Francisco Javier Fernández en route to his win in La Coruña (© Getty Images)
MonteCarlo A. Lennart Julin and Mirko Jalava review the 2006 competitive highlights that took place in Race Walking.
MEN
20km Race Walk
There only were two fast races during the season. First,16-year-old Li Gaobo won the IAAF Race Walking Challenge competition in his native China clocking the fastest time of the year, 1:18:17, Ilya Markov (RUS), at 34 - 17 years older than Li Gaobo - finished just behind the Chinese in the same race in 1:18:18.
Former World record holder Francisco Javier Fernández (ESP) raced four times during the season winning three races. He won the World Cup in La Coruña and also grabbed the European title in Gothenburg later. He also won the IAAF World Race Walking Challenge
Overall depth went quickly downwards from last year, there were 17 athletes under 1:20, 28 in 2005, 12 in 2004 and 13 in 2004. China is dominating this event with 31 athletes in the world top 100, Russia has 15.
50km Race Walk
Nathan Deakes (AUS) was in the spotlight following his 50km World record at the National Championships in Geelong in December. Other than this result, the year was quite quiet in terms of top results.
The 50km season started with a World junior best of 3:41.10 by 18-year-old Zhao Jianguo (CHN) who won the Asian Championships in Wajima, Japan. The Olympic silver medallist from 2004, Denis Nizhegorodov, won the World Cup in a fast time of 3:38:02. The Russian still holds the fastest ever 50km time 3:35:29 which he recorded in 2004 Russian Championships, but that time was not ratified as a World record as there was no EPO test carried out.
After winning the double over 20/50km walks at the Commonwealth Games in March, Nathan Deakes did not reach top positions in his two international 20km races. He did however break the World record in December with 3:35:47 at the National Championships in Geelong.
At the European Championships Yohan Diniz (FRA) upset the Russian favourites and also Trond Nymark (NOR), who had finished second at the World Cup in a national record of 3:41:30. Diniz won with a personal best of 3:41:39 in Gothenburg followed by Spanish veteran Jesús Ángel García (3:42:48). Some overall depth was lost here too, 11 athletes went under 3:45 this season with 16 in 2005. In 2004 we had 11 and 10 in 2003. China has 16 athletes in the world top 100, France and Russia both have seven.
Race Walking World Ranking
20km Road Walk Performance List
50km Road Walk Performance List
WOMEN
20Km Race Walk
Ryta Turava (BLR) took the final step to the No 1 position in 2006. 4th in the 2004 Olympics and 2nd in the 2005 World Championships, this year she won both the World Cup and the European Championships in convincing fashion leaving the runner-up about one minute behind.
Statistically the patterns looked very familiar in the 2006 World list, i.e. a very strong presence of two nations: Among the top-15 there were eight Russian and four Chinese walkers. In the World Cup Russia occupied positions 2 – 3 – 5 and China 4 – 6.
In the European Championships, however, the Russian statistical depth didn't give the same return: A silver medal (Olga Kaniskina) plus a 17th place must have been a major disappointment.
Romania’s Claudia Stef was the overall winner of the season long IAAF World Race Walking Challenge.