venerdì 28 luglio 2017

European Athletics U20 Championships in Grosseto, Day 1 (20-07-2017)


I get to the stadium at 12.30. Before entering, however, I have to walk almost a whole lap (three quarters, I found out) around the stadium and its block. In fact, I had approached a private entrance and the volunteer I had asked about the gate for the public had sent me in the wrong direction. The main stand is quite full, but most of team members,.

As soon as I come in, I meet Verderio, just eliminated in 40,0 being consolated by technical staff. The other stands are almost empty: in the high jump sector there is a group of Swiss fans of Ruckstuhl, after the end of the track eventos I think to go there too, but it's too hot. I'm in time to see 2 heats of the 400 men, with an Italian, group B of  women's javelin and the eptathlon high jump. The eptathlon is one of the highest level races of these championships, both technical (perhaps second only to men's pole vault), and physical of the athletes (as almost always in eptathlon). The mascot, the Leopold griffon, also appears, but he does not seem very convinced of his role. At one point they also bring high volume music, which I do not know if athletes like, especially in high jump.


Step into the hotel in the break there are athletes (I meet a Swedish thrower) but also the guests of the Track & Field tours: the British can afford a travel agency specialized in athletics, and more of that, it also follows youth races ! The Italian federation had tried something like this last year, but then it did not try again, but I can say that if the program did not come out when I had booked on my own, maybe I would have joined their trip to Amsterdam.


Upon returning to the stadium, I meet the silver medallist of the march: she looks almost like a little girl. I sit again in the finish area: behind me is a group of people with federation uniforms, including a blond lady, whom I do not mind. Only when she greets her daughter (who looks like her when she was young young) I understand that she is former Olympic champion Gabriella Dorio! When Leopold comes in again, she is among the few to dance.

The grandstand slowly fills, though not entirely. One of the biggest groups is the fans of the German discus thrower Ritter, who will be disappointed: she will make 3 fouls. During the qualifications of the women's pole vault there are also a few people in the PV sector curve: for a while I go there, and I see the 3 fouls of Gherca at 4.00. Tortu dominates his semifinal and goes to greet the group behind me: he says he has had good feelings, but "stopped running as soon as he realized he could not make a time." The real "sensation" is however Ingebritsen in the 1500: at the entrance of the final dash he turns to the audience to call for applause and wins in 3'45 "giving the impression of walking. I think I have found the future champion I will speak about in 10 years...In the final, with the stadium getting empty, after so many disappointments, finally a satisfaction for Italy: Polikarpenko's silver in 10,000. The schedule ends at 8.30 pm but they don't light up the lights. The visibility in the final is a bit low: in the 10,000 it may not affect so much, but in the pole vault maybe it does.




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