Saransk, Mordovia, Coat of Arms, Image via Wikipedia

The Europeans awarded their first gold medal earlier this morning in the men’s 20k to Stanislav Emelyanov. Emelyanov, in only his third race, coached by the famous Viktor Chegin, negative splitted in the hot conditions, 40:14 for the first 10, 39:56 for the second. Considering that Chegin’s athletes, all from Saransk, won medals in all four walks in Berlin in 2009, any athlete, even Emelyanov, who was racing outside of Russia for the first time (this is his third career race as a walker!). The coat of arms to the right is that of Saransk, which is in Mordovia. It is the defacto race walking capital of the world! (Coat of Arms courtesy of Wikipedia).

EME NEWS (JUL 27,
2010) BARCELONA TUESDAY FIRST SESSION

QUOTE OF THE SESSION

„I did not had any special
tactics, just followed the plan we had with my coach. The pace which was set
was enough to win,” by Emelyanov after winning the first gold of the event for
All-Sport.

RESULT OF THE SESSION

1:20:10 by Stanislav Emelyanov
(from Saransk coached by famous Viktor Chegin), in his only third race and
first outside of Russia at the distance, in solo, in hot weather, second half
faster than first (40:14 – 39:56).

SURPRISE OF THE SESSION

High quality long jump
qualification. Out 2002 Eurochamp Kotova and 2009 Euroindoorchamp Balta, in
Renstrom of Norway with 668 NR and Slovak Medgyesova (in the past succesfull
high jump junior, now as mother only part time athlete) 666. Three athletes
with 660+ did not qualify. But former heptathlon hero Kluft yes after recieving
wild-card from Swedish Federation.

FAVORITES FALLS

2004 olympic winner Brugnetti
did not finish 20 km
walk after 46 minutes into the race, two Belarus hammer throwers and German
Esser out in hammer, Czech Vera Cechlova 2005 world medalist out after no throw
in discus qualification, olympic fourth placer Rabchenyuk out in 400 m hurdles heats, but she
was not in shape of 2008.

STATS
(by Ken Nakamura)

Natalya Antyukh ran the fastest
ever time in the first round heat of women´s 400mH. Her time, 54.29, bettered
the record of 54.68 by Marina Stepanova from 1986. It is also better than 54.50
recorded by Silvia Rieger in 1998
in the first round when only two rounds were contested.
Croatian Nikolina Horvat ran fastest non-qualifiying time 56.64 at Europan
Championships from heats.

Russian Stanislav Emelyanov
became the first to win World Youth Championships at 10Km walk (2007), World
Junior Championships at 10Km walk (2008) and now European Championships at 20Km
Walk. Previously Shchennikov, Markov, and Fernandez have won world junior and
Euro champ, but not World Youth.

Irene Pusterla jumped 6.62m in
the women’s LJ, but did not qualify, it is the longest non-qualifier in the
history of ECh.

SPECTATORS

Estimated at 4000.

OTHERS

FINLAND: Steeple title defender
Jukka Keskisalo will not run in Barcelona. He injured his lower back in
Lapinlahti earlier this month and hasn’t been able to run at all after that.

RUSSIA: 20 km world champ Valeriy
Borchin did not travel to Barcelona because of injured foot. It happened one
week before the Championships in training. Naitonal walking coach Aleksey
Melnikov said for All-Sport there still was a hope and final decision was
at last training some days before the departure.

TV: Former hurdles world record
holder and now BBC correspondent Colin Jackson has named his five-to-watch
athletes for the European championships in Barcelona. Jackson especially has
his eyes on French sprint sensation Christophe Lemaitre as well as Jenny
Meadows, David Greene, Petr Svoboda and Chris Thompson.

BELGIUM: Belgian 400m
specialist Jonathan Borlée doesnt feel he is a favourite to win the Gold
in Barcelona. After finishing a training camp in the south of France the
Borlee twins feel ready to compete but will take it one race at a time
they said at a press conference in Barcelona.

GREAT BRITAIN: Dwain Chambers
believes a sub-ten second time may be needed to secure gold in Wednesday’s
keenly anticipated men’s 100m final.

400 M: Two runners in the same
heat did not finish the race because of hamstring injury. Austrian Clemens
Zeller with this years improved to 45.69 (but he knew before there is a problem)
and Slovak Champion Peter Znava who was surprised with what happened to him.

NETHERLANDS:  800 meters title defender Bram Som will not run
because of illness. He arrived on Monday to Barcelona with a fever. On
Tuesday after consultation with  the
doctor, the technical director of the Dutch team’s coaching staff they decided
not to run. He had at 1 pm 39.6. degrees. „This is very frustrating, I was
so focused and in shape,” said Som for atletiek.nl. Also out of the team is
marathon runner Robert Ton because of a hamstring problem.

GREECE: Not throwing due to
elbow injury will be Greek javelin representative Spiridon Lebesis. He won this
year the national title and improved to 82.90.