Final entries of the European Team Walking Championship in Poděbrady, May 16, 2021

FINAL APPLICATIONS in .pdf

A total of 212 competitors are registered - 111 men and 101 women, representing 25 national federations for 6 walking disciplines -  MEN: 50km and 20km, WOMEN: 35km and 20km, JUNIORS and JUNIORS 10km.

The strongest teams and the biggest favorites in the team competition are the teams of Spain, Italy and Ukraine. Spaniards led by Diego García, Miguel Angl López, Álvaro Martín are hot favorites to win the 20km not only in men but also in women, led by María Pěrezou, Laura García-Carou, Raquel González and Julie Takács, only Italians can compete.

He will start for Germany on the 20km track Christopher Link, which has already conquered Poděbrady as part of the "Poděbrady Walking Meeting", has conquered it several times and has thus acquired a literary right of home here. This time, however, it will be very difficult in a busy competition with ambitions to win, but with the knowledge of the German bulldogs and their morale, it can in no way be depreciated in advance from the highest ranks. 

On the 50km track, Spain will be represented by the oldest participant of this European Championship, a walking legend Jesus Angel Garcia, who will be 52 years old in October this year !!! with a personal record of 3: 39: 54 hours, belonging to the world's excellent pedestrians. In 1993 he became the world champion in walking for 50 kilometers, in 1997 and 2001 he won a silver medal. At the age of 40, he also won the remaining bronze medal in his collection at the World Championships in Berlin. He has two medals from the European Championship from the 50-kilometer race - in 2002 in Munich it was bronze, four years later silver. He was no longer so successful in the Olympic races - he always finished below the podium. He is a record holder in the number of participations in the World Championships in Athletics (thirteen) and the Olympic Games (seven). At the World Championships in Athletics 2019, he became the oldest participant in history at the age of 49.

The Czech Republic nominated the team only for the 10km juniors in the composition Martinkova, Zikmundova, Hlavacova. Our other representatives race individually: The premiere on the 35km track will take place Tereza Ďurdiaková, the best current Czech pedestrian and two-time national champion at 20km. ME will not participate Anežka Drahotováwhich will not compete until the doping affair is resolved. The junior from the Czech Republic has the best hope for the leading positions in the individual evaluation Eliška Martínková at 10km with a personal record of 45: 52min! Only the duo defend the Czech colors at 20km Vít Hlaváč, Lukáš Gdula, when Martin Nedvídek for incomprehensible reasons he was not nominated. And finally, for the 10km juniors, he will fight for the Czech colors very promising Jaromír Morávek (from PITCH WALKING and Carl - Buy a bike).