BUDAPEST — Spain’s Alvaro Martin captured gold in the 20-kilometre race walk in the opening event of the World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
Martin moved into the lead with about 5km remaining to finish in one hour 17 minutes and 32 seconds, the fastest time in the world this season, on the soggy 1km loop course that started and finished at picturesque Heroes’ Square.
Sweden’s Perseus Karlstrom, a three-time world bronze medallist, won silver in 1:17:39, while Caio Bonfim of Brazil claimed the bronze (1:17:47) to match his medal from the 2017 worlds in London.
The 29-year-old Martin, who was fourth at the Tokyo Olympics and seventh at the worlds last year in Eugene, shaved nearly two minutes off his best time.
“I missed (Olympic) bronze which motivated me to work hard,” Martin said according to Reuters.
“In Tokyo, I felt when I was in the fourth position that I could win a medal. Unfortunately, it did not happen and that is why this gold medal is the next step towards the next Olympic Games.”
The 29-year-old clutched a Spanish flag down the home stretch, waving it in victory. He lapped defending champion Toshikazu Yamanishi of Japan on his approach to the finish line.
Martin missed the Spanish record by 10 seconds, but the next five walkers all set national records in a contest that had 18 men dip under the 1:20 mark in one race for the first time.
“I had an amazing race today, I did not expect to finish this fast, it is amazing,” Martin added. “I cannot express all my feelings right now, it feels like a dream.”
Athletes were almost on the starting line when a thunderstorm delayed the start of the race by two hours.
Japan’s Koki Ikeda took the early lead and stretched the gap to 15 seconds before Martin passed him at 15km. Ikeda fell well off the pace to finish 15th.
“The next goal is the gold at the Olympic Games but the only thing I want to do now is to cry out of happiness,” Martin said. “I am going to enjoy this moment.”
Hot favourites the United States led the way in qualifying for the world championships mixed 4×400 metres relay, but defending champions the Dominican Republic did not appear on the start line in the morning heats.
With 200m specialist Gabby Thomas held in reserve for final, the US team of Ryan Willie, Rosey Effiong, Justin Robinson and Alexis Holmes looked impressive, but did not have it all their own way on a sodden opening morning.
After its early years, when teams experimented somewhat with the order, the event has settled into a man-woman-man-woman routine, removing some of the drama of major shifts of position during the race.
A brilliant second leg by Britain’s Laviai Nielsen swept her past the US’s Effiong and into the lead but the favourites pulled it back with the impressive Holmes leading them home in 3:10.41.
Yemi Mary John, sporting an eye-catching “one leg legging”, ensured Britain finished second in a national record 3:11.19, with Belgium third for the other automatic qualifying slot.
The Netherlands are probably best equipped to challenge the US for gold and won the second leg with the peerless Femke Bol looking as if she was out for a morning jog as she brought them home in 3:12.12.
France finished strongly for second in a national record 3:12.25 but Olympic champions Poland missed out after a collision at the final changeover left them with too much to do.
The US won the inaugural world championships event in 2019 in a world record 3:09.34 that still stands but were third in Eugene last year, having also only managed bronze on the event’s Olympic debut in Tokyo.
