Schwazer makes a winning comeback
08 Maggio 2016Gold medal for Italy in the 50 km team ranking at the IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships in Rome
Italy’s Alex Schwazer made a winning comeback after four years of absence from competition by taking the 50 km victory ahead of 2012 Olympic champion Jared Tallent from Australia. Schwazer led Italy to an impressive win in the team ranking, ahead of Ukraine and Spain. A leading group of six men including Schwazer, Tallent, Yucheng Han from China and other top Italian walkers Matteo Giupponi, Marco De Luca and Federico Tontodonati went through the 10 km mark in 45:09. The pack was whittled down to just five men Schwazer, Tallent, Han, Giupponi and De Luca who build up a gap of 27 seconds over Tontodonati. Schwazer and Giupponi led at 20 km passing in 1:28:53 with a gap of 2 seconds over Tallent and Han, then Schwazer pushed the pace at 25 km going through in 1:50:58 with a gap of six seconds over Tallent, Han and Giupponi. The leader forced his pace covering the 5 km split between the 25 and the 30 km in 21:31 to go through the 30 km mark in 2:12:29 with a gap of 28 seconds over Tallent. With another fast split in 21:28 between the 30 and the 35 km the Italian increased his leading margin to 48 seconds in the 35 km. Schwazer had a lead of 1 minute and a half over Tallent at the 40 km mark.
The Italian clocked 2:55:26 with 10 km to go. Han pulled out of the competition at 38 km leaving Giupponi in third position. Schwazer passed at 45 km in 3:17:14 with a margin of 2:17 over Tallent. De Luca caught up positions to take third place ahead of Ukrainian walker Igor Glavan. Schwazer crossed the finish-line in 3:39:00, reigning olympic champion Tallent finished runner-up in 3:42:36 to win his third medal in these championships after the bronze medal in 2010 and the win in 2012. Glavan won the bronze medal for the Ukraine in 3:44:02. De Luca completed the best race of his career finishing fourth in his personal best of 3:44:47 ahead of his compatriot Teodorico Caporaso (3:48:29).
“I have been living in Rome since last year. I have never competed in such a big event on home soil. I have done everything wrong in my life but I have now done everything right”, said Schwazer. Tallent added another medal to his impressive collection of medals. “I had a couple of tough years. My harmstring injury affected my preparation. It’s going to be a tough competition in Rio”, said Tallent. China finished first in the medal table with seven gold medals, two silvers and one bronze ahead of Italy and Mexico.
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