Mar
09
By Steven Mills, March 9th 2010
Johanna Jackson shaved one-minute from her two-year-old UK 10km race-walk record and lifetime best at the CAU Inter Counties Championships
Jo Jackson smashed her UK 10km race-walk record by one minute at the CAU Inter Counties Championships at the University of Warwick on Saturday.
The Middlesbrough & Cleveland athlete clocked a PB of 43:52, which corresponds to a 60-second improvement on her two-year-old lifetime best and UK record.
Jackson’s form indicates she has a very good chance at defending her title at the EAA Grand Prix 20km in Lugano this weekend, where Jackson broke the UK 20km race-walk record last year.
Jackson put the improvement down to her decision to relocate to the UKA National Race Walking Centre at Leeds met Carnegie, where she is studying for a degree in Sports Performance.
Jackson said: “This has enabled me to train regularly with other athletes as opposed to on my own and have also benefited from the environment at Carnegie and the medical and support services that are available on Campus”
via Athletics Weekly.
Mar
09
Ecuadorians Rolando Saquipay and Mesías Zapata highlighted the 17th South American Race Walking Championships that took place in Cochabamba on 6-7 March.
Competing at the always challenging altitude of 2574m, the thirty-year-old Saquipay won the 20km event in 1:24:50 7 March, leaving Colombian Gustavo Restrepo in second place with 1:27:40, and Chilean Yerko Araya in third 1:30:45.
To win the event for the second time in his career, after his triumph in Los Ángeles, Chile in 2004, Saquipay took an early lead, and was ahead of compatriot Andrés Chocho by 8 seconds at the 5km split 21:18; by 27 seconds at 10Km 42:34; and by 15 seconds by 15km 1:03:49. Chocho crossed the finish line in 1:26:10, but was disqualified after ending the race.Saquipay, who has a PB of 1:19:21 2005, has recorded his best international performances at the 2004 Olympic Games 17th, 2007 World Championships 12th, and 2004 and 2008 World Cup 12th. The Ecuadorian won the 2005 Pan American Cup, where he set his PB, and was also silver medalist at the 2007 Pan American Games.
via iaaf.org – Ecuadorians shine at South American Race Walking Championships.
Mar
05
Reigning Isle of Man Parish Walk champions Jock Waddington and Janice Quirk will look to defend their titles in June.
Waddington retained his title last year while Quirk became the fastest women in the event’s history in finishing second to Waddington.
Olympic 400m runner Roger Black is also set to compete in this year’s race.
The walk starts at 0800 BST at the National Sports Centre in Douglas on Saturday 26 June. The event is an 85-mile race-walk around the 17 parishes of the island to be completed within 24 hours.
via BBC Sport – Athletics – Waddington and Quirk to defend Parish Walk titles.
Mar
03
Australia has been ‘near but no cigar’ when it comes to topping a team podium at the 2010 IAAF World Race Walking Cup.
A second in the men’s 20km at La Coruna in 2006 was followed by a third in Cheboksary two years ago at the same distance – but it appears the green-and-gold vests stand their best-ever chance of collecting the top honour if they put all their eggs into the 50km basket at Chihuahua, Mexico over the weekend of 15/16 May for the 24th edition of the competition.
via iaaf.org – Australia’s 50km title opportunity in Chihuahua.
Mar
02
Vasco – constant in her desire for progress – IAAF Race Walking CupMaria Vasco – Women 20km Winner in Metz Paul WarburtonrelnewsThe 24th IAAF World Cup of Race Walking at Chihuahua coincides with a fiesta entitled “Three Centuries, Three Celebrations”, celebrating 100 years of the Mexican Revolution, 200 years of Mexico’s Independence and 300 years of the city’s foundation. Its citizens may then appreciate an independent spirit in María Vasco, who refuses to be overawed by Russian dominance in her event.
The 34-year-old resident in Santa Margarida de Montbui, founded her own club in 2006 named as the town, but when sponsors backed out she renamed it, with all due immodesty, as Club María Vasco.
In terms of the record books, she is unique in Spain for being her country’s first, and so far only, female Olympic medallist in athletics, having won bronze in the 20km walk at the Sydney 2000 Games.“Our country wants more success, but being the first to win a medal fills me with pride and is something historic”, said Vasco, from her training camp in Zaragoza.
via iaaf.org – Vasco – constant in her desire for progress – IAAF Race Walking Cup.
Mar
01
Olympic 50 km walking champion Alex Schwazer also headlined the 41st edition of the Italian Indoor Championships at the modern Banca Marche Palas facility by setting the world seasonal best over the rarely-contested 5 km distance with 18:46.49, the fourth fastest time ever indoors in history in Italy. The previous world seasonal best was held by Frenchman Yohan Diniz who clocked 18:47.57. It was a good speed test for the Italian walking star who will make his seasonal debut over the 50 km distance in Signa at the Italian 50 km Race Walking Championships next week.
“I have trained very well at 2200 metres altitude in Pico del Teide near Tenerife,” Schwazer said. “Today I pushed the pace from the beginning to test my shape.”
Schwazer’s solid form is shown by his recent Italian all-time best over the 35 km distance of 2:26:16 set in Montalto di Castro at the end of January. The Italian star is back after dropping out at the World Championships in Berlin and is ready to grab the headlines in Chihuahua and Barcelona later in the year.
via iaaf.org – Donato bounces back with world-leading 17.39m leap in Ancona.
Feb
28
Tim Seaman won the 5000m Race Walk in 20:57.47 for his 43rd career national Race Walk title – the second most in U.S. annals behind Ron Laird’s 65.
Seaman, a five-time 20km national champion, has won 12 of the last 13 U.S. Indoor titles.
via iaaf.org – High jumpers Lowe and Williams impress in Albuquerque – USA Indoor Champs, day 1.
Feb
27
iaaf.org – The evolution of the IAAF World Race Walking Cup, and its strong Mexican connection.
Race Walking tends to appeal to individuals, nations even, with the mindset of the dogged and determined. The underdog – passionate, defiant, yet unassuming.
While, in this toughest of endurance tests, success requires inspiration from within, more often than not, supreme triumph occurs when a group of athletes share the same passion, often inspired by a visionary leader.
For historic reasons, Mexico shares this passion, arising from the Olympics Games, and the IAAF World Race Walking Cup, a competition that was formed from one man’s vision for breaking down barriers between people.
Feb
23
STEYNING AC claimed the team and individual titles at the National Walking Championships.
In cold conditions not conducive to fast times at Picketts Lock, Lee Valley, London, Darrell Stone took the UKA/RWA title he won two years ago in a time of 73mins 49secs.
And a return of three walkers in the top eight allowed Steyning to convincingly retain their team title for the third year running.
via Steyning athletes retain national title – Horsham Today.
