Learn about one of the most unique Olympic sports.
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As the name suggests, racewalking is a sport in which participants race to the finish line, but they have to walk. The line between walking and running comes down to whether or not the racer breaks contact with the ground during his stride. So the first rule of racewalking is that the racer must take steps in such a way that at least one foot is always in contact with the ground, even when the racer is switching feet. This could, theoretically, produce gaits that are still not racewalking, so the second rule of racewalking is that the racer’s forward leg must remain straightened from the moment of first contact with the ground until the racer’s body has passed over it. This differentiates racewalking from powerwalking, where the main goal is to move as much as possible.
In practice, these rules are enforced by judges without any visual aids. In Olympic racewalking, eight judges are placed around a two-kilometer loop to watch for infractions. A judge generally flashes a yellow card to warn a racer that they are breaking form, then a red card if it is not corrected. If three different judges give a racer a red card, that racer is disqualified. The racers can check their red card status on a sign board on the course.
Early walking competitions were more about spectacle than rules or form. In the 16th and 17th centuries, long distance walking competitions began to gain popularity in Europe, with individuals making wagers that they could walk hundreds of miles over the course of several days. Eventually, noblemen began scheduling walking races between their footmen, who were well-trained from walking alongside the nobleman’s carriage during travel. By the mid-18th century, a sport called “pedestrianism” introduced regulations to these walking competitions, and quickly gained popularity in Europe and the US. Competitors would walk for six days, covering 600 miles, and only stopping for short naps inside the track. Crowds would gather with brass bands and food vendors to watch the races and place bets on the outcome. Pedestrianism morphed into modern racewalking, which was introduced as an Olympic sport in 1904. Today, the Summer Olympics includes a 20 km (12.4 mi) race for both men and women, and a 50 km (31.1 mi) race for men.
Despite its historical popularity, modern racewalking is generally only on the public’s mind every four years, when it is often the butt of jokes. The swivelling gait of the racers, intended to quickly propel the leg forward, often attracts ridicule. Other controversies revolve around high speed photography or slow motion cameras catching racers breaking contact with the ground. However, the rules of racewalking state that infractions minor enough or quick enough that they cannot be seen by the unaided human eye are, in fact, allowed. The relatively large number of disqualifications in Olympic race walking events is also a matter of contention, especially as disqualifications can occur in the final moments of a race, leading to confusion over who has won. Regardless, racewalking remains a mainstay of the Summer Olympics, with elite athletes performing on par with world-class runners. Providing a unique combination of technique and endurance, racewalking has a small but devoted following, and is unlikely to leave the world stage any time soon.
27 сен 2017
