sign in sign up
<<
Home , Abdon Pamich, Alex Schwazer, Athanasia Tsoumeleka, Daniel Bautista, Denis Nizhegorodov, Elena Lashmanova

Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov Series IX: Sciences of Human Kinetics • Vol. 8 (57) No. 2 - 2015

GLOBAL EVOLUTION OF MEN AND WOMEN DISTANCES, TECHNIQUE, PERFORMANCE

Delia BĂDESCU1

Abstract: This paper aims to present the evolution of racewalking in the global program, by highlighting the important phases from the technical point of view; competition distances deployment, the regulation, as well as increase performances in competitions. It presents the famous and recognized racewalking schools in various countries, which influenced the movement technique and overall development of this group of samples. This led to a wider participation in major competitions, as well as in highly trained athletes, solicitous in achieving great performance. Within this context, Romanian athletes perform in a particular style and thus contribute to the evolution of global racewalking program.

Key words: history, racewalking school, global performance, technique.

1. Introduction have occurred in these samples, is the italian coach . This is Racewalking is a unique athletics event, the one that followed the racewalking's which combines technique and endurance, evolution from its origins until today. two key-ingredients that the athlete must concentrate on. Of course, strength and 2. Material and Methods motility are important qualities and the athlete must possess a significant mental For the purposes of the research approach focus capacity and tenacity in order to was used the bibliographical study method, maintain optimal physical shape. theoretical analysis and synthesis of Among the athletics events, racewalking information [3]. The primary method used stands out through its purpose and its in research was the historical method, aesthetic traits. Technique in racewalking is which highlights various aspects of a very sensitive issue, as many athletes are racewalking systems and schools, in their being disqualified in major competitions, dynamics deployment [4]. after years of training, because of inadequate technique. 3. Results and Discussion One of the specialists in the racewalking technique, which studied the changes that According to Zambaldo, A. [5] the

1 “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, Romania.

10 Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov • Series IX • Vol. 8 (57) No. 2 - 2015 origins of racewalking can be identified Still other European countries began to ever since the origins of mankind when participate, among which through people were forced to travel long distances Fernando Altimani (bronze medal in the 10 to support their living, without any km event), the only racewalking event in assistance from mechanical devices which these Olympics. The winner was a had not been invented yet. Canadian, Ames Goulding, with an Since the 15th century racewalking excellent 46’28” which was the Olympic started to be performed in various shapes record until 1948. by various people, some even at a Competition racewalking technique was professional level, who accidentally or for influenced by military marching. some reason, sometimes by themselves, A great period of Italian racewalking were travelling very long distances. The successes comes; must be most famous of these people was the mentioned, who in the Anvers Olympics in American Edward Payson Weston, who 1920, aged only 19, won both racewalking crossed the trans-continental route from events in the programmed: in the 10 km New York to San Francisco (more than event with 48’06” and in the 3 km event 6000 km) several times. with 13’14”; the same thing happens four The first regulation for athletic years later in , where he wins again racewalking is created and it separates the 10 km event in 47’49”. racewalking from running events and the Racewalking competitions increased in first British championships take place on number as well as the participants. Despite the 23rd of March 1866 in London, on the all this racewalking is excluded from the Beaufort House track, covering a distance Olympics in 1928. Then it of 7 miles [6]. reappears in 1932 at the At the end of the 19th century in Olympics and the winner is the British racewalking competitions athletes still had athlete Thomas W. Green with 4h 50’10”; to travel very long distances and after this in in 1936 the 50 km event is won turning point distances over 50 km by the British athlete with disappear from the international 4h 30’41”, Olympic record. competitions as racewalking events. The Up to the Olympics in Berlin the athletes only exception is the Paris-Colmar race, from the Baltic countries are worth which covers 500 km even nowadays. mentioning: Lithuania, Estonia, and Racewalking began to be an event in the Latvia, winners in major competitions. Olympics since 1906, with two very short- Later the world conflict paralyzes all distance events: 1500 and 3000 m. The international athletic activities for more winner in the 1500 m event was the than eight years. American athlete Bonhag with 7’12”, and Sporting events begin again in 1946 in in the 3000 m event the Hungarian Oslo with the European Championship and Stancsis won with 15’12”. the first places are won by Anglo-Saxon In the held in London in athletes. The news in these championships 1908 the competition distances were: 3500 was: the re-introducing of the second m and 10 miles. The medals for both racewalking event in the programme and events were won by George Larner, with the emersion of the new Swedish school 14’55” in the 3500m event and 1h 15’57” which won both titles: for the 10 km event in the 10 miles event. won John Mikaelsson and for the 50 km In the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm most event . participants were Anglo-Saxons as well. After the war the Olympic Games came D. BĂDESCU: Global Evolution of Men and Women Racewalking Distances 11 back to London; here both events took Russian racewalking confirmed its leading place and the winners were members of the position through Vladimir Golubnichiy in Swedish school: Mikaelsson and the 20 km event, and he was the most Ljunggren. The nations that were spared important representative of this school. from the war Switzerland and Sweden won In the Tokio Olympics in 1964 Italy wins 5 out of 6 medals. the Olympic title with their only The Olympics in 1952 from representative, , in the 50 were dominated by Giuseppe Dordoni. The km event. The Romanian athlete Popa Romanian athletes Paraschivescu and ranks 28. The 20 km event was again won Baboie ranked 7 and 8 in the 50 km event by the British, through the fast racewalking in the Swedish competition. Helsinki was of Kenneth Matthews who dominated from the place where the appeared the start to the last step, setting a new for the first time and their team won the Olympic record with 1h 29’34”. bronze medal (Brun Junk). At the beginning of the 60s, the Swiss The technical elements combined from athlete Armando Libotte from Lugano, the three schools that existed in 1952 – international referee and member of the British, Italian, and Swedish [5] – can be racewalking Committee within the IAAF summarized as follows: came up with the idea of a team • The British school, very conservative, competition, based on the two classic continues to make present the racewalking events: 20 and 50 km. at the influence of military marching; end of the 70s a final stage of this • The Italian school, through the amazing competition was organized and it was Giuseppe Dordoni, tries to improve officially called the World Cup. their technique by executing longer In the Ciudad de Olympics the steps, even if they were performing a Russian athlete Vladimir Golubnichiy won military-like racewalking; again the gold medal in the 20 km event, • The Swedish school makes the transition followed closely by the local favorite Jose from the military marching technique Pedraza. Romania ranked 9 through to what shall be recognized as the Leonida Caraiosifoglu. future year’s technique, through John At the end of the 60s and the beginning Mikaelsson, the most technical of the 70s the German democratic school racewalker at the moment. started to stand out. During that period In the Australian Olympics in , Hans-Georg Reimann, – 1956, the 20 km event was held on the Gerhard Sperling, Peter Selzer and highroad and the medals were won by the Cristoph Hohne definitely dominated the athletes belonging to the new Soviet competitions in Lugano and won many school: , Antanas Mikenas medals at the European Championships and Bruno Junk. Here the Romanian and Olympics. All these athletes of similar athlete Paraschivescu ranked 14. The heights chose a technique based on Soviet Union ranked 2 in the 50 km event. frequency and on raising the center of The Soviet school came with a new gravity, where the hip movement was technique with new methods, their limited. technicians sensing that the step length All these years the medals went to the must be proportional to the athlete’s great athletes of East (Democratic) characteristics. The 10th place was taken by and of the Soviet Union, with the Romanian athlete Barbu. few exceptions. These exceptions were In the Olympics in 1960 the called: Paul Nihil (British), who won the 12 Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov • Series IX • Vol. 8 (57) No. 2 - 2015 gold in 1969 in in the 20 km event, Mexico, Soviet Union, East Germany, and followed by the Romanian athlete Leonida the new Spanish school. Caraiosifoglu. The IAAF racewalking committee In the Olympics, West (Federal) decided to adopt a table, expose it near the Germany wins its first gold medal in the 50 track, which would announce the warnings km event through Berna Kannenberg with and disqualification proposals which went the unbelievable time of 3h 56’11”, the to the president of the jury. This table four hour threshold being conquered. helped the athlete to find out the opinion of A few years before the the referee commission on his/her Olympics, the Mexican racewalkers started racewalking style throughout the entire to rise. Thus the Mexican racewalking competition [6]. school emerged. With the help of some The Mexican supremacy lasted until European technicians, in a few years they 1984 in Los Angeles when managed to form exceptional racewalkers and Roul Gonzales won the Olympic titles. such as: Jose Pedraza, Roul Gonzalez, and Through video recorders the technicians . Through an open step, the had the possibility to watch the center of gravity close to the ground, and a racewalkers’technique and find the way to relaxed motion resulted from the joint correct the mistakes. mobility; they presented a completely The Olympics title in 1988 is won different image from that of a runner. They by the Czech athlete Pribilinec in the 20 even increased the length of the km event and by the Russian athlete racewalking step due to an increase in the Ivanenko in the 50 km event. strength of the lower limbs and to an In the Olympic Games in in improvement in the joint mobility. 1992 the titles are shared between , At first, this technique was Canada, and Italy in the 50 km event and enthuziastically accepted by the referees between , Mexico, and Germany for but when the Mexicans began to rank first the 50 km event. in most competitions their adversaries In 1996 in Atlanta in the 20 km event the started to take pictures of them and record winner was Perez from Equador followed their technique on cameras in order to by Markov from Russia and Segura from observe the flying phase of their technique. Mexico. In the 50 km event the gold went In the Montreal Olympics in 1976 the 29 to Korzeniowski from , followed by km event was won by Daniel Bautista and Russia and Spain. The Romanian athlete the 50 km event by the Mexican athlete Bălan ranked 45 with 1h 29’41” (compared Bermudez with 3h 43’36”. to 1h 20’07” first place). So it can be The 50 km racewalking event was noticed that over the last years the medals excluded from the Olympic programme have been divided among several countries but it was re-introduced in 1980 at the indicating that performance develops in Olympics. many countries in various geographical In the Moscow Olympics one of the regions. Damilano brothers, with a technique based In Sidney Korzeniowski from Poland on frequency and hip motion, won the gold wins the medals for both events: 20 km medal for the 20 km event. and 50 km, with a relaxed, excellent Meanwhile, among debated technique, in a detached style. disqualifications and dubious withdrawals, In 2004 in Athens the 20 km event is the olympic, world, and European titles won by the Italian athlete Ivano Brugneti, were being disputed between Italy, followed by the Spanish athlete Francisco D. BĂDESCU: Global Evolution of Men and Women Racewalking Distances 13

Fernandez and the Australian athlete record. Barrondo managed to obtain the . The second event, the 50 first olympic medal in the history of his km race is won again by Robert country which participated for the firts Korzeniowski followed by the Russian time in the most important competition on athletes and Aleksy the planet in 1952. The podium was Voyevodin. completed on the third position by another In in the Olympic Games in Chinese, Whang Zen who finished the 20 2008, in the 20 km event the podium is km race in 1h 19’25”. occupied by the Russian athlete Valery Borchin with a performance of 1h 19’01”, 3.1. Emergence and Evolution in followed by Jefferson Perez from Equador Women Racewalking with 1h 19’15”, and from Australia. The gold medal for the 50 km Women racewalking was ignored for a event went to from Italy long time by the international athletics with 3h 37’09”, the silver went to Jared organisations. The first official event took Tallent from Australia, and the bronze to place in 1975 and was included in the Nizhegorodov Denis from Russia. olympic programme for the first time in In the London Olympics the 50 km event 1992 in Barcelona [2]. the Russian athlete , The technical evolution of women double world champion in 2005 and 2009, racewalking all over the world proved that was first to cross the finish line in 3h women have adapted themselves very well 35’59”, and won one of the fastest races in to this discipline and their physical the history of the discipline. Besides the chracteristics allowed a whole series of olympic record set by the winner, the facilitations due to their pelvis anatomy athletes in the following six places set and to a better joint mobility. either personal records, season records, or In 1979 in Rouen takes place the first national records. The Australian athlete official competition between national Jared Tallent repeated his Beijing teams from Italy, , Great Britain, performance by winning the silver medal and Belgium, and in 1980 women in 3h 36’53”. The podium was complete racewalking is to be aknowledged by the with Tianfeng Si from who covered IAAF. the 50 km in 3h 37’16”. The 1979 World Cup included a 5 km Romania was represented by Marius event and was won by the British athletes Cocioran in the 50 km event who finished Fawkes and Tyson, followed by Gylder T. the race the 39th with 3h 57’52”, career From Norway. record. In 1981 the distance of the race remains The Chinese athlete Ding Chen won the the same, 5km. gold medal and set e new olympic record Starting with 1983 the race distance in the 20 km event finals in the London rises to 10 km. World Cups, World Olympic Games. The 20 year old athlete Championships, European Cups maintain finished the race in 1h 18’46”, 13 seconds this distance until 1999. Usually the less than the last olympic record which medals went to countries like: Soviet belonged to the Polish athlete R. Union (Russia, after 1992), China, Spain, Korzeniowski in 2000 in Sidney. The Sweden, Mexico, Australia, East Germany, silver medal went to Erick Barrondo from Italy, Finland. In the European Guatemala with 1h 18’57”, who also had a Championship in Split in 1990, the faster time than Korzeniowski’s olympic Romanian athlete Oprea ranked 22. 14 Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov • Series IX • Vol. 8 (57) No. 2 - 2015

The first Olympic Games including folowed by Norway and Spain. Romania women racewalking take place in enters the competition with two Barcelona in 1992, with a 10 km event. racewalkers: Norica Cîmpean, who The first place was occupied by the deservingly ranks 6 (1h 31’50”), and Chinese athlete Chen Yueling with 44’32” Groza Anamaria on the 13th position. followed by the Russian athlete In 2000 in the European Cup in Nicolayeva Yelena and Li Chiunsiu. Germany, Romania ranks 3rd in the team Romania is present in the European competition and gets the bronze medal Championship in Helsinky in 1994 with with Cîmpean (rank 6), Groza A. (rank Norica Cîmpean (disqualified). After this 10), and Cîrlan D. (rank 13) as members of year, the Romanian school of racewalking the team. makes its presence felt more and more in In 2001 the World Championship takes international competitions. place in Edmonton and Cimpean ranks 6. In World Championship in Goteborg The same year in the European Cup in (1995) N. Cîmpean ranked 20 with 44’26”. Dudince Cîmpean ranks 6 again, followed The Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996 by Isar Elena (14) and Budileanu Veronica are won by the Russian athlete Y. (37). Cîrlan D. was disqualified. Nicolayeva (41’49”), followed on the In 2002 in the European Champioship in second position by the Italian athlete Munich, Iovan succeeds in getting a very Perrone Elisabetta, and on the third good position ranking 5 with 1h 29’57”. position by Yan from China. In 2002 in the Turon World Cup, the Cimpean ranks 29 with 46’19”. Romanian team wins the third position for In 1997 in the World Cup Romania is teams with: Iovan C., Câmpean N., Groza represented by Norica Cîmpean again, who A. şi Cârlan D. ranked 17. In 2003 in the European Cup, Romania In the European Championship held In ranks 9 with Cîmpean N, Cîrlan D, Groza in 1998 a future member of the A. Also in 2003 in the World national and olympic team, Claudia Iovan, Championship in Paris, Cîrlan D ranks 23. ranks 12 and Cîmpean is disqualified. In In World Cup in 2004, Cîmpean ranks the European Cup in Dudince, C. Iovan 13, Cîrlan D 15, and Romania wins a ranks 3 (43’12”), Cîmpean ranks 12 and medal again. Daniela Cîrlan (junior) ranks 32. In the Olympic Games in Athens the In 1999 the official distance for the race gold medal goes to the Greek athlete rises to 20 km in women competions as , followed by well. The first two places in the World Olimpiada Ivanovna from Russia, and Jane Championship in are occupied by Saville from Australia. Romania is the Chinese athletes, followed by represented by Cîmpean N. (rank 25) and Australia. Iovan C ranks 11. Cîrlan D. (37). Cîrlan withdraws from the The Mezidon World Cup in 1999 brings 20 km competition and starts participating major performances for Romanian in the marathon. racewalkers. Cîmpean Norica ranks 3, In 2005 in the European Cup, Iovan with a great performance of 1h 27’48”, and (Stef - married) wins a well-deserved 4th Iovan Claudia ranks 6. place, and Cîmpean N. Ranks 15. In the In the Olympic Games in Sidney (2000, World Championship same year Iovan C. the first olympic competition where race ranks 8. distance is 20 km) the winner is the In the world Cup in 2006 Romania is Chinese athlete Wanh Liping (1h 29’05”) represented by Iovan. C and Cîmpean N. D. BĂDESCU: Global Evolution of Men and Women Racewalking Distances 15

That year Cîmpean retires from the athletic increasingly growing number of activity. participants, despite the fact that the effort The European Championship in 2006 is has become more intense, almost to the won by the Byelorussian athlete Riyta human limit; Turava with 1h 27’08”. Racewalking events have become faster The World Championship in in and faster and it is obvious that amazing 2007 places Iovan on the 6th position, the performances have been reached as far as gold medal being won by the Russian times are concerned; hence, for the 20 km athlete with 1h 30’09”. event the world record is of 1h 16’43” In 2008 Romania participates in the and was set by the Russian athlete Serghei World Cup with Stef Claudia and Groza Morozov, and for the 50 km event the Anamaria. world record is also held by a Russian In the Olympic Games in Beijing athlete, Denis Nizhegorodov with a Anamaria Groza is the only representative performance of 3h 34’14”. for Romania in the 20 km event and ranks The world record in women 20 km event 24. The olympic title goes to the Russian was set in London in 2012, at the Olympic athlete Olga Kaniskina, followed by Games, by the Russian athlete Elena Pltazer K. From Norway and Eliza Lashmanova with an astonishing Rigaudo from Italy. performance of 1h 25’02”. In the 2012 Olympic Games in London • Racewalking events have become the Russian athlete sets faster and faster and it is obvious that a new world record – 1h 25’02”. Claudia amazing performances have been Stef finished the 20 km race 38th with reached as far as times are concerned; 1h 33’56”. hence, for the 20 km event the world It can be noticed that women record is of 1h 16’43” and was set by racewalking is more present and active in the Russian athlete Serghei Morozov, international competitions than men and for the 50 km event the world racewalking [1]. record is also held by a Russian athlete, Denis Nizhegorodov with a 4. Conclusions on Racewalking History performance of 3h 34’14”. • In the feminine event the world record It can be noticed that, over the past few is of 1h 25’02”. years, the medals are being won by • It can be noticed that, over the past several particular countries, which few years, the medals are being won indicates the event development and a by several particular countries, which specific increase in the performances in indicates the development of more countries from different performance in more countries from geographical regions. Thus the global different geographical regions. Thus nature of racewalking events is the global nature of racewalking emphasized and also the assertion events is emphasized and also the possibilities of racewalkers in different assertion possibilities of racewalkers countries of the world; in different countries of the world; Technique improvement can determine • Technique improvement can racewalking to become an increasingly determine racewalking to become an spectacular event, with more admirers increasingly spectacular event, with every day. Racewaking competitions have more admirers. Racewaking become increasingly numerous, with an competitions have become 16 Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov • Series IX • Vol. 8 (57) No. 2 - 2015

increasingly numerous, with an 3. Epuran, M.: Research Methodology in increasingly growing number of physical activities. Bucharest. Edit. participants, despite the fact that the Fest, 2005. effort has become more intense, 4. Thomas, R., Nelson, J.: The almost to the human limits. methodology of research in physical activity. In: "Sports Performance'', vol References vol II, no386-389, Issues Research Centre Sport, Bucharest, 1997. 1. Bădescu, D.: Dinamică şi eficienţă în 5. Zambaldo, A.: Storia della Marcia antrenamentul de mare performanţă al atletica italiana e mondiale. In: probei de 20 km marş femei (Dynamic “Scienza & tecnica”, Atleticastudi and efficiency in high performance 1/94, Verona, Italy, 1994, pag 41-49. training of the sample of women’ 20 6. *** Arbitrarea marşului şi organizarea km march test). In: Ph.D. Thesis unei probe de marş. Ed. Open Print U.N.E.F.S Bucureşti, Romania, 2010. S.A., Bucureşti, Romania, 1997. 2. Damilano, S.: 100 Years of Race Walking. Torino, Italy. Ed. Graph art, 2002.