The World Cups in Budapest will go down in history for the four golds achieved by Spain in the four walking tests with two ‘doublets’ from Extremadura’s Álvaro Martín to the Andalusian María Pérez in the 20 and 35 kilometers.
And they have done it in the Plaza de los Héroes without the presence of Sebastian Coe on any of the three days of competition. The Briton is one of the great responsible for the dramatic situation that this historical specialty is experiencing and perhaps he has preferred to avoid getting up early and especially any unpleasant comments from fans or from the walkers themselves.
María Pérez and Álvaro Martín enter the history of athletics with another gold
The president of World Athletics struts around the National Athletics Center every day, but the seven kilometers that separate it from the march circuit have been an insurmountable obstacle for the ‘lord’. He will have to wait for the marathons on the weekend; If he appears in the Plaza de los Héroes, his contempt for the march will be even greater. Of course, at least the success has been full entrusting the World Cups to Budapest. What a great organization!
The story is as sad as it is easy to understand. The International Olympic Committee (IOC), an increasingly political body, is ‘bothered’ by certain athletic events for its duration while others motivate him such as break dancing or even the ‘E-Games’. And in this crusade the march has fallen out of favor. First the 50 km disappeared and were replaced by the 35 in a regrettable decision. In Paris, the 20 km and a mixed relay event will be held. For Los Angeles 2028 there is no certainty.
The saddest thing about it is that Sebastian Coe, far from standing up, has yielded to the wishes of an IOC in which its objectives are focused. More than defending athletics, the double Olympic champion in 1,500 (Moscow’80 and Los Angeles’84) seems to be clear that his future is to be the substitute for Thomas Bach and for this he has not hesitated to politicize athletics to the maximum while it focuses on bullshit like those so-called ‘hot chairs’ with comfortable and colorful sofas for athletes who wait for the classification by times with lactic acid through the roof (the four hundredth graders) instead of defending their sport. First it was the march, but the threat also looms over the marathon, the relay events, the hammer or even the triple jump.
“The march? Ask the IOC,” said the Londoner days ago. An answer that speaks for itself. Of course, very brave for some things but very cowardly to attend the walking tests. It is the sad reality of athletics, without a maximum leader to defend it. “No, we haven’t seen it around here,” Álvaro Martín has limited himself to commenting when asked about the World Athletics chief executive. He would not have been well received.
2023-08-24 16:34:52
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