We look forward to the men’s and women’s 20km walk and the new marathon mixed relay event at the 2024 Games
Here is your guide to the race walks at the Paris Olympics. Don’t forget to follow our coverage of the Games on our website and social media channels.
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The below statistics first appeared in our monthly print magazine, which you can buy here.
More Paris 2024 previews here.
Men’s 20km race walk
Final: August 1
Defending champion: Massimo Stano (ITA) 1:21:05
Olympic record: Ding Chen (CHN) 1:18:46, 2012
World champion: Alvaro Martin (ESP) 1:17:32
World leader: Koki Ikeda (JPN) 1:16:51
There is little to choose between a number of the top performers, with a Japan-China showdown likely.
Callum Wilkinson (Getty)
Top contenders
Koki Ikeda (JPN) (1:16:51 in 2024)
Second in Tokyo and at the 2022 World Championships, he set a world lead in Kobe in February but was only fifth at the World Race Walking Tour event in La Coruna.
Zhang Jun (CHN) (1:17:26 in 2024)
Eighth in Tokyo, he was only 29th in Budapest and sixth in La Coruna this year.
Massimo Stano (ITA) (1:17:26 in 2024)
The Olympic winner and 2022 world 35km champion starts as favourite, though just lost to Zhang Jun in Taicang.
Toshikazu Yamanishi (JPN) (1:17:47 in 2024)
The Olympic bronze medallist won the 2019 and 2022 world titles and won in La Coruna this season.
Alvaro Martin (ESP) (1:17:49 in 2024)
Took the 20km and 35km world titles in Budapest and was second in La Coruna this year.
British Challenge: Callum Wilkinson was 10th in Tokyo and gained a world ranking spot courtesy of ninth place at the European Champs. Keen to break the British record.
AW Prediction: 1 Stano (ITA) 1:17:35; 2 Yamanishi (JPN) 1:17:39; 3 Martin (ESP) 1:17:42
Valentina Trapletti, Antonella Palmisano and Lyudmila Olyanovska (Getty)
Women’s 20km race walk
Final: August 1
Defending champion: Antonella Palmisano (ITA) 1:29:12
Olympic record: Yelena Lashmanova (RUS) 1:25:02, 2012
World champion: Maria Perez (ESP) 1:26:51
World leader: Elvira Khasanova (RUS) 1:24:31
The absent Russians top the rankings, but it is the Chinese who look to have the strongest squad.
Top contenders
Zhenxia Ma (CHN) (1:26:07 in 2024)
Won in Taicang and second in Antalya but finished only eighth in La Coruna.
Kimberly Garcia (PER) (1:26:41 in 2024)
A double world champion in 2022 but second in the 35km in 2023, she has been in great form in 2024 to win in…
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