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The 20 kilometer race walk for women was inducted
in the Olympics at the 2000 Sydney Summer Games. It will be
contested in the Beijing Olympics for the third time in the games.
Rules and Regulations
Rules and regulations specified by the International Association of
Athletics Federations or the IAAF are implemented in the Olympics.
- If an athlete commits severe violation of the IAAF rules, she
is shown red card. Usually, the judge who has noticed the
violation informs the chief judge, who shows the red card.
- If an athlete is shown three red cards, she stands
disqualified.
- Number of judges during the race walk must be minimum six.
- The athletes can take refreshments only at specified places.
- While race walking, the athletes must not lose contact with
the ground any time. If the advancing leg is bending, it is the
violation of IAAF rules.
- For minor offence the athlete is warned by the judge with a
yellow card. However, an athlete cannot be warned by the same
judge twice.
- An athlete can leave the race course while the race only with
prior permission of a judge. And when she is off, she has to
remain under strict observation of a judge.
Technique
Athletes have to train hard and condition themselves to ready their
body for the rigors of the grand race. Only properly conditioned leg
muscles can absorb the impact of a 20 kilometer race. She has also
to practice for walking without bending the legs. If the body is not
conditioned to such a long race, it will exhaust when the time comes
to deliver.
Top Performers
Women athletes who have performed well in the Olympics are Wang
Liping, Kjersti Tysse Platzer, Maria Vasco, Liu Hongyu, Tamara
Kovalenko, Irina Stankina, Olga Polyakova Irina Pudovkina, Tatyana
Gudkova, Athanasia Tsoumeleka, Olimpiada Ivanova, and Jane Saville. |
