MARTIN AND PEREZ HIT THE DOUBLE-DOUBLE FOR TEAM ESPANA

This is Elliott Denman’s fifth column on the 2023 World Outdoor Athletics Championships, and it is on the race walks.

MARTIN AND PEREZ

HIT THE DOUBLE-DOUBLE

FOR TEAM ESPANA

By ELLIOTT DENMAN

The reign of Spain was plain – for all to see and applaud.

“The Caminata Crew” of Team Espana was oh-so-dominant, from the first strides of the men’s 20K racewalk on the opening Saturday morning of the 19th World Championships of Track and Field, to the women’s 20K the next morning to the concluding steps of the women’s 35K race, staged held simultaneously with the men’s 35K the following Thursday.

Oh-so-doubly-doubly so.

Through the first 18 editions of the Worlds, Helsinki 1983 to Eugene 2022, Spanish racewalkers had done many big things and climbed assorted podiums. But this display of powerful pedestrianism topped them all.

By far.

After taking the men’s 20K title in 1:17:32, Alvaro Martin returned to the iconic Plaza of Heroes Circle, and its

exit route up and down Andrassy Avenue. to claim the 35K crown in 2:24:30.

Countrywoman Maria Perez was equally doubly golden, taking the 20K title in 1:26:51 as a prelude to her 35K triumph in 2:38:40.

With three or four days for recovery time between the races, a lot of doubling was going on.

Men’s wise:

Ecuador’s Brian Pintado was second in the 35K after his seventh in the 20K.

Canada’s Evan Dunfee was fourth – oh-so-frustratingly – in both of them.

Sweden’s Perseus Karlstrom snared second at 20K. then eighth at 35K.

Germany’s Christopher Linke followed the Dunfee pattern with fifths in both of them.

Finland’s Veli-Matti Partanen took seventh at 20K but struggled home 18th at 35K.

Women’s-wise:

Peru’s national treasure, Kimberly Garcia Leon – the sensation of the 2022 Worlds in Oregon with double golds – this time settled for second at 35K after her fourth at 20.

Brazil’s Viviane Lyra improved from eighth at 20K to fourth at 35K.

Greece’s Antigoni Ntrismpioti zoomed from 15th at 20K to third at 35K.

Racewalking is always a what-have-you-done-me-lately game and, one more time, past glories couldn’t cut it in Budapest, as a pair of 2021 Tokyo/Sapporo champions – both from Italy – attested.

Antonella Pamisano – the 20K queen of the 2021 walks – settled for a 20K third this time.

Two years after his position atop the men’s 20K podium in

Japan – Massimo Stano was seventh at 35K this time.

Then, there were the emerging…