The Extremaduran was the best Spaniard in the 20 km walk with Alberto Amezcua ninth and Diego García, sixteenth
The victory went to the Japanese Toshikazu Yamanishi, who revalidated in a big way the title he had won in 2019
After the disqualification of María Pérez in the women’s event, Spain It has also left empty in the 20 kilometer walk and he has seen how two of the few chances to get on the podium that he will have in the Eugene World Cups vanished, although at least Álvaro Martín managed to finish as a finalist (seventh).
With the European champion Álvaro Martín and the silver medalist in that event Diego García as leaders of the ranks, the Spanish squad also had the current national champion Alberto Amezcua in an event without Russians for a new cacicada of World Athletics, but with Japanese. And what Japanese!
The test started very fast by the devilish rhythm imposed by the Japanese Toshikazu Yamanishi and the Swedish Perseus Karlstrom with a spectacular second thousand in just 3:57, which punished their rivals but did not serve to break a leading group in which the three Spaniards remained.
Little by little the main group was losing members and as it passed through the seventh thousand (28:23) Amezcua began to show signs of weakness despite the fact that he was still part of those 21 chosen ones. The current champion of Spain got off the hook, recovered and stayed again definitely in the next spurt to end with a huge comeback
Yamanishi took responsibility again in the middle of the test (40.33) with an active Álvaro Martín who was seen among the first from the beginning. On the other hand, Diego García had always been at the back of the group and lost contact in minute 13.
Diego García was never comfortable
| RFEA
The man from Extremadura was in a group of nine athletes along with the three Japanese (the already two-time universal champion Yamanishi, Yusho and Ikeda), Karlstrom, the Ecuadorians Hurtado and Pintado, the Australian Tingay and the surprising Kenyan Samuel Kireri Gathimba.
Yamanishi took a few meters ahead as he passed the fifteenth thousand in 59.58 and Ikeda and Gathimba went after him while Álvaro Martín suffered from behind and Diego García kept losing so much ground that he saw how Amezcua was approaching him.
That partial of 19:24 in the third five thousand It also passed bill to Álvaro Martínwho said goodbye to the fight for the medals and saw how against Kalstrom he cut his disadvantage and even took the lead.
Nevertheless, Karlstrom stayed and the Japanese couple also picked up the African shortly before reaching the 18th thousand, so the gold and silver were disputed despite the fact that Gathimba did not give up. Behind, Álvaro Martín held on in seventh position, an excellent Amezcua already ninth and a sinking Diego García, fifteenth.
Yamanishi and Ikeda were first and second, respectively
| EFE
After the last tolling of the campaign, Yamanishi picked up the pace again to retain the title he won three years ago in Doha and get rid of the bad taste of bronze in his country at the Tokyo Games with a record of 1:19:07.
His compatriot Ikeda took the silver with 1h: 19.14 and Karlstrom finished third (1h: 19.18) preventing the Kenyan Gathimba from making history (fourth with 1:19.25). Be careful with the African march, because there are already several Ethiopian and Kenyan medals in World Championships of lower categories. Meanwhile, the Scandinavian will be one of the big favorites in the European Championship after his great performance this Friday and his individual victory in the last Team World Cup.
Álvaro Martín at least tied the seventh position with 1h: 20.19 to achieve a finalist place and slightly improve his eighth place from five years ago in London. Too bad about Alberto Amezcua, who finished ninth after a great comeback and was only five seconds away from being a finalist… exactly the same thing that happened to him in 2017. Finally, Diego García managed to finish in 16th position with 1h:23.21.