Olympic Speedwalking: The Sport, Rules and Regulations and What’s Considered Cheating
You may be familiar with powerwalking, but Olympic speedwalking is on a level all on its own. The sport, while not as popular as swimming or gymnastics, has fans up in arms after the men’s 20 km event on Thursday, August 1 at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. Viewers believe that several of the leading athletes were cheating during the race. Were they? Keep reading to learn more about the sport and what results in disqualification.
Olympic Speedwalking athletes are accused of cheating
Fans of Olympic speedwalking were not happy as several race walkers were accused of cheating during the men’s event. In the Olympics thread on Reddit, someone posted a close-up gif of the men’s feet with the caption: “Was just shown live on Europsport. All of the leading group cheated by having both feets above ground.”
Another Reddit user commented, “They all do it. That's why the tactic now is to hide in the pack until their final push.”
Several users seemed to be poking fun at the sport and couldn’t differentiate whether people were jogging or speedwalking.
A different user was defending the athletes and wrote “For anyone wondering how they get away with this, race walking rules state that one foot must be on the ground at all times as viewed by a human eye. Judges monitor the race and if they don't visually confirm both feet are off the ground during the race, it's not a breach of the rules.”
What is Olympic Speedwalking?
Olympic speedwalking, known officially as race walking, was introduced to the Olympics in 1904. “Race walking stands out as a sport that prioritizes precision and discipline,” per the Olympics website. Participants must walk to the finish line as quickly as possible.
The sport originated in the Victorian era because noblemen would place bets on their footmen as they walked alongside the horse-driven carriages. It was later known as pedestrianism and people typically enjoyed watching and cheering for the races.
The betting aspect was huge and people would rally around and see which participant would drop out of the race first.
England made it an official sport and also established the rules and regulations.
What are the rules of Olympic speedwalking?
Like any other event, there are strict rules that men and women competitors must follow and there are two major ones for Olympics race walking.
1. One foot must always be on the ground
Unlike running where athletes usually have both feet off the ground during a race, Olympic speedwalking requires racers to have one foot in contact with the ground at all times. Judges are always present to enforce this regulation.
“If there is no visible contact, it is deemed as ‘lifting’ and attracts a penalty,” states the Olympics website.
2. The knee of the advanced leg can’t bend
The leg in front can’t bend and must straighten as the athlete’s body passes over it. Walkers will be penalized if they bend their knees during a race.
Again, the judges closely observe their movements and use paddles with symbols representing a loss of contact or a bent knee.
If a racewalker is shown three paddles from different judges, they are disqualified from the event.
According to the Olympics website, “The standard distances for race walking events are 3000m, 5000m in indoor tournaments while 5000m, 10,000m, 20,000m, and 50,000m races are held on outdoor tracks. The 10km, 20km and 50km events, labeled separately, are held on metalled roads.”
To keep up with summer Olympics coverage:
How Far Is 1500 Meters in Miles? A Close Look at Katie Ledecky’s Gold Medal Olympic Race
Salt Lake City Will Host the 2034 Winter Olympics: How It Was Chosen
