The 94th edition of the Poděbrady Walking meeting is approaching, and organizers are revealing the biggest stars of the women’s race.
The premiere of the women’s race walking half marathon at the Poděbrady Walking meeting promises a spectacular show. On the Lázeňská Colonnade, Olympic champion Antonella Palmisano will face two-time world champion Kimberly García León and World Championships medalist Paula Torres.
Italian Olympic champion from the Tokyo 2021 Games, Antonella Palmisano, will compete in Poděbrady for the twelfth time. She knows the Lázeňská Colonnade course perfectly and has enjoyed remarkable success there, having stood on the podium ten times. Four of those occasions were at the European Race Walking Team Championships. In 2017, she won the then European Cup, and four years later she dominated the competition again under its current name. She later added silver medals in 2023 and 2025. Last year, she followed up with another silver at the World Championships in Tokyo in the 35 km race. As for the Poděbrady Walking meeting itself, she won it six years ago and will undoubtedly be among the favorites again this year.
However, South American race walkers have confirmed excellent form in recent weeks. Peru’s Kimberly García León already triumphed in Poděbrady two years ago, when she completed the 20 km in a superb 1:27:08. León particularly shone at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, where she won both the 20 km and 35 km events. At the recent World Race Walking Team Championships in Brasília, she comfortably dominated the half marathon.
At the same championships, Ecuador’s Paula Torres dominated the double distance. She is also a bronze medalist from the most recent World Championships in Tokyo in the 35 km event, where she also finished fourth in the 20 km race. She has competed in Poděbrady only once so far, finishing eighth in 2024.
Another elite representative of Ecuador’s strong race walking tradition will be Johana Ordóñez. Her greatest career achievement so far is victory at the 2019 Pan American Games. She has already stood on the podium in Poděbrady once, finishing third four years ago.
The biggest home hope will be Ema Klimentová, who finished sixth at last year’s European U23 Championships in Bergen and ninth at the Universiade in Bochum.
