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.
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.
