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The 20 kilometer race walk in the Olympics event
has been inducted since the 1956 Melbourne Summer Games. The event
has continued in the Olympics thereafter.
Rules and Regulations
Onus of framing rules and regulations for 20 kilometers race walk in
the Olympics is with International Association of Athletics
Federations or the IAAF, the top body in the field of athletics
track and field events.
- Warning is given to an athlete by showing him a yellow
paddle. However, the same judge cannot warn an athlete twice.
- An athlete can leave the race course only with prior
permission of the judge.
- The athletes are allowed to take refreshments at places
specified as refreshment stations. They are barred from taking
refreshments anywhere else.
- An athlete is shown red card if he is found to loss contact
with the ground or bending his knees. The judge usually reports
to the chief judge who shows the red card.
- As the competition is for pace walking and not running, the
athletes are disallowed to lose contact with the ground.
- Advancing leg of the athletes must remain straight. If an
athlete bends his leg, it is a violation.
- Number of judges involved in the race walk should not be less
than six.
- Any athlete has to leave the race course if directed by an
official medical officer.
Walking Technique
With constant practice, the athletes make their body muscles,
particular of legs and arms, pretty strong. Only strong leg muscles
can take the stress of walking for 20 kilometers at one go. The
movement of various body muscles during the speed walks is quite
different from the running events.
Top Performers
Athletes who have performed will in 20 km walk in the Olympics are
Julio Rene Martinez, Hongjun Zhu, Nathan Deakes, Vladimir Stankin,
Lingtang Bo, Alejandro Lopez, Zhide Cui, Roman Rasskazov, Jozef
Pribilinec, Ernesto Canto, Maurizio Damilano, Daniel Bautista, Peter
Frenkel, Vladimir Golubnichy, Ken Matthews,Francisco Javier
Fernandez, Jefferson Perez, Ivano Brugnetti, Robert Korzeniowski and
Daniel Plaza. |
