martedì 30 luglio 2019

World U18 Athletics Championships in Brixen (2009)

Clicca qui per la versione italiana The green, in the green, Brixen track hosted the Italian athletics championships. When I saw her, I remembered the 2009 World Youth (later renamed U18) Championships, which took place on that same track.

I arrived in Bressanone on Friday, the third day of competitions. In the first two we had won a surprise medal with Galbieri in 100 dash. There had also been, among other things, walking, octathlon (which at the time replaced decathlon) and qualifications of the men's high jump, where a Italian, named Gianmarco Tamberi, had been eliminated. I was staying in a hotel in Bozen, near the station, and I went to Brixen by train: from the station the stadium can be reached on foot, although not very close.

The stadium is in a green area and from the stands you could see a splendid alpine panorama. There was only one stand, which was quite full, but not so much that there was no seats left. Just outside the fence there was a meadow, where both families with children and athletes themselves played: I saw Italian throwers make piggyback rides with each other (it was where this year they put the outside throwing platform).

The Italian athletes who were considered medal candidates in forecasts were three. The first to compete was shot putter Secci, who barely entered the final, with 18.56 (I think), a good meter below his PB, at the last throw, I think as 11th. I then heard him comment with a competitor how he narrowly hedged it: among the competitors there was also that Austrian with a complicated name that today competes in Diamond League in discus. In the final the measure set in qualification would have been enough to enter in the top 8, but he did even worse.

Then there was Trost, who was the favourite and won, always confident, as she is no longer today, with 1.89 and then missed 1.91 which, in addition to being the Italian category record, would also have been the B standard for the senior World Championships. So I didn't pay attention to who came second, but today I know that her name was Mariya Kuchina.

The third top athlete was Bencosme De Leon, who had recently become Italian. He was impressive in heats, so much so that we dreamed gold, then came third. Another Italian, Veroli (who was also a protagonist this year) came 5th, and that was the only placement of an Italian in the top 8, apart from the medals. Strange WCH!

Among foreigners, the one who most impressed me was Kirani James, with his 45.24 in 400. Then he would also win the 200. I also remember the splendid Katherine Johnson-Thompson dominating heptathlon. I also remember the qualifications of the men's triple jump, with the drama of the Cuban Revé, great favourite with his PB of 6.56 (the qualification was at 15.10), who got injured in the run-up of the first attempt, then he tried to recover for the third, but he couldn't. In that race an Italian got to the final, one with a Greek name, considered the less strong before.

I saw everything I told you in two days, Friday and Saturday. I should also have seen the last day, Sunday, but a train strike blocked me in Bozen. So I found myself going around in the South Tyrolean capital with an Italian flag sticking out of my backpack. When an old man complimented me, I realized that its meaning could be misunderstood and that someone could see it as a provocation ...

Nessun commento:

Posta un commento