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2012 - 20K Olympic Trials Race Walks Photo Story

Walking 50 laps on the track can break weaker minded athletes, but not America's best race walkers. NYAC was well represented up front with the Athlete/Coach duo of Barron and Seaman pulling away from the field at a slower than A-standard race pace. It is common practice to walk the first 1-2K slightly slower than your goal race pace and then once warmed up, pick up the pace. Following in the hunt was our second pack of verteran John Nunn and a suprisingly bold Nick Christie.

Barron and Seaman defied the theory of relativity and managed to walk so fast the lap counters could keep up. Even though it still reads 49 on the electronic lap counter, the teammates completed another lap pulling slightly further ahead of Nunn and Christy. The four leaders opened a sizable lead over the rest of the field establishing early that this was a race between just a few contenders.

The 3rd pack was led by Richard Luettchau and fan favorite Mike "Italian Stallion" Mannozzi. Mannozzi has much fun with his namesake, which he bestowed to himself as a honor to his father who passed away when Mannozzi was 14.

Filling out the back of the field was a conservitively walking Ben Shorey and the oldest ever participant in the Olympic Trials at the age of 55, Jonathon Matthews.

For a lap it looked like Nunn might go with the leaders, but he was content to walk in third and pull Nick Christie along as Barron and Seaman walked toward the goal of an A-standard.

The men's 20K story continues...