BUDAPEST, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) — Spain’s Alvaro Martin claimed the primary gold on the 2023 World Athletics Championships by profitable the boys’s 20km race stroll right here on Saturday.
Martin, 29, pushed himself ahead with 5km to go, profitable his first gold in a significant occasion with this season’s world main results of 1:17:32.
“I had an amazing race today, I did not expect to finish this fast, it is amazing. I cannot express all my feelings right now, it feels like a dream,” mentioned Martin, as the entire prime eight finalists improved their private bests within the race.
Perseus Karlstrom of Sweden completed second in 1:17:39, adopted by Brazil’s Caio Bonfim in 1:17:47.
Martin had completed fourth on the Tokyo Olympics, and mentioned lacking out on the bronze medal then had motivated him to work more durable.
“The next goal is gold at the Olympic Games, but the only thing I want to do now is to cry out of happiness. I am going to enjoy this moment,” he mentioned.
The race on the Heroes’ Square in Budapest’s metropolis centre was delayed for 2 hours on account of a thunderstorm, and the 50 athletes began the race in heavy rain.
Japan’s Olympic silver medalist Koki Ikeda led for a very long time, however light within the closing levels. The 25-year-old needed to accept a Fifteenth-place end in 1:19:44.
Ikeda’s compatriot Toshikazu Yamanishi, who gained the occasion on the earlier two World Championships, completed twenty fourth in 1:21:39.
China’s Zhang Jun, who had led this yr’s world checklist with 1:17:38, completed twenty ninth in 1:23:13. The National Games champion admitted that he had been affected by the chilly climate and the delayed begin to the race.