Paula Torres and Caio Bonfim reigned supreme at the Grande Premio Internacional de Rio Maior – a World Athletics Race Walking Tour Gold meeting – on Saturday (12)
For the Ecuadorean champion it was a second Tour win inside a month
Torres added this 20km win to the 35km title she lifted at Dudince
and in doing so beat defending champion Kimberly Garcia - again
Peru’s two-time world champion Garcia had no answer shortly before 15km when Torres pushed on to make it a happy March-April double.
The women started 12 minutes earlier than the men
and the main six in a modest field wasted no time in chalking up the first 1km lap in a quick 4:23
That six became four just a few hundred metres later to leave Spain’s Laura Garcia-Caro
Garcia and Johana Ordonez from Ecuador on their own
but she had three early evening shadows just five or so metres back.
and well within the leaders’ comfort zone
a seemingly significant three seconds separated Garcia from Torres and Garcia-Caro
Ordonez has a PB of 1:29:58 but her best this year is a modest 1:37:52 and it showed as she rapidly fell away.
but Torres calmly worked her way back into contention
she quickened her step to put fading daylight between her and the Peruvian
She dug deep to hold the gap to a mere three seconds at 17km
Garcia kept it that way all the way to the final lap when Torres lit the afterburners to add another 15 seconds and breast the tape in 1:29:37 to 1:29:52.
The sky was full of cloud but it was still a warm 21 degrees despite the 5pm staggered start for the men
Fast start didn’t do justice to the race
Bonfim took off like he had an early dinner date
with the rest already appearing to fight over the leftovers
Italy’s Gianluca Picchiottino and Perseus Karlstrom gave chase and notched a first circuit well under four minutes
but not that fast for race walkers of this calibre
Bonfim underlined his 2025 form to forge a real gap over the chasing pair
The cap-wearing Swede upped his tempo to catch the Brazilian and walk tandem for the next lap
But Bonfim gave it a second thrust before half way
with Karlstrom walking in his wake for just a few seconds before
well within the capabilities of men who have dipped under 78 minutes for the whole distance
it was Karlstrom’s turn to test the water
but that became a nine seconds gap one tour later - and the race was over
A tiring Karlstrom could offer no response and had no choice but to give way
It allowed Bonfim a relative stroll to the line for a final 1:20:47 to the Swede’s 1:21:26
He tired even more so than Karlstrom and got passed in the last two laps by Callum Wilkinson and Joao Vieira
The Portuguese athlete was eventually outsprinted to the line by the Briton – a race walker barely a month old even when Vieira was walking 1:20:59 for the distance.
And Viera finished only three minutes outside that in this race
Caio Bonfim and Paula Torres are favourites for the Grande Prémio Internacional de Rio Maior – a World Athletics Race Walking Tour Gold meeting – on Saturday (12)
although Kimberly Garcia might have something to say about that
winner of the women’s 20km in Rio Maior last year
is hoping to avenge defeat to Torres in Dudince last month
Olympic champion Brian Pintado was meant to have toed the line in Dudince
but a slight groin strain put paid to that
the Ecuadoran champion is forced to pull out of this one too
Pintado will undergo surgery in Barcelona for a hip problem this week that leaves the men’s race open to Bonfim and others
will mount determined challenges to the Brazilian
The last was a creditable sixth at the Paris Olympics with 1:19:31 and a national record
World silver medallist Karlstrom posted a speedy 1:18:35 at a super-fast World Race Walking Tour Gold race in Taicang at the beginning of March
2:27:20 for 35km in January underlined a solid winter’s training for the Swedish race walker
Bonfim placed sixth in that race in Taicang
the Olympic silver medallist set a Brazilian record of 1:17:37 in the same Kobe race where Toshikazu Yamanishi broke the world record
Cesar Rodriguez appears ready to get among these
The Peruvian has a 1:18:23 PB from last year
and a competitive fourth-place finish in the Olympic mixed relay where he partnered Garcia
The supporting cast of Italy’s Gianluca Picchiottino
Italy’s Michele Antonelli and Britain’s Callum Wilkinson suggests a healthy throng at the front – at least in the early stages
but he is almost certain to be the first home-grown athlete across the line – again
The two-time world medallist from Portugal was 49 in February
but even so posted a healthy 1:25:28 last month on home soil
He’s become the new Jesus Angel Garcia
the Spaniard who kept competing at a high level until he was 51
and made two Olympic and six World Championships appearances
Vieira looks more than capable of another two years
The women’s race is set to be an intriguing battle between Garcia and Torres
If Torres can reproduce the form shown in Dudince just under a month ago in this race
Torres set an Ecuadorian 35km record of 2:44:26 and beat the two-time world champion into a very distant second by 83 seconds
Laura Garcia-Caro is putting a tentative toe back into international athletics
The Spaniard hopes her one moment of world-wide recognition won’t be looking over her shoulder aghast at the fast-finishing Lyudmyla Olyanovska five metres from the line at last year’s European Championships
Garcia went viral when celebrating a beat too early and watched open-mouthed as a bronze medal faded to black
It will be safe to assume she will have eyes only for the finish line in Rio Maior
Vitória Oliveira is the fastest Portuguese entrant
but in 2025 performances is exactly five minutes behind Torres: 1:28:48 to 1:33:48
and even further back on the PBs from Garcia and Garcia-Caro
Rodrigo Mora scored a sensational goal to send Porto to a 1-0 victory against Casa Pia at Estádio Municipal de Rio Maior
the 17-year-old producing a pirouette that left José Fonte prone on the pitch before piercing the far corner
The Dragons were unable to extend their lead before the break
the second half a snooze fest that saw Casa Pia unable to seriously test Diogo Costa
André Villas-Boas will be delighted to see his standout star continue to shine
the teenager taking some focus off the 4-1 defeat to Benfica at Estádio do Dragão
Miguel Sousa missed a golden opportunity to put Casa Pia ahead in the fourth minute
sent clear by Gaizka Larrazabal but shooting straight at Diogo Costa who made himself big
A minute's silence had been observed for Aurélio Pereira
the legendary scout who spotted future stars including Luis Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo
another Portuguese teenager would go viral with one for the highlight reel and instagram feeds
Fábio Vieira sent Francisco Moura clear, the full-back picking out Rodrigo Mora who spun past 41-year-old José Fonte with a sensational piece of skill, falling as he steered the ball past Patrick Sequeira. At 17 years and 11 months, Mora became the youngest Porto player ever to reach six league goals, achieving the feat two months younger than club legend Fernando Gomes.
João Mário and Deniz Gül had chances before Mora was brought down by Fonte on the edge of the box, the clear foul going unpunished.
Casa Pia made a game of it after the break, Larrazabal with the hosts’ second and final shot on target in the 63rd minute. Porto held on under late pressure, but all the talk will continue to surround Rodrigo Mora.
Predicted lineups are available for the match a few days in advance while the actual lineup will be available about an hour ahead of the match
The current head to head record for the teams are Casa Pia AC 1 win(s)
Max Svensson has the most shots on target per match for Casa Pia AC (1.3)
Patrick Sequeira is ranked 1 in saves per match in the competition (3.7)
Have scored 5 goals in their last 5 matches
Haven't scored in their last 2 matches
Andre Lacximicant has the most shots on target per match for Estoril (1.6)
29 Apr 2025 19:30:00 GMT?Estoril won 3–1 over Casa Pia AC on Tue
29 Apr 2025 19:30:00 GMT.InsightsHave scored 4 goals in their last 5 matches
Casa Pia AC is playing home against Estoril at Estádio Municipal de Rio Maior on Tue
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Casa Pia stun Benfica 3-1 in Rio Maior | OneFootballPortuGOAL
Casa Pia continued their sensational season with a shock 3-1 win over Benfica to put a huge dent in the Eagles’ title hopes
A surprise result did not look on the cards early on as the visitors were rewarded for a strong start with the opening goal by Ángel Di María from the penalty spot
But Casa Pia gradually worked their way into the game
equalising in the 32nd minute as Cassiano punished an António Silva mistake with a fine 25-yard finish
Second-half goals by Nuno Moreira and Jérémy Livolant completed the victory for the hosts to make it 5 wins and a draw in Casa Pia’s last six Primeira Liga matches
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on purchasing the Cibele solar park in Rio Maior and Cadaval from Lightsource BP
a global leader in developing and managing large-scale onshore renewable energy projects
With a power capacity of 130 megawatts (MW) to be developed and a wind power capacity of 100 MW
the Cibele solar park is a further addition to the renewable energy assets that Exus is developing on the Iberian Peninsula
Exus expects work to start in the coming months and the infrastructure to be operational in 2026
while the strategic location of this solar park could later include a wind farm
the company is currently developing 200 MW of wind and solar assets
with another 70 MW under construction and 130 MW already operational
Exus manages over 6 GW of renewable energy assets
“This transaction not only bolsters our commitment to supporting green initiatives, but also reflects our expertise in managing complex renewable energy projects,” said Francisco Santos Costa.
Let us know your interests and receive our legal alerts:
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Casa Pia continued their sensational season with a shock 3-1 win over Benfica to put a huge dent in the Eagles’ title hopes.
A surprise result did not look on the cards early on as the visitors were rewarded for a strong start with the opening goal by Ángel Di María from the penalty spot.
But Casa Pia gradually worked their way into the game, equalising in the 32nd minute as Cassiano punished an António Silva mistake with a fine 25-yard finish.
Second-half goals by Nuno Moreira and Jérémy Livolant completed the victory for the hosts to make it 5 wins and a draw in Casa Pia’s last six Primeira Liga matches.
Patrick Sequeira is ranked 2 in saves per match in the competition (3.8)
Have scored 6 goals in their last 5 matches
Rio Ave haven't lost to Casa Pia AC in their last 5 meetings (2W, 3D).
Haven't kept a clean sheet in 18 matches
29 Mar 2025 15:30:00 GMT?Casa Pia AC won 2–1 over Rio Ave on Sat
29 Mar 2025 15:30:00 GMT.InsightsHave scored 5 goals in their last 5 matches
Rio Ave haven't lost to Casa Pia AC in their last 5 meetings (2W
Casa Pia AC is playing home against Rio Ave at Estádio Municipal de Rio Maior on Sat
There were comfortable wins for Brian Pintado and Kimberly Garcia at the Grande Prémio Internacional de Rio Maior on Saturday (11) – the latest Gold stop of the World Athletics Race Walking Tour
the staggered start of the men’s and women’s 20km saw both cross the finish line in the same minute
It also brought a welcome return to racing following disqualification at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships Antalya 24
But Garcia had Mexico’s Alejandra Ortega for company right up to the last one-kilometre circuit
It was a warm 19C despite the early evening start
2022 double world champion Garcia was hard to spot at the start
black kinaesthetic tape from knee to glute muscles and topped off with dark glasses
She also modestly hung back at the 6pm start
the Peruvian was content to leave three others to take it on with home hope Vitoria Oliveira leading the charge
The opening kilometre was a pedestrian 4:43 and when Mexico’s Valeria Ortuno and Erica Sena went through the line for the second lap in 9:10
and the first four were walking single file
Garcia was six seconds behind Ortuno at the front
but that slight gap was coming down inch by inch
The status quo was preserved at quarter distance reached in 22:49
Garcia ominously drew alongside Oliveira with the other two a couple of seconds ahead
Ortega was moving though the gears and soon changed the look of the leaders
She actually passed 10km first in 45:51 although Garcia
Oliveira and Sena were treading on her heels as Ortuno began to suffer
It remained the same through the next four laps
but at 15km Oliveira’s brave bid for glory was done
It was now a three-woman race between Garcia
39-year-old Sena felt the increased pace and was forced to give way
but up front the battle for first was still very much on – or so it seemed
There was very much a feeling the world’s No.1 ranked race walker was biding her time after three big races in a little over a month
Garcia did just enough to come home in 1:30:35 with Ortega five seconds back
Kimberly Garcia wins in Rio Maior (© Organisers)
The Mexican was a lowly 30th in Podebrady in April and ninth last week in Warsaw
but took second place here in a season’s best of 1:30:40
Sena was a distant third in 1:31:17 while Hungary’s Rita Recei just inched ahead of a tiring Oliveira for fourth
five went through the first kilometre and a blanket would have covered cover the lot
Pablo Rodriguez were slightly ahead of Pintado at a steady four minutes plus for each 1km lap
although that slowed to 12:12 when they went through 3km
Turkey’s Demir was content to hang off the back by a second
but it was shoulder to shoulder for the other four leaders
was slowing ever so slightly that saw the five through a sixth lap in a comfortable 24:28
Segura from Mexico sensed his chance to make the podium
so he and Pintado went away leaving the other three in their wake
Segura suddenly called it a day just before 10km but it was hammer down for the eventual winner
Pintado reached halfway in 40:22 and quickly found 16 seconds on the three chasers that included Tur from Spain
The Ecuadorean pushed on to double the gap by 14km although behind him chinks of evening light appeared between Rodriguez
Tur and Demir as they battled for the places
Rodriguez was now 38 seconds back; Tur added another two to the deficit
and Demir was six seconds behind the Spaniard
That battle for second and third was done and dusted on lap 18 with Rodriguez forging an 11-second gap over Tur
Pintado went through the gears over the last two kilometres to come home in 1:19:57
It might have been a few seconds quicker had he not stopped to wrestle with an Ecuadoran flag he attempted to drape over his shoulders as he strolled through the line
Tur in 1:21:09 and Demir a distant 1:22:11
Women1 Kimberly Garcia (PER) 1:30:352 Alejandra Ortega (MEX) 1:30:403 Erica Sena (BRA) 1:31:174 Rita Recsei (HUN) 1:32:225 Vitoria Oliveira (POR) 1:32:32
Men1 Brian Pintado (ECU) 1:19:572 Cesar Rodriguez (PER) 1:20:473 Marc Tur (ESP) 1:21:094 Mazlum Demir (TUR) 1:22:115 Bence Venyercsan (HUN) 1:24:11
Renewable energy producer Neoen has begun construction on what it is calling Portugal’s largest PV plant
a 272MWp facility comprising two contiguous solar projects
The park is expected to be commissioned in early 2024
the park will consist of the Torre Bela solar farm (68MWp) and the Rio Maior solar farm (204MWp)
The park will be connected to the REN substation by a 400kV overhead line
The park is expected to produce around 500GWh of electricity once fully operational
80% of the power produced by the two projects will be purchased by the Portuguese state through two 15-year power purchase agreements (PPA) expected to kick in in 2025
whilst the remaining capacity will be sold on the electricity market
said: “It gives us great satisfaction to see the Rio Maior and Torre Bela solar farms get off the drawing board: their construction will bring Portugal closer to its objective of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.”
Spanish construction group Aldesa will oversee engineering
procurement and construction for the project; Neoen said that the park will be constructed in plots of 20 hectares separated by green corridors to maintain local areas of biodiversity
and that 6,000 cork oak trees will be preserved in the protected spaces around the park
Last week, Neoen signed a 90MW PPA with clothing retailer H&M for a solar park it operates in Sweden
The Portuguese government recently announced changes to the permitting process for Solar projects, reducing the environmental assessments required for projects of up to 100 hectares
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A fire that broke out this afternoon in a bread factory
caused part of the building to collapse and forced the evacuation of 94 workers
“The flames are consuming the roof area of the building
from production to administrative services
having already destroyed part of the factory”
the second sub-regional commander of Lezíria do Tejo told the Lusa agency
belonging to Sociedade Panificadora Costa & Ferreira
of which 94 were working and “had to be removed”
“three workers were treated on site for smoke inhalation”
there were 18 vehicles and 45 operational personnel from the corporations of Rio Maior
There were also members of the GNR and the Rio Maior Chamber at the scene
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By IPE staff2025-01-08T14:23:00+00:00
Exus Renewables has acquired the 130MW ready-to-build Cibele solar farm
located in the municipalities of Rio Maior and Cadaval in Portugal
a developer and manager of utility-scale onshore renewable energy projects
The project represents another substantial addition to Exus’ s expanding renewable energy footprint in Iberia
following the acquisition of the Cascante 51MW Spanish wind farm earlier this year
which is under construction and will become operational in 2025
Construction for this latest acquisition is slated to begin in the coming months
and the facility is scheduled to enter operation in 2026
said: “This acquisition marks a significant step forward in Exus’ s journey to becoming a leading global independent power producer and further enhances our renewable energy asset portfolio in Europe
“Lightsource has done an impressive job of laying the initial groundwork for the development of the Cibele solar farm
and we’re excited to be taking on its construction and subsequent operation
The project will enable us to continue making smart investment decisions
while delivering on our mission to create a greener and more sustainable future for all.”
country head for Portugal at Lightsource said: “We are pleased with the outcome of this operation in collaboration with Exus
as transactions of this kind are a clear demonstration of how partnerships between renewable energy developers and investors can play a vital role in advancing the energy transition
This operation will allow Lightsource bp to continue to grow
further expanding our investment reach to a greater number of projects.”
Exus has extensive experience and expertise in developing
and operating both owned and third-party assets in Portugal
The team in Portugal is currently developing 200MW of wind and solar assets
with an additional 70MW under construction
Exus currently manages over 6GW of renewable energy assets and plans to continue expanding its portfolio over the coming years by acquiring
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It’s round two for Kimberly Garcia and Erica Sena at the Grande Prémio Internacional de Rio Maior on Saturday (11) – the next Gold stop on the World Athletics Race Walking Tour
Last year in the Portuguese town north of Lisbon
double 2022 world champion Garcia had to settle for fourth behind world record holder Yang Jiayu and her Chinese teammates Qieyang Shijie and Yang Liujing
But there are no Chinese race walkers in this year’s race
no one else in this race is remotely close to the Peruvian and Brazilian
Wind back the clock 12 months and Sena and Garcia enjoyed a battle royal in Warsaw at the Korzeniowski Race Walks before heading on to Rio Maior
Garcia won in Poland after coming from behind as Sena heaped on the pressure from halfway – and both have had great starts to 2024
After a hiccup earlier this year in Dudince where she pulled out after just 2km
Garcia bounced back to win both the Podebrady leg of the series and the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships Antalya 24
just 32 seconds shy of her PB from June last year
Sena was third in Antalya – her highest placing in a global race since the 2016 edition in Rome – in 1:29:22
just half a minute shy of her 2023 season’s best
the past two years have been something of a renaissance for the race walker who celebrated her 39th birthday earlier in the week
The card she may have up her sleeve is racing sparingly in contrast to Garcia’s two big efforts in the past four weeks
it should be a hat-trick of wins for the Peruvian
but Sena is an experienced athlete and gave Garcia a fright in Warsaw last year
places one and two are filled but there is plenty of competition for third on the podium
Hungary’s Rita Recsei is the next best ranked with 1:31:40 from the 28-year-old’s national championships in March
a PB from only the Spaniard’s second 20km race which was in Antalya
The men’s race should produce a second South American battle
Brian Pintado hopes to make it two in a row after his 2023 win in 1:19:05
the Ecuadorean’s march to glory was halted in Antalya with a surprising disqualification
But he did record 1:19:44 for second in Podebrady to go with a 35km silver medal at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23
as well as a 1:18:26 PB at the shorter distance
Peru’s César Rodriguez will be hoping to find chinks in Pintado’s armour
The 26-year-old won in Podebrady in a breakthrough PB of 1:19:41
but slipped to 1:22:01 and 25th in Antalya – the result of a two-minute penalty on the final lap
It’s possible both will tread a careful line and leave judges to scrutinise others
The 30-year-old has been knocking on the door of a first podium place in a major race – and this could be it
He improved his PB by more than a minute to 1:20:08 in Budapest and shaved off another four seconds in Antalya for sixth place
Misgana Fekanska is in the same ball park as Jiminez
He is the first senior Ethiopian to make waves on the global race walk scene and a welcome addition at that
Kenya and Ethiopia are giants at distance running
but boast very few to make an impact in big race walking events
Fekanska has the advantage of training at altitude
His national record of 1:20:51 in Antalya for a top-10 finish promises a bright future
especially as he’s not even 20 until July
who clocked 1:21:42 at his national championships in March; Turkey’s Mazlum Demir
the 2021 European Cup winner at 50km and fourth at the last Olympics at the same distance
His best this year is 1:21:14 from the Spanish Championships in February
Probably the loudest cheers on the Rio Maior course will be for bib number 41
João Vieira is seven years older than his race number
but the Portuguese has picked up the venerable mantle of the great Spaniard
who walked his last major race at age 52 in 2021
Vieira pocketed silver and bronze at two previous World Championships and recorded 1:22:27 for 11th in Podebrady
past winners of the Grande Premio Internacional de Rio Maior em Marcha Atletica
are among the leading athletes confirmed for the World Athletics Race Walking Tour Gold meeting on Saturday (7)
Portugal’s top race walking competition hasn’t been staged since 2019
But the event returns this weekend and features strong fields of South American and European athletes
who won in the Portuguese town back in 2014
was just seven seconds shy of his PB and makes him the fastest men in this year’s field
The 31-year-old was fourth in Rio Maior in 2019 but will be keen to make it back on to the podium
Ecuador’s Pan-American champion Brian Pintado was fourth in Podebrady last month
It followed on from a fourth-place finish at the World Race Walking Team Championships in Muscat
Pintado’s highest placing in a senior global event
and last month he clocked a swift 39:20.52 for 10,000m
Peru’s Cesar Rodrigues may not have the fastest PB of the field (1:22:11)
Pintado and Hurtado at the South American Championships on home soil in Lima earlier this year
who placed fourth at the South American Championships
Chocho has one of the fastest PBs of the field
but this is also his first 20km race of the year
the fourth-place finisher over 50km at last year’s Olympics
will be competing below his preferred distance
but the Spaniard should still be competitive
He was second at the Spanish Championships earlier this year
Other contenders include Colombia’s Manuel Soto
The Peruvian race walker has achieved podium finishers in all three of her races this year
but will be seeking her first victory following her runner-up finishes at the South American Championships
and a third-place finish at the World Race Walking Team Championships in Muscat
The 28-year-old has a PB of 1:28:56 and a season’s best of 1:32:00
But her 1:32:27 clocking in the heat of Muscat suggests Garcia is capable of a much quicker time in kinder conditions
The vastly experienced Portuguese duo Ana Cabecinha and Ines Henriques look to be Garcia’s strongest opponents
heads to Rio Maior off the back of winning the national title
She also has the quickest season’s best of the field (1:31:21)
will be contesting her first 20km of the year
She will be keen to atone for her performance in Muscat
Clemence Beretta is also one to look out for
The French race walker placed 17th in Muscat
but then rebounded with a PB of 1:32:02 in Podebrady one month later
Qieyang and Stano win 35km race walk debuts i..
The Rio Maior International Race Walking Grand Prix returns to the Portuguese municipality on Saturday (18) with a host of world and Olympic medallists set to compete at the IAAF Race Walking Challenge meeting
In both the men’s and women’s 20km events
the overall 2014 IAAF Race Walking Challenge winners will be up against the defending champions
Ukraine’s reigning challenge winner Ruslan Dmytrenko will face Brazil’s Caio Bonfim
will line up against last year’s Rio Maior champion Vera Santos of Portugal
South American champion Bonfim has so far this year finished third in Lugano and fourth in Dudince and Podebrady
but he has clocked times of 1:22:00 and 1:21:43
which is significantly quicker than the marks he was producing at this stage of the season last year
IAAF World Race Walking Cup winner Dmytrenko will be contesting his first race of 2015
so the Ukrainian record-holder’s current form is unknown
World 50km race walk champion Robert Heffernan will be contesting his first 20km race of 2015
The 37-year-old from Ireland recently clocked 3:48:44 in Dudince
his fastest 50km performance outside of a major championship
Fellow 50km specialist Matej Toth will be making his first appearance in Rio Maior since his victory here in 2012
The Slovakian recently clocked the third-fastest time in history over 50km with 3:34:38 in Dudince and last week the European silver medallist placed second over 20km in Podebrady
Two Olympic medallists will also be in the field
Guatemala’s Olympic silver medallist Erick Barrondo heads to Rio Maior after finishing second in Chihuahua and third in Podebrady
while Olympic bronze medallist Wang Zhen leads a strong Chinese contingent which also includes Olympic fourth-place finisher Cai Zelin
Wang recently won the Chinese World Championships 20km trial race
who triumphed over 50km at that competition
Aside from the likes of Bonfim and Barrondo
there will be a notable presence of athletes from Central and South America
2011 world bronze medallist Luis Fernando Lopez will be joined by Colombian compatriot Eider Arevalo
the 2012 world junior champion who last year broke Lopez’s national record with 1:19:45
Following second-place finishes in Dudince and Chihuahua this year
Ecuadoran 50km record-holder Andres Chocho will be joined in Rio Maior by Mexico’s 2009 world bronze medallist Eder Sanchez
Other European contenders in the field include the recently improved Bertrand Moulinet from France
whose recent 1:19:18 clocking makes him the fastest in the field this year
Joining him are Poland’s Rafal Augustyn
Ukraine’s World Championships 50km fourth-place finisher Igor Hlavan
Italian duo Giorgio Rubino and Matteo Giupponi
whose two victories in Rio Maior came 16 years apart
In all but one of the past 23 editions of the International Race Walking Grand Prix in Rio Maior
the women’s 20km has been won by European athletes
The only non-European winner to date was China’s 1999 world 20km champion Liu Hongyu
her near-namesake Liu Hong will aim to get China back on top of the podium in the Portuguese municipality
who has won medals at the past three World Championships
has already got her season off to a strong start after clocking 1:27:39 at China’s World Championships trials
beaten only by the Asian record-breaking performance by Lu Xiuzhi
Liu’s consistency in 2014 – which included a second-place finish at the World Race Walking Cup – was rewarded by her overall victory in the IAAF Race Walking Challenge
and she will be looking to replicate that success this year by scoring valuable points this weekend
But the in-form Italian Eleonora Giorgi could scupper Liu’s plans
The 25-year-old powered to victory in Dudince earlier this year
making her the fastest race walker this year of the entries in Rio Maior
Liu will be joined by compatriot Qieyang Shenjie
the athlete who broke Liu’s Asian 20km record when taking bronze at the London 2012 Olympics
After finishing fourth at her country’s World Championships Trials and seeing her own national record broken
In a race that doubles up as the Portuguese Championships
there will be a strong contingent from the host nation
but set her lifetime best of 1:28:02 less than a year ago
Joining her are fellow Portuguese race walkers Ana Cabecinha and Ines Henriques
who have both finished in the top four in the challenge standings for the past two years
Both athletes have also made it on to the podium three times in Rio Maior
has won in Rio Maior as often as Susana Feitor
The 40-year-old has triumphed eight times in her home town
and will be keen to make up for her failure to finish last year
She will also have the added incentive of qualifying for her 12th World Championships appearance later this summer
Italy’s Elisa Rigaudo is another former Rio Maior winner in the field
The 34-year-old has finished in the top 10 at eight global championships between 2003 and 2013
during which time she earned Olympic bronze in 2008
This will be her first race since the 2013 World Championships
The second-place finishers from the past two editions will be back in Rio Maior for another bite of the cherry
Guatemala’s Mirna Ortiz set a Central American record of 1:28:31 when finishing second here in 2013
while Erica de Sena set a Brazilian record of 1:31:22 with her second-place finish last year
Other Europeans in the field include Spanish champion Julia Takacs and Portugal-based Lithuanian Kristina Saltanovic
Toth records third-fastest 50km race walk in ..
"He opened my eyes to some different things I could do with my life
Spring 2012
Sometimes students have to let go of one dream to open their minds to pursue a new one
she discovered a passion for anthropology through the opportunities and guidance provided by Associate Professor of Anthropology Paul Thacker
Morgan spent five weeks with Thacker in his archeological field-study class in the Rio Maior valley in Portugal two summers ago
After helping excavate an Upper Paleolithic site and an Iron Age hilltop fortification
she was hooked on learning about ancient civilizations
She credits Thacker for his enthusiasm for anthropology: “It translates to students because he gets so excited and wants to share everything he knows.”
she returned to Portugal with Thacker for his field-study class
but this time she went as a student leader and researcher
she developed a project to collect clay samples from different locations to identify possible sources of raw material used by Iron Age peoples to produce ceramics
an important topic because the location of ceramic production can offer hints into trading patterns and local economies
She analyzed the samples once she returned to campus
Thacker has been by her side every step of the way
Morgan was an ideal student to mentor because of her determination
“Geological survey is physically demanding and requires getting very dirty
Camille kept a positive outlook and remained focused on our sampling goals even after a long
hot day of hiking rough terrain through huge briar patches.”
She’s considering several options: graduate school in archeology
Wake Forest’s master’s in education program
Thacker’s guidance as she studied the past will guide her future
“It’s clear that he cares for his students and does everything that he can to further our education
It is nice to know I have someone on my side
With an assist from Wake Forest students and faculty
a nearby retirement community has started a debate society that’s embracing research and divergent points of view
Perry Mandanis (’81) turned a delayed ADHD diagnosis into a career helping others — including a new deck of cards offering strategies he’s gathered across decades
Russia’s London 2012 Olympic Games women’s 20km Race Walk champion Yelena Lashmanova and Guatemala’s Olympic men’s 20km silver medallist Erick Barrondo are the top names at the 22nd Grande Prémio Internacional de Rio Maior em Marcha Atlética
who also set a World record of 1:25:02 for the distance in London
got her 2013 campaign underway with a flying result of 1:25:49 when winning at the Russian winter championships in February and
with sunny weather and only light breezes expected
she could attack the course record of 1:27:19 set by Belarus’s Rita Turava in 2005
should come from Iberian walkers from both sides of the border
Spain’s Beatriz Pascual won in Rio Maior 12 months ago and was eighth in London while there is a strong Portuguese trio lead by Ines Henriques
Henriques was a winner at the opening leg of this year’s IAAF Race Walking Challenge in Chihuahua
and want to beat her personal best of 1:29:36
was second behind Henriques in Chihuahua in February while another Rio Maior native
Also not to be discounted is Lithuania’s Kristina Saltanovic
who finished eighth at the last two IAAF World Championships
who holds her area record with a best of 1:28:54 and who was second at the famous Memorial Mario Albisetti Trophy in the Swiss city of Lugano last month
who was third in Chihuahua after the two Portuguese women
who got his country’s first ever Olympic medal in any sport in London when he finished second in the shorter of the two championship Race Walk distances
has continued his good form into 2013 with an area record over 50km of 3.41.09 when winning in the Slovak spa town of Dudince recently
Seeking to upset the odds will be Portugal’s 20km and 50km Race Walk record holder João Vieira
the two-time European Athletics Championships medallist has a best of 1:20:09 over the shorter distance; Ecuador’s 2011 South American champion Andrés Chocho and the Guatemalan pair of Aníbal Paau and Jaime Quiyuch should also be in contention for a place on the podium
Lashmanova sets 20km Race Walk World record i..
2012 IAAF Race Walking Challenge Review – Chi..
Some of the world’s best ever race walkers will visit Rio Maior, in Portugal, next Saturday (9). A raft of World, Olympic, World Cup and European winners have confirmed their presence at 20th International Grand Prix Race Walking, which is an IAAF permit race as part of the 2011 IAAF Race Walking Challenge.
The men’s 20km boasts three of the top Russian exponents of the discipline, reigning World and Olympic champion Valeriy Borchin (PB: 1:17.38), 2010 European gold medallist Stanislav Yemelyanov (PB: 1:19:43), and Sergey Kirdyapkin, 2005 and 2009 World 50km champion who has a 20km personal best of 1:24:38.
Taking on such a formidable trio will be Slovak’s 2010 World Cup 50km winner Matej Toth whose 20km fastest is 1:20:53. Toth was the recent winner of the 50km in Dudince (3:39:46) a race which counts toward the overall points standings in the Race Walking Challenge.
Last but not least, Portugual’s João Vieira (1:20:09), the 2010 European 20km bronze medallist, will be competing in his home town, and with the support of the public might just pull-off a surprise.
Everyone faces another opponent in Rio Maior, the extreme heat and to help the organisers have postponed the start by half an hour in order to seek cooler conditions for the competitors.
Another top Portuguese race walker on show will be Ana Cabecinha (PB: 1:27:46) third in 2011 National 20km Road Championship and fourth in the recent Lugano 20km meeting.
Germany’s Melanie Seeger (PB: 1:28:17), winner in Rio Maior in 2006 and fourth at the 2010 European Championships, Spain’s Beatriz Pascual (PB: 1:27:44), Maria José Poves (PB: 1:29:31) and Júlia Tacaks (PB: 1:30:14), Latvia’s Kristina Saltanovic (PB: 1:30:44) and Sonata Milusauskaite (PB: 1:30:26), and Ireland’s Olive Loughnane (PB: 1:27:45), winner in Dudince, last month, are the other athletes to watch.
The current head to head record for the teams are Casa Pia AC 0 win(s)
Patrick Sequeira is ranked 1 in saves per match in the competition (3.9)
Leonardo Lelo has created the most big chances for Casa Pia AC (9)
Have scored 7 goals in their last 5 matches
Have kept the most clean sheets in the competition (14)
FC Porto haven't lost to Casa Pia AC in their last 6 meetings (5W, 1D).
12 Apr 2025 19:30:00 GMT?FC Porto won 1–0 over Casa Pia AC on Sat
12 Apr 2025 19:30:00 GMT.InsightsHave scored 4 goals in their last 5 matches
FC Porto haven't lost to Casa Pia AC in their last 6 meetings (5W
Casa Pia AC is playing home against FC Porto at Estádio Municipal de Rio Maior on Sat
Casa Pia and Rio Ave trade tackles in a Primeira Liga round 27 clash on Saturday at the Estadio Municipal de Rio Maior
The hosts are coming off a 3-1 defeat at Nacional a fortnight ago
thanks to Daniel Penha's goal in first-half injury time
Gaizka Larrazabal equalised three minutes into the second half
but Paulinho Boia and Joel strikes ensured that Nacional claimed all three points
They were two goals down by the 53rd minute
thanks to Orkun Kokcu's first-half goal and Vangelis Pavlidis' penalty
Brandon Zamora and Clayton strikes drew the game level with 15 minutes left
but Kerem Akturkoglu's winner five minutes later sealed the deal for Benfica
The loss left Vilacondenses in 12th spot in the standings
Casa have lost their last three games and have little left to play for this season
They are too far off the continental spots
while they are also relatively safe from relegation concerns
hold a six-point cushion over the bottom-three and aren't quite safe from the dotted line
They also boast a good record in this fixture
expect the hosts to claim a narrow win with goals at both ends
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