We return to international competition in Sweden and after a shower of individual and team titles at European level, now it’s time for the world race walking championships on Swedish soil, specifically in Gothenburg.
307 Italian athletes have registered for the 25th edition of the World Championships, which will be one of the most attended ever with more than 8,000 athletes and a record number of 111 nations.
Among the Italian athletes, a son of the land of Calabria, Edoardo Alfieri, standard-bearer of the ASD Centro Sportivo Giovanile Catanzaro Lido and leading man of the Italian national team in this category Master 65.
Alfieri boasts an important palmares in this 2024 in the heel and toe specialty: Ancona = Italian indoor championships silver medal 3000m;
Torun Poland = European Indoor and Road Championships n. 3 gold medals and related European titles in the 3000m, 5000m and 10,000m. In addition to these, the European team title in the 10,000m;
Porto Santo Portugal = European Road Championships n. 2 gold medals and related European titles in the 5000m and 10,000m. To these are added the European team titles in the 10,000m and 20,000m and the bronze in the 20,000m individual;
Rome = Italian Athletics Championships, silver medal in 5000m walk.
Already defending champion has a great task to repeat the 5 titles won two years ago, three individual and two team in Finland. But in the 10 km walk of this world championship he won the individual bronze medal in the 10 km road walk at the 25th edition of the world masters in athletics held in Gothenburg in the SLOTTSSKOGEN CITY PARK adjacent to the ULLEVI STADIUM. On a very small course of 500 meters round trip and then a circuit of 1000 meters each way, the athlete was overtaken in the final by the Czechoslovakian Miloslav Lapka and the Spanish Pedro Jose Aranda Fernandez. The fears of the eve of the prof. Santo Mineo President and Coach of Alfieri were not unfounded given the accreditation times. However, the race was fast and a few meters separated the three athletes in the final. But the excellent time result of Edoardo Alfieri allowed Italy to climb to the highest step of the podium and win the fateful world team title with the consequent gold medal. The Italian master 65 team, in addition to Alfieri, was composed of Gabriele Caldarelli 5th place and Franco Venturi Degli Esposti 15th place.
