Palmisano hands Italy perfect Euro start with race walk victory
Sports
The 32-year-old reigning Olympic champion timed 1hr 28min 09sec
Rome (AFP) – Antonella Palmisano handed Italy the perfect start as hosts of the European athletics championships by winning the opening medal event, the 20km race walk, on Friday.
The 32-year-old reigning Olympic champion timed 1hr 28min 09sec around a stunning course in roasting conditions that saw many race walkers using ice packs around their necks.
Palmisano dominated the circuits of the Stadio dei Marmi, the warm-up stadium in Rome's Olympic complex surrounded by 60 four-metre (13ft) tall classical marble statues of athletes dating back to Italy's Fascist era under Benito Mussolini.
Lapping rivals at will, Palmisano finished with a celebratory lap in the Stadio Olimpico, draped in an Italian flag, to wild cheering from a small crowd.
"Until today I was missing the gold medal at the European championships and I wanted to take it in Rome, to bring even more attention on the race walk," Palmisano said.
"The feelings were really perfect: it was incredible to walk into the Foro Italico and around the Stadio dei Marmi in front of the Italian public." There was an Italian 1-2 as Valentina Trapletti claimed silver in 1:28.37.
"Sharing the podium with Valentina Trapletti is fantastic: she did a perfect race: we took the first gold and first silver medal here in Rome and we hope that more will come in the next days," said Palmisano.
"Winning in Rome was a dream, now I want do my best to win again at the Olympics, in Paris."
Spain's Laura Garcia-Caro thought she would be rounding out the podium, but celebrated too soon and was edged at the line by Ukraine's Lyudmila Olyanovska in a photo finish.
