On Thursday, Ecuador's Brian Pintado claimed the first athletics gold medal of the Paris Olympics by winning the men's 20-kilometre walk. This victory marked Ecuador's second Olympic title in the event, following Jefferson Perez’s gold in 1996. Pintado crossed the finish line clutching a family photograph and was immediately connected via TV feed to his loved ones.
Brazil’s Caio Bonfim, who had finished fourth in Rio in 2016, secured the silver medal, while Spain’s world champion Álvaro Martín took home the bronze. The race, initially scheduled for earlier in the day, was delayed by 30 minutes due to a thunderstorm. When the race finally commenced at Trocadéro, Bonfim surged ahead to make up for the lost time, initially leading at the halfway point.
The lead frequently changed as the race progressed, with China's Zhang Jun, Spain's Paul McGrath, Italy’s defending champion Massimo Stano, and Martín all taking turns at the forefront. Many walkers faced penalties from race judges, causing the field to spread out. Spectators, including a lively group of Mexican supporters in sombreros, cheered enthusiastically from an early hour.
With less than six kilometres remaining, a leading group of ten broke away from the pack. Stano led at the 16-kilometre mark but was issued a warning by the judges. Bonfim, showing impressive pace, broke up the leading pack, leaving only Stano, Martín, and Pintado in contention. On the penultimate lap, Stano's hopes of defending his title faded as Pintado accelerated, eventually overtaking Bonfim and Martín to secure the gold.
ADD A COMMENT :