The Spanish vener Maria Pérez repeated her double success of Budapest at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo: Gold over 35 kilometers had a superior victory over 20 kilometers on Saturday.
From the beginning, the 29-year-old pushed to the pace with other top hawers in the Japanese capital on the one-kilometer circuit near the nation stadium. So the field of a total of 49 participants quickly spread.
After about ten kilometers, Pérez and six other walkers managed to break away from the rest of the field. Among them was Paris Olympic champion Jiayu Yang from China and the Ecuadorian Paula Milena Torres, who had won over 35 kilometers in Tokyo World Cup bronze. The Italian Antonella Palmisano, 2021 Olympic champion Tokyo and decorated with silver over 35 kilometers at the current World Cup.
Japan cheered on bronze for Fuji
Pérez started the decisive attack about four kilometers before the finish line, settled in the top group from the remaining three other walkers. For example, Pérez went to the final round in the nation stadium as the leading round and ended up celebrating a safe victory in 1:25:54 hours. The Mexican Alegna González (1:26:06) secured second place, bronze won with great cheering the spectators with a wafer -thin lead Nanako Fujii from Japan in State record period (1:26:18). German walkers did not take part.
Left wants to do better than over 35 kilometers
Around 3 a.m. German time (local time: 10 a.m.), the competition over 20 kilometers starts with the men with 48 participants. In addition to Leo Köpp as the second German athlete, the 36 -year -old Christopher Linke from Potsdam is also included. Two years ago in Budapest, he had finished fifth over 20 and 35 kilometers, at the start of the World Cup in Tokyo he had reached 14th place over 35 kilometers in high heat and strong humidity.