European athletes took six medals of the first of two days at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships in Muscat, Oman with pride of place going to Italy’s U20 10km silver medallist Diego Giampaolo on Friday (4).
Giampaolo, who can boast of the unusual distinction of being born on 29 February and who only turned 18 earlier this week, produced a tactically astute race in the stifling hot and humid conditions to take second place in his event in 44:14 and crossed the line just eight seconds behind the winner, China’s Hongren Wang.
The Italian, making his debut the Azzurri national vest for the first time as well as racing overseas for the first time, was part of a big pack that passed 5km in 23:07 but decided not to go with Türkiye’s Mazlum Demir – who was to eventually finish 11th – injected a sharp increase of pace shortly after the halfway point.
However, lying fifth with one kilometre to go, Giampaolo went through the gears and produced the fastest last kilometre of all the field to come through and take the silver medal, just getting in front of China's Yu Zeng in the final few metres to win Italy’s first ever in the category at these Championships.
“This is something special because I did not expect it,” said the stunned and delighted Giampaolo.
“I tried to stay with the others at the front at the start and then I lost a few metres [when the pace increased] but I didn't give up and in the end. In the last kilometre, I certainly wasn't satisfied with finishing third, and I knew I could take second place; and then to find we had won a team medal was an even greater joy.
“I am now working a lot on my technique with Patrizio Parcesepe, the coach of the Olympic gold medallists Massimo Stano and Antonella Palmisano. For me, it is an honour to be able to often train together with champions like them and with the other Azzurri who are part of the Ostia group. They are an example from every point of view, especially for the winning mentality,” added the teenager.
With Giampaolo’s compatriot Nicola Lomusco finishing eighth, and with two to score, Italy also took the team silver medals behind China.
#atletica ITALIA CUORE D’ARGENTO ????????
— Atletica Italiana (@atleticaitalia) March 4, 2022
???? Fantastico doppio podio ai Mondiali di marcia a squadre di Muscat, in Oman: Diego Giampaolo argento nella 10 km U20! Insieme a Nicola Lomuscio (ottavo) e Pietro Pio Notaristefano (dodicesimo) trascina il team azzurro U20 all’argento ???????? pic.twitter.com/iR1g6EPOKm
Accompanying Italy to the podium, Spain took the team bronze medals after Pablo Pastor and Oscar Martinez finished sixth and seventh respectively.
Finland’s Heta Veikkola rose to the occasion to take the bronze medal in the women’s U20 10km, holding her form and keeping her focus after walking in third place for much of the second half to cross the line in 48:11 as Chinese walkers filled the first two places ahead of her.
Veikkola made a significant step up in class in Muscat after finishing 12th at last summer’s European Athletics U20 Championships.
Emotional scenes in Muscat.
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) March 4, 2022
Solidarity with Ukraine and Valeriya Sholomitska who finishes 4th in the U20 women's 10km ???????? #WorldRaceWalking ???????? pic.twitter.com/v9ot0md4Dy
Ukraine’s Valeriya Sholomitska, who was six places in front of Veikkola in Tallinn, drove the pace of the main pack during the first half of the race and led through the halfway point in 24:10 before drifting out of medal contention shortly after 5km to finish fourth in 48:53.
Nevertheless, the Ukraine walker captured the hearts of everyone following the race, as well as her fellow competitors, as no one was oblivious to the fact that her mind would be understandably on the tragic events that have engulfed her homeland in the last week.
The Spanish U20 women started their country’s medal collection – with the women’s U20 race first to finish – after Eva Rico and Lucia Redondo finished eighth and 12th respectively to secure the team bronze medals.
Greece’s 37-year-old Antigóni Drisbióti, eighth in the Olympic Games women’s 20km race walk, last summer, finished two places better in the same event in Muscat to become the first European home.
With her compatriots Kriaki Filtisakou and Hristina Papadopolou finishing 11th and 13th respectively, Greece took a surprise set of women’s 20km race walk team silver medals.
Full results of all races are available here.