For the 23-year-old number 1 from Abruzzo in the fast blue middle distance runner, an unexpected half-step at the world championships in Eugene
Giorgio Rondelli
July 17
First eliminated on the field. Then also disqualified by the judges. As already last year at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Gaia Sabbatini’s adventure at the Eugene World Championships stops in the semifinal of the 1500 meters. But let’s go in order. The 24 middle distance runners who passed the heats on Friday are divided into two semifinals of twelve athletes. The system for reaching the final is very simple: the first five classified of each heat and the two best times pass the round. Gaia Sabbatini is included in the second semifinal. First semifinal. Leads the Ethiopian Freweyni Hailu with passage to 400 in 1.05.06. In the second lap the Australian Jessica Hull detects it with 2.13.35 at 800. Then the Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay, one of the great favorites for medals, is unleashed with a very fast third lap in 1.01.07 which brings the athletes to 1200 in 3.15.42. Tsegay wins in 4.01.28 dragging behind her the British Linda Muir 4.01.78, the Hull 4.01.81, the compatriot Hailu 4.02.28 and the American Cori Ann Mc Gee 4.02.74. The first two times that can be recovered are by the Kenyan Winni Chebet 4.03.08 and by the Iberian Marta Perez 4.04.24.
second semifinal
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For the first 800 meters, with the Japanese Nozomi Tanaka at the command in 1.06.24 and 2.13.24, the passages are practically photocopied with those of the first semifinal. The big difference by default occurs instead in the third lap when the Kenyan Faith Kipyegon, world champion in the specialty, leads the group, who does not significantly increase the pace of the race as Tsegay did in the first semifinal. The passage to 1200 meters in 3.18.54 slower by 3 seconds already makes it clear that in this semifinal there will be no times recovered but it will absolutely be necessary to enter the top five on arrival. Sabbatini, always in the middle of the group and on the rope for the rest of the race, starts the last 400 meters in eighth position. Which remains the same even at 1200 and 1300 meters. Then the blue literally changes gear and at the final 100 meters she is already sixth. But she is still on the tightrope with space closed to make more overtaking. So to create it she makes the fatal mistake of giving Ugandan Winnie Nanyondo a featherweight of just over 45 kilograms that inevitably ends up on the land. In the passage that opened too hard, Sabbatini catapulted herself to conquer fifth place. She struggles useless because in the last 30 meters she undergoes the comeback of the Polish Sofia Ennaoui who blows it to her in 4.05.17. Before her had arrived the Kipyegon 4.03.98, the Ethiopian Hirut Meshesha 4.04.05, the American Sinclaire Johnson 4.04.51 and the Australian Georgia Griffith 4.05.16.
out of the final
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Sabbatini finishes sixth in 4.05.41. However out of the twelve finalists. Then comes the inevitable disqualification for the damage caused to Nanyondo. For the 23 year old number one from Abruzzo in the fast blue middle distance runner an unexpected half-step. But also a lot of experience to treasure for his athletic future. In the 800 and 1500 meter races, when there are no hares to dictate the pace and lengthen the line, if you are not lucid on the tactical level you inevitably end up paying the duty. Also because having talent is not always enough to make up for it in very frantic endings.
July 17, 2022 – 12:59 pm
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