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Just as they did in 2000, the Russians have shown that they are the fastest in the field in this event. In particular Olimpiada IVANOVA lowered the year’s world best to 1:24:50 at the Russian championships at Adler, and backed that up with a narrow victory over compatriot Natalya FEDOSKINA at the European Cup to claim the two fastest times this year.
However, it is the Chinese who have dominated this new event since it was introduced in 1999. LIU Hongyu won the IAAF World Cup of Race Walking in 1999, and in Edmonton will be defending the world title she claimed in Seville later that same year. A diminutive WANG Liping won the Olympic title after first LIU, then Italy’s Elisabetta PERRONE, and then hometown girl Jane SAVILLE were disqualified while leading. But WANG is not competing in Edmonton, nor is the World Championships silver medallist WANG Yan.
Italian veterans PERRONE and Erica ALFRIDI were, as always, well placed at the European Cup, finishing third and fourth respectively, and in Edmonton will be able to compete again with 40 year-old Kerry SAXBY-JUNNA who will be back for her sixth World Championship campaign. SAXBY-JUNNA was the bronze medallist in 1999, and the silver medallist in 1987, when the race was over 10km.
Portugal’s Susana FEITOR is also a real threat with a personal best this year of 1:27:55. She was disqualified while leading the European Cup, showing that with a little luck she could claim a medal. All of Australia will be hoping that SAVILLE can again find the form that put her in the lead in Sydney at 19.8km before she was so dramatically disqualified in the tunnel of the Olympic Stadium.
