Si settles for bronze in 50km walk
Source: AFP |
August 12, 2012, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
SI Tianfeng gave China its first Olympic medal in the 50 kilometers walk as he took the bronze behind Russia's gold medal-winning Sergey Kirdyapkin and Australia's Jared Tallent.
Si completed a great games for China's male walkers, whose first Olympic medals included gold in the 20km.
Kirdyapkin became the first Russian to win the walk title since Andrey Perlov triumphed in 1992 for the Commonwealth of Independent States.
The 32-year-old two-time world champion timed an Olympic record of 3 hours 35:59 seconds, beating Tallent by 54 seconds. Si was 1 minute 17 seconds adrift.
Kirdyapkin succeeded Italy's disgraced defending champion Alex Schwazer, who was withdrawn from the Italian team before the Olympics for failing a drugs test.
Around a dozen athletes had formed the early lead group with 2007 world champion Nathan Deakes and Tallent among three Australians in the bunch. However, all three talented Russians were up with them, including Kirdyapkin and reigning world champion Sergey Bakulin.
Also up there were two Guatemalans including Errick Barrondo, whose silver medal in the 20km walk had been his country's first ever at an Olympics, while fancied Frenchman Yohann Diniz, the two-time European champion was also prominent.
Bakulin upped a gear at the 25km mark and it saw the lead group reduced to eight, comprising Deakes and Tallent, the other two Russians, Diniz and the two Guatemalans, although Jaime Quiyuch was one warning away from being disqualified.
Quiyuch's walk on the wild side came to a sad end just after the two hour mark, the judge raising the red card prompting him to raise his hands in shock, then burst into floods of tears.
It was Si who blew the race apart as he produced a burst just after the 30km mark and in double quick time wiped away the 20 second gap between himself and the lead group of five.
Such was his momentum he surged on to open an eight-second lead over the five.
Barrondo's lack of experience at the distance, in which he only made his debut this year, told and he dropped away while Deakes's hopes of bowing out with an Olympic title also ended as he too lost touch.
Tallent, though, found a second wind and joined the chasing group, passing Diniz, who was already struggling when his medal hopes disappeared as he tripped over a hoarding and fell.
While Tallent was in pursuit of the Russian trio, Kirdyapkin came alive and joined his compatriots in reeling in Si with 10km to go. Tallent bided his time and then swept past tiring athletes, including Si, but never managed to get within striking distance of Kirdyapkin, the Australian content to salute the crowd on the final lap.
Si completed a great games for China's male walkers, whose first Olympic medals included gold in the 20km.
Kirdyapkin became the first Russian to win the walk title since Andrey Perlov triumphed in 1992 for the Commonwealth of Independent States.
The 32-year-old two-time world champion timed an Olympic record of 3 hours 35:59 seconds, beating Tallent by 54 seconds. Si was 1 minute 17 seconds adrift.
Kirdyapkin succeeded Italy's disgraced defending champion Alex Schwazer, who was withdrawn from the Italian team before the Olympics for failing a drugs test.
Around a dozen athletes had formed the early lead group with 2007 world champion Nathan Deakes and Tallent among three Australians in the bunch. However, all three talented Russians were up with them, including Kirdyapkin and reigning world champion Sergey Bakulin.
Also up there were two Guatemalans including Errick Barrondo, whose silver medal in the 20km walk had been his country's first ever at an Olympics, while fancied Frenchman Yohann Diniz, the two-time European champion was also prominent.
Bakulin upped a gear at the 25km mark and it saw the lead group reduced to eight, comprising Deakes and Tallent, the other two Russians, Diniz and the two Guatemalans, although Jaime Quiyuch was one warning away from being disqualified.
Quiyuch's walk on the wild side came to a sad end just after the two hour mark, the judge raising the red card prompting him to raise his hands in shock, then burst into floods of tears.
It was Si who blew the race apart as he produced a burst just after the 30km mark and in double quick time wiped away the 20 second gap between himself and the lead group of five.
Such was his momentum he surged on to open an eight-second lead over the five.
Barrondo's lack of experience at the distance, in which he only made his debut this year, told and he dropped away while Deakes's hopes of bowing out with an Olympic title also ended as he too lost touch.
Tallent, though, found a second wind and joined the chasing group, passing Diniz, who was already struggling when his medal hopes disappeared as he tripped over a hoarding and fell.
While Tallent was in pursuit of the Russian trio, Kirdyapkin came alive and joined his compatriots in reeling in Si with 10km to go. Tallent bided his time and then swept past tiring athletes, including Si, but never managed to get within striking distance of Kirdyapkin, the Australian content to salute the crowd on the final lap.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
