In the intense summer heat of Rio de Janeiro the athletes may not have had a chance to appreciate it, but the course for this year’s Olympic race walk is set to be one of the beautiful in Olympic history. That is the analysis of Luis Saladie, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) technical delegate, who was present for the sport’s test event on Sunday (28 February). 

The 2km circuit runs along the coast next to the Pontal island, an important landmark in Rio’s cultural history, west of Barra da Tijuca, where the largest Rio 2016 venue cluster is situated. It has had a new asphalt surface laid for the Games, and that, along with the operations centre, race logistics, timing and results technology, and security, were successfully tested on Sunday.  

“The surface was very good, it turned out perfect,” said Saladie, who will be head referee during the Rio 2016 Games. “Of course the circuit will have to be a bit wider, because today we had less than 20 competitors, and at the Games we will have 60.”

“The scenery is so beautiful. I think it will be the most beautiful Olympic race walk since I started working in the Games, at Barcelona 1992” 

Luis Saladie

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Luckily the Olympic Games will be staged in August, which is winter in the southern hemisphere, so the temperatures in Rio will be much kinder. Sunday’s competitors probably deserve honourary Olympic medals for testing the course: although the 50km men’s race started at 6.30am, it was already 30 degrees and rising.

Only seven of the 18 starters managed to complete the race, and Brazil’s Samir Sabadin passed out at the 41km mark and was treated by ambulance staff. He tried to return to the race but could not manage it. 

Claudio Flores (right) cools down on his way to victory in the Rio 2016 test event (Photo: Alexandre Vidal/Rio 2016)

Athletes from Ecuador, a traditional race walk power in South America, finished in the top three positions, with Claudio Flores crossing the line first in four hours, 23 minutes and 37 seconds. Given the climatic conditions, no one was expecting fast times (the Olympic qualifying standard is four hours, six minutes), but the competitors declared themselves pleased with the course, in particular the new surface and the fact it is flat and only has two curves. 

“The surface is very good, it was the temperature that was too much”

Claudio Flores

Rolando Saquipay (4:34:09) and Jonnathan Cáceres Cabreram (4:46:21) completed the clean sweep for Eduador. The test event was in fact the second day of the 2016 Brazil Race Walk Cup, part of the South American Championships, although a handful foreign guests also competed.
 

Chinese race walkers Hu Yang and Mingli Wang were among the foreign guests athletes (Photo: Rio 2016/Alex Ferro)

Rio 2016 athletics manager Martinho Nobre declared the test event a success.“The course, which has already been approved by the IAAF, had to be tested by athletes, and they said it was excellent and will be fast. Of course we didn’t have great times because of the heat, but those who competed today are all winnners. And in terms of the technology and electronic timing, everything worked perfectly.”

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Competitors take one of the two curves on the Rio 2016 race walk course (Photo: Rio 2016/Alex Ferro)

For the public who witnessed the event, it was an impressive spectacle. Nelson Aguilar and his nine-year-old daughter Melissa stopped to watch. “It must be very mentally taxing, to keep going and going. Many things must pass through their heads. They are heroes.”

“We think about a lot during the races. About stopping, about continuing. Sometimes you want to cry”

Brazil’s Cláudio dos Santos, who called it a day after 22km

After getting his gold medal, Flores said his family were his inspiration during tough races. “I think about times with my mother, my wife, my son, who is two months old. They motivate me, they keep me going.”