Race walkers in action (© Getty Images)
There’s a strong chance that China could sweep the medals in the U20 women’s 10km at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships Muscat 22 on 4-5 March, such is the strength of their team.
Jiang Jinyan was the fastest U20 race walker in the world last year, clocking 43:20 to win the national U20 title in Huangshan. Later in the year, however, at the National Games, she was beaten by namesake Jiang Yunyan, 44:25 to 44:33. Gangla Meiduo is the other Chinese entrant, and her 44:10 PB suggests that she too will be a factor in Muscat.
Jiang Jinyan is the only one of the three to have raced this year. She made her 20km debut in Nanjing earlier this year and recorded an impressive 1:30:52.
Valeriya Sholomitska, the sole Ukrainian entrant in Muscat, placed highly at both of the major events she contested last year, finishing fourth at the World U20 Championships in Nairobi and sixth at the European U20 Championships in Tallinn. Her recent preparations will, of course, have been affected by the situation in her home country, but she has the talent to be among the top contenders again in Muscat.
Olivia Sandery has dominated the Australian U20 race walking scene this year, clocking 45:24.1 on the track and 46:35 on the roads. She’ll be hoping to make an impact in what will be her first race outside of Australia.
Other contenders include Finland’s Heta Veikkola, Elvina Carre of France, Yaquelin Teletor Jeronimo of Guatemala, and Lucia Redondo of Spain.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics
