On the day when the World Association of Athletics Federations finalized and announced the rules for the athletics ‘walking mixed relay’ to be shown at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Choi Byung-gwang (Samsung Electronics), the signboard of Korea’s racewalking, was using his social network service (SNS) ), he wrote “Anyone who wants to relay racewalking with me.”
Mixed relay racewalking is a new event that active racewalkers have not yet experienced.
In a phone call with Yonhap News on the 11th, Choi Byung-gwang said, “Before the World Association of Athletics Federations announced (men’s racewalking world’s strongest and World Association of Athletics Federations member) Toshikazu Yamanishi (Japan) explained about mixed race relay races.” “It’s true that players are confused because it’s a new attempt,” he said.카지노사이트
The World Athletics Federation and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) abolished the men’s 50 km racewalking event, which was an official event until the Tokyo Olympics, and adopted ‘mixed race relay relay’ as a new official event, walking 42.195 km in teams of one man and woman.
On the 8th, the mixed race relay regulations were finalized and announced.
The official name of the new event has been set as ‘The Marathon Race Walk Mixed Relay’.
Mixed walk race relay is an event in which one man and one woman walk 42.195 km in teams.
A male athlete starts and walks 10 km, then takes turns with a female athlete.
The male athlete who rested while the female athlete walked 10 km walked another 10 km,
The distance was set at 42.195km, the same as the full course of a marathon, with plenty of players changing points.
Choi Byung-gwang said, “At the World Championships in Athletics (individual events), the 50km walk was abolished and a 35km walk was newly established. It became more complicated in my head. It is regrettable that the individual event in the event was reduced in the Olympics.”
However, he acknowledged the reality, saying, “The selection of official events is done by administrators, not athletes, and athletes have to adapt accordingly.” told
Choi Byung-gwang is leading the Korean racewalking following coach Kim Hyeon-seop, ‘the first Korean to medalist at the World Championships in Athletics’ (3rd place in Daegu in 2011).
He stood on the stage of the 20km walk five consecutive world championships (Moscow in 2013, Beijing in 2015, London in 2017, Doha in 2019, Eugene in 2022), Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics held in 2021 consecutively. participated
He has not yet passed the standard record (1 hour 20 minutes 10 seconds) of the 2023 Budapest World Championships and the 2024 Paris Olympics, but he has international competitiveness that allows him to qualify for the finals (50 World Championships in Budapest and 48 in the Paris Olympics) with ranking points alone. .
Of course, Choi Byung-gwang made up his mind, saying, “I will definitely pass the standard record and participate in the World Championships and the Olympics.”
In the individual event, it is possible to participate in the Olympics with one’s own efforts and plans, but the new event, ‘walking mixed relay’, needs an athlete to walk together.
Currently, there is no player who can exceed the Paris Olympics standard record (1 hour 29 minutes 20 seconds) or break through the competition with ranking points in Korean women’s racewalking.
A total of 25 teams will compete in the mixed race relay race at the Paris Olympics.
It has not yet been decided whether more than two teams from the same country will qualify, or only one team per country.
If a mixed relay team had to be formed with only athletes participating in the 20km racewalking individual event, Choi Byung-gwang’s path to participate in the relay could be completely blocked.
However, realistically, in order to build 25 mixed relay racewalking teams, it seems highly likely that athletes who have not won the right to participate in the individual events will be allowed to participate in the relay race.
Choi Byung-gwang said, “I want to participate in the Paris Olympics, and I hope that among Korean female racewalkers, there will be an athlete who will compete in the Paris Olympics and participate in the mixed relay.”
Even if they win the right to participate, they have to do separate training for the new event.
In the individual event, they race without a break, but in the mixed race walk relay, they have to take a long break after walking 10 km and then run the race again.
Choi Byung-gwang said, “The world’s top runners will complete the 10km section in 38 to 39 minutes for men and 42 to 43 minutes for women. In order to maintain that record in the second section, you need to recover quickly for 30 to 40 minutes after shifting.” “After completing the first 10km section, recovering before starting the second section will be the most important strategy,” he analyzed.
But soon, he said, “I think I’ll get a ‘feel’ when I go to the actual game.” “There is no competition organized for mixed relay this year. I have to find something to improve in training through actual competition, but most of the athletes are ‘customized’ at the Paris Olympics. There is a high possibility that it will be the first mixed race relay race for the first time without being able to ‘train’. It is difficult,” he confessed.
First of all, Choi Byung-gwang plans to wait for the World Athletics Federation’s decision on the distribution of the mixed relay quota for the Paris Olympics while preparing to participate in the men’s 20km walk at the Budapest World Championships in August and the Hangzhou Asian Games in September.
Currently, he is increasing his speed in preparation for the KBS National Track and Field Championships, which also serves as the selection match for the Hangzhou Asian Games from May 5 to 9.
The men’s 20 km walk at the World Championships in Budapest will be held on the first day of the event, 19 August. The Hangzhou Asian Games athletics start on September 29th.
Choi Byung-gwang said, “There are about 40 days between the World Championships and the Asian Games. I prepared hard to participate in both tournaments.” , On March 19, Japan Nomi competition (1 hour 21 minutes 20 seconds), two games were held. In 2023, two important competitions (World Championships and Asian Games) were held well, and in 2024, the Paris Olympics individual event (20 km) ) and mixed relay.”