World Records Shattered in Birmingham Walking Races; Lithuanian Athlete Finishes 25th

The European Championships in Birmingham saw world records tumble in the walking races, with Spanish athlete Maria Perez setting a new global benchmark in the 21km event. Perez crossed the finish line in 1:30:06, out-pacing Italy's Alexandrina Mihai and Ukraine's Liudmila Olianovska. The marathon walking race also witnessed a world record, achieved by Italy's Sofia Fiorini with a time of 3:15:11. Massimo Stano of Italy set a new European record in the men's marathon walk, completing the distance in 2:56:49. For Lithuania, Austėja Kavaliauskaitė competed in the half-marathon, finishing 25th out of 30 participants with a time of 1:43:16. Kavaliauskaitė expressed dissatisfaction with her performance, stating she had hoped for a better result and felt hampered by minor injuries. She noted that while the weather was favorable, the 1km loop course presented challenges, with frequent overtaking potentially hindering speed. Despite the personal disappointment, she acknowledged the equal conditions for all competitors.

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I don't rate my performance well, I expected a better result. I didn't feel very good before the competition either, I had micro-traumas. I'm glad I finished.