The first final of these European Championships this Friday evening offered an Italian double in the 20 km walk. Having left shortly after halfway, Antonella Palmisano won alone after a nice ride in the Foro Italico (1h28’08”). The transalpine walker woke up a small audience for this first evening by arriving just in front of her compatriot Valentina Trapletti (2nd in 1h28’37”).
For third place, the outcome will obviously make the rounds on social networks. In a good position to win the bronze medal, the Spaniard Laura Garcia-Caro arrived in the stadium with a flag around her neck and still 400 m to go. A bit tight at the end, she didn’t see the Ukrainian Lyudmila Olyanovska coming back in the last meters, even raising her arms before realizing that her opponent was overtaking her just before the line (1h28’48” both) .
A few seconds behind, came the Frenchwoman Camille Moutard. Starting more cautiously than her compatriot Clémence Beretta – for a long time at the front before slowing down a little at the end of the race – Moutard was still in the running for the podium in the last part of the race. Finally the Frenchwoman completed the line in fifth position in 1h28’56”, setting a new personal best and the minimums for the Olympics.
Behind her, the French women produced a nice group shot as Clémence Beretta finally finished 7th in 1h29’37”, just ahead of Pauline Stey (8th in 1h29’54”).
