Events & Meetings

Toth and Drahotova top the bill

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The strength of European race walking will once more come to the forefront in the Czech Republic on Saturday.

The 83rd Podebrady meeting sees the appearance of Slovakia's Matej Toth just weeks after one of the greatest performances in history.

After winning silver in the 50km walk at the European Athletics Championships in Zurich last summer in what was then a national record of 3:36:21 as Yohann Diniz won gold in a world record of 3:32:33, Toth has now narrowed the gap on the mark set by his French rival.

In Dudince last month, Toth won in a brilliant 3:34:38, the third best time in history.

Now he drops back to the 20km distance but will still be determined to show the brilliant form he is in.

Just over a month since the nation won six medals, including two golds, as they staged a superb European Athletics Indoor Championships in Prague, now it is the chance for another of the Czech Republic's star performers to shine in front of home fans as Anezka Drahotova competes in the women's 20km.

Drahotova is not 20 until June but what a summer she had last year when she won bronze in the 20km walk in Zurich only a few weeks after taking gold in the 10,000m walk at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Oregon.

Her success in Switzerland saw her become the youngest medallist in the history of the event at the European Athletics Championships as she crossed the line in a national record of 1:28:08 behind gold medallist Elmira Alembekova, of Russia, who won in 1:27:56, and Ukraine’s Lyudmyla Olyanovska in 1:28:07.

This European Athletics Permit Meeting on Saturday will also encompass the Czech Championships and an international match between the host nation and 13 others - Belarus, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland and Ukraine.

Watch the final stages of the women's 20km walk in Zurich on 14 August 2014:

[VIDEO src='1275786' align='right']




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