Italy Shines in Race Walking at European Athletics Championships
Listen to the story
Italy had an excellent sixth day at the European Athletics Championships. Several Italian athletes won medals in different events.
Massimo Stano won the gold medal in the race walking marathon. Race walking is a demanding sport where athletes must always keep one foot on the ground while moving as fast as possible.
Meanwhile, Sofia Fiorini was leading her own race after just one kilometre. Fans followed her progress closely, hoping she would add another medal for Italy.
In the running half marathon, an athlete named Mihai took the silver medal. A half marathon is a popular long-distance race, shorter than a full marathon.
Italy also performed strongly in the race walking half marathon. Fortunato finished in second place, winning silver, while Cosi took third place and earned the bronze medal.
These results meant that Italy claimed several places on the podium during the day, a very successful outcome for the national team.
The European Championships bring together the best athletes from across Europe to compete in various track and field events, including distance running and race walking.
Overall, it was described as a wonderful day for Italian athletics, with strong performances across multiple disciplines.
Vocabulary7 words
- European Athletics Championships
- a big sports event where European countries compete
- gold medal
- the prize given for finishing first
- race walking
- a sport where athletes walk fast without running
- half marathon
- a running race about 21 kilometres long
- silver medal
- the prize given for finishing second
- bronze medal
- the prize given for finishing third
- podium
- the place where medal winners stand
Quiz
Answer key
1. The race walking marathon 2. Fortunato and Cosi 3. False
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Italy had an excellent sixth day at the _____. Several Italian athletes won medals in different events.
Massimo Stano won the _____ in the race walking marathon.
Race walking is a demanding sport where athletes must always keep one foot on the _____.
Sofia Fiorini was leading her own race after just one _____.
In the running half marathon, an athlete named Mihai took the _____.
Fortunato finished in second place, winning silver, while Cosi took third place and earned the _____.
These results meant that Italy claimed several places on the _____ during the day.
The European Championships bring together the best _____ from across Europe.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think race walking has strict rules about keeping one foot on the ground?
- How important are events like the European Athletics Championships for national pride?
- Do you prefer watching running races or race walking? Why?
- What qualities do you think athletes need to succeed in long-distance events like marathons?