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I get to the stadium area around 1.30 pm. Getting out of the car, the thermometer shows 34° C (93°F): I realize that staying all these hours will be a test for true fans. I eat at the refreshment point in front of the stadium, where I believe I am the only ordinary spectator: I see everyone with the pass around their necks. Once inside, it takes me a while to find my seat: the grandstand has a strange numbering and I had never noticed it because I don't know if I had ever had a numbered seat in Rieti. The view is excellent: only in long jump I will not understand much, also because the landing area is covered by the metric bar.
It is 2 pm: the decathlon's pole vault begins with the first two athletes at 3.50. There are 10 competitors, but there will never be more than 4 at the same heighys: Dester and Naidon will get to 4.90, Sion to 4.70. The men's hammer throw should also have started, which instead will start about twenty minutes late. The speaker asks for "open stage applause", but few can do it: the stands are almost empty, also because the track races will only start at 5.30. Among those present, however, there are many fans of Falloni, who will win. The founder of Atletica Rieti Andrea Milardi, who would have celebrated his birthday today, is remembered several times: Falloni also dedicates the title to him.
At the end of tHT, I have to go for a drink for the first time: the heat is felt. 40 minutes later the women's discus begins and they need to change the field, but just move a marker from 70 to 50 meters, the 60 meters one stays. It starts with very modest results: Osakue makes 56 meters, but with 48 one is third. There is also a strange wind. sometimes you will see the flags on the opposite grandstand waving some in one direction, some in the other. But at Osakue's second throw you immediately see that it is something different, it flies well over 60 meters: 63.24! In the end, only 4 will exceed 50 meters, and 2 by very little.
On the same side there is also the women's high jump, with the uprights parallel to the tribune. Vallortigara wins with 2 jumps (1.81 and 1.86) and then makes 9 with the race already won: 1.96 on second (in the picture), then 1.98 on third. I will miss the latter, busy following the heat of women's 200, with Kaddari making 22.90 giving the impression of walking for at least the last third. During HJ, the grandstand begins to fill up and by the start of the track races it is almost full. The terrace on PV's side is also filled, in view of the women's race, while the opposite grandstand will remain almost empty.
After 200, the finals begin, with 400hs. I'm going to have a drink for the third time, hoping it will be the last and it will: the heat subsides. After the 400hs, first women's, with Folorunso still close to the Italian record, then men's, there are the 400 dash, and the men's race is one of the most eagerly expected. Sibilio starts slowly, he seems in control, but then you realize that he is really in trouble and in the second bend he stops.
Field events continue with the men's long jump, the lowest level competition of the championships: 10 competitors, including 2 Australian guests. but it will also be the one with the most surprising result. better the women's one, with Iapichino improving and a super Amani, but very little behind them. There is another low-level competition, women's shot put, which however is important for Chiara Rosa's farewell (which I will always remember, even more than for her successes, and for her sympathy for the Osaka illusion) . In the presentation she makesa ballet and Bolt's bow gesture, then at the moment of the victory ceremony she will say "for the first time in 27 years I lack words" and offers to make a call on Zoom for the next European Cup (but I am I hope to hear her comment on TV).
Three key field events sre left: women's PV, men's HJ and SP. The first should have been at the same time as the heptathlon's javelin, and the platforms cross, but actually they waited for it to finish. However, they will cross with the decathlon's one. Nnachi makes 4.15 first, then 4.25: the speaker reminds that she is among the first juniors in the world, it is a pity that our medieval citizenship laws exclude her from the national team. Bruni enters the race at 4.35 and wins with 4.55. The HJ has a rapid progression: it starts from 2.05 and increases 5 centimeters at a time up to 2.20, which 4 jumpers clear. Tamberi enters the race at 2.15 and has no problems up to 2.23, then at 2.26 he misses: it looks like a hiccup, but he'll miss it twice more. He finds himself tied with Fassinotti, but this time they do not share the title: in the playoff they both miss 2.26 wrong, then clear 2.24 (Tamberi hardly), then Tamberi clears 2.26 and wins. Of course, from the grandstand you can't see what happens next (the argument between the two) . In the SP, it's impressive the gap between the first 5 and the others: over 2 meters. An ordinary Ponzio wins (21.34 and without a show), followed by a recovering Fabbri.
The track races continue with the 200, where Kaddari's 22.87 is a bit of a disappointment, after having seen her in the heat, After these the stands are empty, as field eventss are also over. They continues with 3000 sc, the men's one without the big names, and with the epilogue of the decathlon. The speaker points out that PB is possible for Dester and almost certainly for Naidon and Sion, who follow him. In the 1500 Dester loses ground in the second half: the speaker reminds him that 4'44"i s enough to exceeds 8000 points and he will make it: 4'40" and 8020 points.
There would still be the relays, but it's late and I'm going. See you at the junior championships
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