Italy at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics Italy at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics Italy competed at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics in Paris, France from 6 to 14 August 2005. The nation sent a delegation of 49 athletes (27 men and 22 women) and won one medal at the competition. Alex Schwazer was the bronze medallist in the men's 50 kilometres race walk and he achieved a national record of 3:41:54 hours in the process. It was an unexpected medal, as Schwazer knocked nearly twenty minutes off his previous best that year. Among other Italian performances, three athletes finished fifth in field event finals:
100 kilometres race walk 100 kilometres race walk The 100-kilometer race walk is a racewalking event. The event is competed as a road race. Athletes must always keep in contact with the ground and the supporting leg must remain straight until the raised leg passes it. 100 kilometers is 62.14 miles. Against the wishes of the Israeli track and field authorities, because the Munich Massacre had just taken place, Israel Shaul Ladany competed and won the gold medal in the World 100 km walking title at the 1972 World Championships in Switzerland, in a time of 9:31:00. The United States record is 9:36:33, set