Olimpiada Ivanova of Russia wins 20km in Miskolc (© Tim Watt)
The Race Walking events will be contested on the main street of Helsinki, Mannerheimintie, between the Opera and the Parliament. The course passes the National museum and Finlandia Hall. The Street Mannerheimintie is named after Marshal of Finland Mannerheim. The course is a 2-km-long loop on the main street, which has a few long uphill stretches.
The second day of the World Championships will start with the women’s 20km Race Walk. As in the men’s events, the Russians are expected to be strong and same goes for the women’s race.
The favourites to take the gold medal are two Russians. These are the European Cup winner from this spring, Olimpiada Ivanova (1:28:18) who was second in the Athens Olympics, and the reigning World champion Yelena Nikolayeva (1:27:24), both consistent championship performers. However, the season’s world leader Irina Pudovkina (1:26:28) is not part of their squad.
The two top IAAF Race Walking Challenge competitors of the last two years, Elisa Rigaudo of Italy, the winner in 2004, and this year’s current leader Ryta Turava of Belarus are also likely to figure in the battle for medals. The Belarussian in particular with two wins and one second place is in fine racing form this summer. She set her personal best when winning in Rio Maior in 1:27:19. She was fourth in last year’s Olympics.
Portugal’s Susana Feitor came second behind Ivanov in the European Cup just ahead of Riguado, and must be seen as a threat (1:29:01).
The Chinese team is the strongest of all, and 19-year-old Jiang Jing walked a personal best of 1:27:19 earlier this season and has performed well in Europe before. In the same race in Nanning, Liping Wang the 2000 Olympic champion, who came back successfully from maternity leave last year, was a good second in 1:27:24.
The surprise Olympic winner, Athanasia Tsoumeleka of Greece can be considered a dark horse, as due to injury she has largely been absent from the circuit. A 1:35:11 12th place finish in Rio Maior is the best the 23-year-old Greek has mustered in 2005.
The host nation Finland is represented by Outi Sillanpää, who in April walked her personal best in the nationals, which were organised on the World Championships course.
49 competitors from 29 countries have entered the competition.
Helsinki 2005 media team
