After last year’s cancellation because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Gran Premio Cantones de La Coruna – the Spanish leg of this year’s World Athletics Challenge – Race Walking – returns on Saturday (5) to confirm that the event is arguably one of the key 20km competitions of the season.
Podebrady podium will clash again
In the absence of the always powerful Asian armada, the top Europeans will kick off as the main favourites in the guise of Sweden’s Perseus Karlstrom and the Spanish tandem of the European champion Alvaro Martin and silver medallist Diego Garcia. Authorised neutral athlete Vasiliy Mizinov was initially announced but due to visa problems the current world 20km silver medallist won’t be competing.
As for the reigning world bronze medallist Karsltrom, the 31-year-old is fresh from a commanding win in 1:18:54 at the European Race Walking Team Championships in Podebrady 20 days ago. The Swede is enjoying a very solid season as he also won in Murcia in March – on the occasion of the Spanish Championships – in a season’s best of 1:18:45, while his PB remains the 1:18:07 he set in La Coruna in 2019 when he placed fourth.
The local duo of Martin and Garcia should also be a factor on Saturday. The latter prevailed over Martin in Murcia – 1:19:40 and 1:19:54 their respective times – to take the Spanish title but the European champion bounced back in Podebrady when he defeated Garcia to finish second (PB of 1:19:14) and third (1:19:19) respectively.
Of this leading triumvirate, all among the top 10 in the world rankings, only Martin has previously won the event. He did so in 2017, when Karlstrom was runner-up, while Garcia also finished second in 2018.
Other notable entrants are Germany’s world fourth-placer Christopher Linke, holder of a 1:18:42 PB, and Spain’s Luis Alberto Amezcua, who recently clocked 1:19:54 in Murcia to claim national bronze. Watch out too for his fellow Spaniard Marc Tur, a convincing victor in Podebrady at the 50km event in a massive career best of 3:47.40, while a large Mexican squad will also be on show headed by Isaac Palma (1:20:54) and Carlos Sanchez (1:20:39).
Morejon to maintain momentum
The women’s event will be held two hours before the men’s competition gets under way.
Ecuador’s Glenda Morejon should arguably be tipped as the marquee athlete; the still 21-year-old made a major breakthrough in La Coruna in 2019 when she won in style thanks to a 1:25:29 performance to set a…
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