AGI – Antonella Palmisano is the new European champion of the 20 kilometer walk. The Italian dominated the race held at the Foro Italico in Rome, finishing in 1 hour 28’09. Silver for Valentina Trapletti, 1 hour 28’37. With an extraordinary performance from a technical but above all tactical point of view, Palmisano won the European distance gold which made her Olympic champion in 2021. On the route created between the Stadio dei Marmi and Piazza della Fontana della Sfera with arrival inside the Olympic Stadium, the 32-year-old walker from Puglia from Mottola once again showed her superiority. ‘Nelly’ increased his pace towards the tenth kilometer and then ran away shortly after half the race. Confirming the long Italian tradition of ‘heel-toe’, there is the silver of the 38 year old Milanese Valentina Trapletti, at the end of April gold at the World Team Championships in the new format of the mixed relay. Bronze medal to Ukrainian Lyudmila Olyanovska (1h28’48).
In the history of the European Championships, it is the third gold for the Italian women’s race walk after the two victories of the unforgettable Annarita Sidoti over 10 kilometers in 1990 and 1998. “I experienced the race with a smile, I enjoyed it to the hilt, I am aware of the path I took to get here. I missed this gold, before today I was a little sad because I had seen little attention for the race, but instead I found a truly enthusiastic audience”. These are the words of Antonella Palmisano, new European champion of the 20 kilometer walk. ‘Nelly’, 32 years old from Mottola, standard bearer of the Fiamme Gialle, trained since last season by her husband Lorenzo Dessi, won gold in the first race of Rome 2024.
Palmisano was the protagonist of a performance worth remembering which saw her compete alone in the second part of the 20 km. At the finish line inside the Olympic stadium in Rome, Palmisano stopped the clock at 1 hour 28’08, preceding her compatriot Valentina Trapletti by 29 seconds. Third at 40 seconds, the Ukrainian Lyudmila Olyanovska who won the sprint over the Spanish Laura Garcia-Caro. “I came from a series of physical problems and characterized by a technical change – added Palmisano who when she won the Olympic gold in 2021 was coached by Patrizio Parcesepe -. The European title demonstrates how the path chosen is right. I dedicate the medal to Massimo Stano, I know how difficult it is to watch from home and I also know that this gold will give him the motivation to go strong at the Games.
Now we’re trying to win again in Paris.” Fresh from world gold in the mixed race together with Francesco Fortunato, Trapletti (Army) said, “I’m in disbelief, I believed it, I’ve always believed it, but I didn’t expect a result like this. ‘great: Rome is a magical city, the audience was crazy, they pushed me so much that at a certain point I no longer understood anything.”
