Evan Dunfee and Maria Perez are the first champions of the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo

Evan Dunfee and Maria Perez are the first champions of the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, after triumphing in the 35km race walk. The men and women started together on a circuit near the National Stadium, and the final was at the facility itself.

Evan Dunfee (Canada) won in 2:28.22 hours, after suffering a cramp 3 kilometers from the end. Caio Bonfim (Brazil) is second in 2:28:55 hours, and Hayato Katsuki (Japan) was third, finishing in 2:29:16 hours.

Masatora Kawano and Hayato Katsuki set off with great ambitions in front of their home crowd. David Hurtado (Ecuador) overtook them at the 27th kilometer, but received a three-and-a-half-minute penalty for a third red card for improper walking and was eliminated from the medal race. Thus, Evan Dunfee took the lead and added a title to the Olympic bronze in the 50km from the Tokyo 2020 Games and the bronze from the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha.

The world record holder in the discipline, Massimo Stano (Italy), who was the champion in Oregon 2022, withdrew due to injury, and the champion from Budapest 2023, Alvaro Martin (Spain), is no longer competing.

In the world’s 35km race walk, the Spanish athlete Maria Perez defended her world title from Budapest in convincing fashion. The 29-year-old athlete had no competition and finished more than three minutes ahead of the second Antonella Palmisano (Italy) with 2:39:01 hours to 2:42:24 hours. Paula Milena Torres brought the bronze medal to Ecuador with 2:42:44 hours.

Maria Perez now focuses on defending her 20km race walk world title.

Two-time Oregon 2022 world champion Kimberly García Leon (Peru) finished only tenth in 2:50:37 hours.