Elisa Marini placed eighth in the 10,000m walk at the European Under-20 Championships.

From Finland came what is likely definitive confirmation of the not only national, but also continental, value of Elisa Marini, the CUS Macerata race walker. In Tampere, the CUS athlete competed in the 10,000m track walk at the European Under-20 Championships. She did so, finishing a respectable 8th, and the merit of the result is perhaps best illustrated by her time. Marini improved her personal best to 45:43.9. This time (she finished second among our Italian athletes) is the fourth fastest ever in Italy in the women's Junior race walk. Furthermore, with the time set in Tampere by the second-place finisher, she would have won the Under-23 race a month ago. This is a testament to the high level of competitors her age. This was Marini's second time competing for Italy; there was a previous race in May in the Czech Republic, also in the 10km (road walk in that case), and she finished ninth.

Andrea Scoppa