree in chemistry at the local university. It wasn’t until he graduated in 2000 that he began training for the grueling walk event. Prior to then, he said, he was an 800 and 1500m runner. But not a very good one.
“I didn’t really have any good results,” he admitted, refusing to reveal his personal bests. “I was more of an amateur runner. My coach suggested that I make the change to the walk to see what would happen.” Apparently, it wasn’t a bad decision.
He is coached by Viktor Chogin Mikhailovich, himself a former walker, who Kirdyapkin said, “never produced good results.” But he has produced a World champion.
“We had a plan with my coach to keep a very even pace here, both in the beginning of the race and at the end of the race.” It was a simple plan, and one that worked exceptionally well.
Would be writer
Kirdyapkin trains with a larger group of walkers in Saransk, logging between 600 and 800 kilometres monthly. In his spare time he reads lots of books, mostly Russian classics. He himself doesn’t write, but might give it a shot someday. “Who knows, maybe one day I’ll try.”
Before he gets carried away with any literary aspirations, Kirdyapkin will stick with his athletics career now that he has claimed his first international title. With enough support from the Mordavian state government, Kirdyapkin said he can give his undivided attention to his life, and now, hopefully his career, as a professional athlete.
Kirdyapkin said he’s not sure how others in Saransk, or in his hometown of Insar will react to his championships, but he promises to remain humble.
“It’s the first time in my life that I’ve achieved such an honour,” he said, “but I don’t think it will change my relationship to other people. I will not be ‘sick’ like some stars.”
Not particularly surprising for someone who prefers the anonymity of roaming his city’s streets. “Even after training, I just love to walk around.”
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
