Today, August 13th, at 7:45 a.m. London time, 7 Women made History!
Ines Henriques of Portugal
Hang Yin of China
Nair Da Rosa of Brazil
Katie Burnett of the United States
Shuqing Yang of China
Erin Talcott of the United States
and Susan Randall of the United States
The World Record, held by Henriques, was shattered!
The American Record was broken!
But what made this 50000 Meters Walk Historic was that it was the first time the event was held at a Championship meet!
There had been 50K Walks for Men, but never for Women!!
As my readers know, this was a last minute addition to the 10 day schedule of events at the London WC's!
They would start at the same time--on the same course--as the Men's 50K!
The field--gathered together without any real planning--was tiny--the 7 Pioneers listed above!
Actually, one (Ms Randall) had to SUE to gain entrance to the race!
As I detailed in my Preview post, their PR's ranged from Henriques's 4:08 WR to Randall's 4:54.
Not an unheard of spectrum of abilities in an event held on Roads outside the main stadium!!
The Men too are varied in their talents--and PR's!
But for some reason, the IAAF poo-bahs (Heartless bureaucrats all!!) decided to place a TIME LIMIT on the Women!!
NOT the Men!!!
Just the Women!!
I have no idea what the limit was, or when it would be enforced!
I've raced Marathons--a dozen of them--where times fit between 2:15 and SEVEN HOURS!!
NO ONE was denied his or her finish line celebration of accomplishment--even if officials & other volunteers had to remain there way past their dinner time!!
The "problem"---as this blogger sees it--was probably that the IAAF (and/or London organizers) had determined that the Women's 20K Walk was to begin 4 hours and 35 minutes after the start of the Women's 50K Walk!
I guess they figured---in their mathematically-desiccated little brains!--that the Women with PR's SLOWER THAN their time limit would somehow magically Walk FASTER---so those PEA-brains wouldn't be embarrassed when seen KIDNAPPING those poor Women off London's fabled streets!!
Anyway, here's what happened!
At the 5K checkpoint, Henriques and Yin were way ahead, time of 24:43!
Da Rosa, Burnett, and Yang were at 26:04!
Talcott Walked a 26:39.
And Randall played caboose with her 27:26!
The 10K marker had the same leaders, their 2nd 5K of 24:39 giving them a time of 49:22!
Close to WR pace!!
The same trio were together, having Walked their 2nd 5K in 25:41, a strong pick-up--total time of 51:45!
Burnett was going for the American Record!!
Randall had slowed to 27:35 (55:01 total), and was on SUPER-PR pace--heading for a possible 4:35!!
Talcott had been apparently red-carded out, though all I know for sure is that she had a "DQ" next to her name on the Live Results page!!
So the 7 had been reduced to 6!
It happens.
15K was reached in 1:13:43 by Hinriques and Yin after a 5K of 24:21!
They were picking it up!!
Da Rosa was 1 second ahead of Yang and Burnett, times of 1:17:40 and 1:17:41.
Randall had Walked a 28:29 split, so had 1:23:30 as her time!
But she was still on PR pace!
The leading duo sped up again--to 24:16--and hit the 20K checkpoint in 1:37:59!
Burnett and Yang went past in 1:43:19, having Walked about a 25:40 split!
Da Rosa had fallen back, passing 20K in 1:45:30, after a split of 27:50!
Randall Walked her last 5K in 29:23, total of 1:52:53!
She was heading toward a danger zone, where chances at a PR were losing strength!
But she was still well under 5 hour pace!!
At the Halfway point (25K), Henriques was 1 second ahead of Yin--at 2:02:18---a pace that would reduce her WR by almost 4 minutes!!
Yang and Burnett were similarly tied at the hip, their 1 second differential being 2:09:09 & 2:09:10!!
Burnett was now certain of the American Record--if she could keep going!!
Da Rosa was now on 4:26:44 pace, thanks to her 5K split of 27:52!
But Randall was now nearing splits of a half hour, her 29:53 bringing her through the Half in 2:22:46!
However, she remained about 9 minutes below her needed PR pace!
The gap was only 4 seconds, but by 30K, Henriques was clearly ahead of Yin, and gaining!
The WR holder's split had been a quick 24:17!!
Her total time was 2:26:35!
Yang was ahead of Burnett by 21 seconds, 2:34:22 to 2:34:43--after respective splits of 25:13 and 25:33!
Da Rosa Walked that 5K in 27:56, slowing just 4 seconds from her previous split!
Randall had slowed to a walk (I know, LOUSY joke!!), her 30:26 split bringing her to 30K in 2:53:12!
But even if she somehow slowed drastically---say, to one HOUR splits for the next pair of 10K's---she'd remain UNDER 5 hour pace!!
At 35K, Henriques had totally dropped Yin--and was now ahead by 50 seconds, 2:50:52 to 2:51:42!
Their respective 5K splits had been 24:17 and 25:03!!
Henriques was now moving at a clip that would SMASH her WR to a possible 4:03!!
Yin's pace, if continued, would also bring her in under the WR!
Yang was barely under 3 hours--at 2:59:53--after a split of 25:31.
Burnett remained on AR pace--at 3:00:43--after a split of exactly 26 minutes!
Nair of Brazil had split 28:33, but was on pace for a sub 4:30!!
Randall slowed again--to 31:48!
Her time was 3:25:00!
If she walked a snail's pace of 35 minute 5K's the rest of the way, her time would be 5:10:00!!
Yes, slower than the IAAF maybe wanted---or allowed--but not much different than if, say, a Decathlon PV'er went higher than anyone imagined--and it took him an extra 30 or 40 minutes!!
Would officials say "No, you must STOP! The schedule must be adhered to!!"??
Fuck NO!!!!
At 40K, Henriques's time was 3:15:14--after a split of 24:22!
Yin seemed certain of Silver with her 3:17:04--her 5K split being 25:22.
Yang hit 40K at 3:26:31 after a 5K in 26:38!
Burnett's split was 26:27, so had gained a bit on Yang, her time being 3:27:10!
Da Rosa's time was 3:38:47 after a split of 28:56!
Half hour long splits over the next 2 5K's would bring her to the line in under 4:39!!
Randall did her 5K in 32:40, so was well under my hypothetical finish time mentioned above!!
Her time was 3:57:40!
That was the last split that would appear next to her name!!
The IAAF goons had apparently moved in with their Riot Guns sometime between 40 & 45K!
Oh, the HORROR of letting this poor Woman---after having Walked 80% of the race distance---to be able to finish!
Get out the Stun Gun, the Nets, the Strait-Jacket!!
45K was reached in 3:39:56 by the WR holder, now (after a split of 24:42) looking at a possible NEW World Record of under 4:05.
Could she hold that pace?
Yin split 26:03, reaching the last checkpoint in 3:43:07!
An exciting development in the "battle" between Yang and Burnett!
Yang slowed to 27:03, while Burnett--also slowing, but MUCH less--was now just 5 seconds behind, their respective times 3:53:34 and 3:53:39!!
Would TeamUSA add yet ANOTHER medal to its cache of Gold, Silver, and Bronze!!
Da Rosa, still going, split 29:03, down only 7 seconds from her previous split!
She seemed sure of finishing well under 4:40!!
But Randall had disappeared--listed as a DNF!
(Reason given on the Live Results page---"IAAF rule--beyond the time limit"!!)
Well at least they were ADMITTING to their epic puerile insanity!!
Ines Henriques had broken her own WR by two and a half minutes, her final time being 4:05:56!!
At least one MAN finished slower than that!!
Her halves had been 2:02:18 and 2:03:38!!
Pretty good, considering she was SOLOing the final 20000 meters!!
Hang Yin's time was 4:08:58--just 32 seconds off the old WR!!
Her last 5K had been 25:51, her halves 2:02:19 and 2:06:39.
Shuqing Yang's halves were 2:09:09 and 2:11:40, adding to 4:20:49!
Next came Katie Burnett, now having taken down her own American Record by 35 seconds!!
Her new AR was 4:21:51, halves of 2:09:10 and 2:12:41.
But this would be the new target of great US Walkers, like Maria Michta-Coffey, Miranda Melville, or even youngsters like Lauren Harris or Taylor Ewart!!
(If they choose to move up in distance, that is!!)
The first Women's 50000 Meters Walk in Olympic Games or World Championships history was now---HISTORY!!
As was the embarrassing rule the IAAF created---WHY???---that broke the hearts of two Women who were courageous and spirited enough to even attempt this harsh event!!
IAAF, listen to me.
I have a few suggestions for you!
Simple ones.
Ideas that might allow you to redeem yourself, to save your ugly souls!!
1. Schedule a World Championship 50000 Meters Walk for Women for THIS year!!
2. A good place might be Australia--in their summer season--perhaps in November or December!!
3. Invite EVERY Woman who Walked the 20K race in London, as well as all 7 of the Women who began this Historic race in London, as well as ANY Woman who wants to try it!!
4. Pay out prizes of $1,000,000, divided among the first 25 Women who finish!!
5. NO time limits!!!
6. Extraction from the course because of "Walking rules" violations ONLY---no other reason!!
7. Have NBCSN, or ESPN, or some other Worldwide network LIVESTREAM the ENTIRE race, start to finish of EVERY Walker!!
8. HONOR and RESPECT every Woman who chooses to participate!!
9. Make this an ANNUAL event--apart from the WC or OG!!
I'm spent!
This entire WC has been a draining experience!
Yes, some of that emotional roller coaster has been at the very PEAK of human experience---the Women's 3000SC, for one.
But much of it has been negative--the booing of a fine and decent and CLEAN athlete, more jog & kick distance races than I'd like to count, the DQ's, the DNF's, and the DNS's!!
This--THIS!!--the RAPE of the honorable intentions of two Women---was the feather that toppled the bridge!!
And one organization--DISorganized!!---was to blame!!
All fault--with ZERO excuses--goes to the IAAF!!
(Even if the London Organizers were the ones who urged this stupid rule to be put in place!!)
I'll try to restore my energy---after this meet is finished!--and write my last results reports!
One for Day 9, and the last one for Sunday's events!
Except for the HISTORIC 50000 Meters Walk for Women---which is detailed above!!
Thank you for your patience!!
See you soon.
The women's 50k walk was a last minute addition to the programme after everything had already been scheduled.
ReplyDeleteThat's why they had them start at the same time as the men.
And that only left 4 hours and 25 minutes before the start of the women's 20k walk. Hence the time limit.
Your comparison with the pole vault doesn't work. That event could go ten hours over schedule without getting in the way of anything else.
I think it could be argued that it would have been better to wait until the next championships in two years for which athletes would know in advance that there was an event for which to qualify rather than this mess of only a handful of athletes participating.
I don't understand why you want them to give a million dollars in price money and their own special event when all other events only get $150,000. What next? Participation medals? "Finisher" t-shirts? Charity walks?
Not sure about the payouts in Big City Marathons, so I picked a number for my proposed 50K Walk Championship!!
ReplyDeleteAs for the time limit thing, I don't see why the Women---expected to be slower than the men by a good half hour or more--couldn't start THEIR race 30---or even 60!--minutes before the Men!!
They start the Dubai Marathon before daylight begins!!
Anyway, thanks for your comments!