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Pan American Games Scandal: 20km walk record shattered due to measurement error

Posted : 30 October 2023
A bizarre turn of events unfolded at the 2023 Pan American Games in Chile, leaving tournament organizers in a rather embarrassing situation. Peruvian athlete Kimberly Garcia believed she had not only won the gold medal but also set a new world record in the final of the women's 20km walk. However, her joy turned to confusion when it became apparent that something was amiss. Tournament organizers subsequently apologized for the distress experienced by the athletes.
 
The glitch that marred Garcia's record-breaking moment was revealed to be a "measurement problem" on the track at the Santiago Athletics Stadium. Instead of a 20km course, the athletes had only completed 17 kilometers. The blame for this mishap squarely fell on the event organizers. This incident was not an isolated one, as the tournament had faced previous issues, including threats of a security company strike and problems with garbage management in the competition venues.
 
Kimberly Garcia completed the course in an impressive time of 1:12.26, seemingly shattering the previous world record held by China's Jiayu Yang, who had a time of 1:23.49. Garcia, the 2019 world champion in the 20km walk, had previously set a personal best of 1:26.58. Astonishingly, not only did her time raise eyebrows, but it was also revealed that 11 other competitors who finished after her also appeared to "break" the world record.
 
One of the athletes, Brazilian Vivian Lyra, explained that they had noticed the unusual pace during the race, starting strongly and even outpacing the men in the first lap. The competitors had sensed something was amiss and had stopped paying attention to the timing.
 
In response to the scandal, the Pan American Games Association claimed to have hired an expert to measure the race route accurately. They defended themselves by stating that the expert had failed to do so, apologizing for the athletes' distress but absolving the organizing committee of blame.
 
In light of these developments, it is likely that Kimberly Garcia will retain her gold medal. However, the status of the record-breaking times and the race itself remains uncertain pending an official announcement.

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