Palmisano and Yamanishi reign in Madrid

Italy's Antonella Palmisano and Japan's Toshikazu Yamanishi lived up to their billing as favourites at the III GP Internacional Madrid Marcha Silbo Telecom, a World Athletics Race Walking Tour Gold event, held over 10km in the Spanish capital on a cloudy morning on Sunday (6).

Both athletes enjoyed commanding wins, Palmisano winning by an overwhelming margin of 1:01 ahead of Ukraine’s Mariia Sakharuk and Yamanishi crossing the finish line 18 seconds ahead of Italy’s defending champion Francesco Fortunato.

The women’s event opened at a moderate pace, the clock reading 4:25 for the first one-kilometre circuit with five athletes at the helm – Palmisano joined by Sakharuk, Costa Rica’s Noelia Vargas and the Spanish pair of Raquel Gonzalez and Laura Garcia-Caro. The 33-year-old Italian soon picked up her pace and a couple of laps covered in 4:18 proved to be enough to leave Vargas and the Spaniards behind, but Sakharuk, a 1:28:47 20km specialist, remained on Palmisano’s shoulder. By the third kilometre, that duo led in 13:00, some 10 seconds clear of Vargas, herself another 12 seconds ahead of Gonzalez and 14 over Garcia-Caro.

Sakharuk’s resistance came to an end midway through the fourth lap, as the 29-year-old just could not maintain the Tokyo Olympic champion’s pace. By halfway, Palmisano comfortably led with a 21:45 time to the Ukrainian’s 22:08, with Vargas another four seconds adrift.

That trio looked to have secured their podium places, as Gonzalez and Garcia-Caro travelled some way back, the latter – who secured seventh place at the Paris Olympics – was then forced to drop out shortly after covering the sixth kilometre due to a tough fall.

With victory on the way, European champion Palmisano slowed her pace over the following laps, which she covered in the 4:25-4:28 range, but even so she extended her lead on Sakharuk who had been caught by Vargas shortly after halfway. Both race walked together for two circuits before Sakharuk managed to get rid of her rival inside the eighth circuit.

At the tape, Palmisano had built an impressive advantage of more than a minute over the runner-up Sakharuk, as they respectively finished in 44:02 and 45:03, while Vargas comfortably secured third place in 45:17. Surprisingly, Colombia’s Sandra Lorena Arenas, a fine fourth at the Paris Olympics, was never a factor and had to settle for fifth, also behind Gonzalez, timed at 47:03.

“This is my last competition of the year and I’m happy to finish with a win after my setback at the Paris Olympics where I had Covid a few days prior to the race,” said a smiling Palmisano.

“My primary goal next season will be the Tokyo World Championships,” added the Italian star, who has the opportunity to complete a hat trick of major titles there, having already claimed Olympic and European gold.

Yamanishi proves strongest

Held alongside the women’s event, the men’s competition also started at a slow rhythm of 4:07 for the opening kilometre. Despite that, two of the big names – Spain’s Paul McGrath and Sweden’s Perseus Karlstrom – dropped out at that early stage. While McGrath is just not yet in his best form, Karlstrom suffered discomfort in his left quadriceps the day before while warming up and preferred not to take any risks. The pace was maintained over the next few laps with six men at the head. Yamanishi, Fortunato, his fellow Italians Gianluca Picchiottino and Davide Finochetti, Spain’s Diego Garcia and Brazil’s Matheus Correa were in that group, Yamanishi and Fortunato making the most of the early pace which increased to 4:00 and 4:02 over the subsequent laps. As a consequence, first Finochetti and then Correa and finally Picchiottino lost ground and by halfway the podium spots seemed to be decided in favour of Yamanishi, Fortunato and Garcia, the trio clocking 20:21.

Once in the second half, the 2019 and 2022 world champion Yamanishi began to pick up his pace to cover the next laps in 3:55 and a lethal 3:51 to destroy any opposition, while Fortunato race walked comfortably in second and Garcia travelled in third just a couple of seconds clear of a threatening Picchiottino.

The 28-year-old leader slowed his rhythm slightly over the remaining laps but was always under the 4:00 barrier and he won unopposed in 40:00 with a lonesome Fortunato in second (40:18). To the delight of the 10,000-strong crowd assembled, Garcia managed to keep his Italian pursuer at bay to get third place in 40:44 to Picchiottino’s 40:49.

“The circuit is tough as it’s always uphill or downhill and it was a windy day, but I’m in fine form and managed to win,” said Yamanishi. “This has been a difficult season for me as I couldn’t defend my Olympic medal in Paris, but I was training at altitude this summer in the company of Massimo Stano and that was key to being in good shape now.

“Obviously I only have eyes for the Tokyo World Championships next September, where I would like to complete a hat trick of world titles.”

Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics

Leading results

Women
1 Antonella Palmisano (ITA) 44:02
2 Mariia Sakharuk (UKR) 45:03
3 Noelia Vargas (CRC) 45:17
4 Raquel Gonzalez (ESP) 46:35
5 Sandra Lorena Arenas (COL) 47:03
6 Antia Chamosa (ESP) 47:08
7 Jekaterina Mirotvortseva (EST) 47:34
8 Tiziana Spiller (HUN) 48:40
9 Lucia Redondo (ESP) 48:45
10 Eva Rico (ESP) 50:50

Men
1 Toshikazu Yamanishi (JPN) 40:00
2 Francesco Fortunato (ITA) 40:18
3 Diego Garcia (ESP) 40:44
4 Gianluca Picchiottino (ITA) 40:49
5 Matheus Correa (BRA) 41:15
6 Daniel Chamosa (ESP) 41:47
7 Marc Tur (ESP) 42:18
8 Alvaro Lopez (ESP) 42:26
9 Jose Manuel Perez (ESP) 42:33
10 Ivan Lopez (ESP) 42:33