Paris Day 1 Track and Field
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“It was insane,” said Brian Pintado after winning the 20km race walk. “In the last few metres, I realised I was completely alone, and seeing the finish line I just kept thinking, ‘I’m the Olympic champion, it’s me’. It has been tough to be away from my family, my wife, my kids, for four months and just seeing them through a screen,” he added. “But they were with me throughout the race. I have a picture of them with me. I also have a necklace of my son running beside me. I am wearing a scarf that my grandmother gave me. So really, they were with me all this time.”
RESULT OF THE DAY
28-years-old Yang Jiayu won the 20km race walk title in 1:25:54 (43:06 / 42:48 ), the fastest non-Russian time this season. Since winning the World title in 2017, she has failed to finish in the top 10 three times at the global championships, but it was a different competition in Paris. She pulled away from the rest of the field after the 5th kilometre (4:14/km 6) and crossed the finish line after a solo race with a 25 seconds lead after a fast (4:07) last lap.
SURPRISE OF THE DAY
Global champions and co-favourites for the Olympic race walking titles, Antonella Palmisano, Kimberly García and Perseus Karlström, surprisingly soon did not keep up with the pace and lost contact with the top of the race. 2022 double World champion García started to lose ground after the 11th km and finished 16th, 4:16 behind the winner. One km later the defending champion Palmisano also started to lose and retired from the race soon, and the fresh European champion Karlström faded away after the 13th km and finished at 21 (-2:10).
MEDALS (5 countries)
CHN, ECU 1-0-0; ESP 0-1-1; BRA 0-1-0; AUS 0-0-1.
POINTS (12 countries)
ESP 15; ECU 11; CHN 8; BRA 7; AUS 6; COL, ITA 5.
TITLE DEFENDERS
No (2): Stano, Palmisano.
TOP MARKS
AR (1): 1 – Oceania.
AGENTS (individual gold medals)
Not known for walking winners.
STATS
20km W – women: Yang’s time is second fastest in OG; best marks for places 4-5-6; fourth gold for CHN (incl. 10kW), it is a first place ahead of RUS; first Olympic points for ECU and PER.
20km W – men: 1 sec. difference is the lowest between third and fourth; also 2nd fastest at Olympics, best marks for places 3-8; BRA won their first medal (silver) in 20kmW; first Olympic points for ETH.
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