Category Archives: Barcelona 2010

Jul 02 0 comments
Barcelona 2010

OFFICIAL WEBSITE 20th EUROPEAN ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS BARCELONA 2010 | Day by Day

The Marathon and Race Walk circuits of the European Athletics Championships Barcelona 2010 have been measured and definitely approved after a long procedure of seven hours (started on Sunday, 6 a.m.). Apart from French expert Jean-Marie Grall, the Spaniards Jordi Reinoso and Fermín Perez have certified the track.

The three IAAF officials have been accompanied by Agustín González, deputy director of the B10 competition department, and marathon manager Bep Solé. Measuring the circuit, a slight difference in the 10km lap was noted. As a result, the start line will be moved slightly.

Grall has praised the preparation of the two Barcelona 2010 circuits and said that only in very few events he had encountered such excellent conditions.

The one kilometre long and L-shaped Race Walk circuit goes from Paseo Picasso to Avenida Marquès de l´Argentera. It is entirely flat and athletes will have to race 20 or 50 laps, depending on the discipline. The two male races will be held on 27 (20k) and 30 July (50k), while the female 20k competition will take place on 28 July.

via OFFICIAL WEBSITE 20th EUROPEAN ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS BARCELONA 2010 | Day by Day.

Jun 23 0 comments
Barcelona 2010

OFFICIAL WEBSITE 20th EUROPEAN ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS BARCELONA 2010 | Day by Day

The Royal Spanish Athletics Federation will send eight race walkers to the European Athletics Championships Barcelona 2010. María Vasco and Jesús Ángel García Bragado, two of Spain’s most popular athletes, will lead the teams to next month’s big sporting event, aiming for a medal.

Vasco has won the Race Walk World Cup in Chihuahua in May and García Bragado achieved his fourth medal bronze at a world championships in Berlin last summer, saving the performance of the Spanish Walk squad in the German capital.Spain will be one athlete down at Barcelona 2010, only representing two athletes at the 50 kilometres event: the two veterans Mikel Odrozola and García Bragado.

Apart from Vasco, Beatriz Pascual – sixth at the Berlin worlds and winner at the international meet in La Coruña on Sunday with her second best performance 1:28.05 – and María José Poves will represent Spain at the female 20km event.The male 20km event features most news, as Benjamín Sánchez is forced to drop out on Barcelona 2010 due to an injury. His spot will be covered by Juan Manuel Molina, who has been eyeing the longer distance. He will be accompanied by José Ignacio Díaz and Miguel Ángel López, current European sub-23 champion.

Spain’s Race Walk team has won 13 out of 53 medals in the history of the European Athletics Championships. Since 1978, the year of the first victory, the team has won at least one medal at each Championships.

via OFFICIAL WEBSITE 20th EUROPEAN ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS BARCELONA 2010 | Day by Day.

Apr 29 0 comments
Barcelona 2010

European Athletics – Nizhegorodov on the road to recovery

Russia's 50km Walk world record holder Denis Nizhegorodov is back in full training after recent illness problems and is aiming to be fit enough to be able to fight for a medal at the European Athletics Championships in Barcelona this summer.

“Denis was ill in early February. It was a severe form of flu and he had complications. He could not take part in the Russian winter championships, which were held in Sochi in February, and which was the qualifying meeting for next month's IAAF World Race Walking Cup in Mexico,” said Russia's chief walking coach Alexei Melnikov.

via European Athletics – Nizhegorodov on the road to recovery.

Jan 14 0 comments
Barcelona 2010

Colin starts preparations for European Championships – County Leitrim Today

After a mixed 2009 season, Colin Griffin’s preparations for 2010 are in full swing with the European Championships in July in Barcelona, where he will take part in his specialist 50km event, the main target.

Colin, who this week flew out to Portugal last week for a warm-weather training camp with the Athletics Ireland High performance Squad, will open his season with the Italian 35km Championships at the end of January and will be hoping to get in a few solid weeks training having had his training disrupted by the bad weather over the Christmas.

“This is always a good time to get away just after Christmas as it helps get the mind focused again, and of course, get good quality training and recovery done in more favourable conditions,” said Colin.

via Colin starts preparations for European Championships – County Leitrim Today.

Jan 12 0 comments
Barcelona 2010

Irish stars hit the hot spots with perfect timing – The Irish Times

WARM-WEATHER training was invented by athletes, for athletes, for cold snaps like this – although rarely with the spectacular sense of timing demonstrated by Athletics Ireland.

Since the start of the year, a dozen of Ireland’s top athletes have been attending a camp at Monte Gordo in the Algarve, and will return this weekend, which, of course, means they’ll have missed the worst of the Big Freeze.

Among those enjoying the sunny skies (and sandy beaches) are Derval O’Rourke, Mary Cullen and Róisín McGettigan, along with walkers Olive Loughnane, Jamie Costin and Robbie Heffernan.

For Loughnane, the obvious goal for 2010 is to build on the silver medal won in the 20km walk in Berlin, and she has made one notable adjustment, splitting with her Spanish coach Montse Pastor Martinez, to work with the Norwegian Stephan Platzer, who coached his wife, Kjersti Platzer, to Olympic silver medals in Athens and Beijing.

This switch seemed inevitable, however, when last November allegations of doping surfaced around Spanish race walker Francisco Fernandez, who also worked with Martinez, although the coach was never implicated.

via Irish stars hit the hot spots with perfect timing – The Irish Times – Tue, Jan 12, 2010.