Spanish Álvaro Martín became the first gold medalist in the World Athletics Championships 2023, which Budapest (Hungary) is hosting. He won the Championships medal in the men’s 20km race walk event.
On Saturday (19 August), World Athletics Championships 2023 started with the men’s 20km race walk event. It had a delayed start due to the stormy weather.
World Athletics Championships 2023: Men’s 20km Race Walk – The Medalists
The 29-year-old Álvaro Martín finished the race in one hour 17 minutes and 32 seconds and set up the new World Leading of the season.
Swedish Perseus Karlström (1:17:39) won the silver medal as he finished the race seven seconds later than Martín. Meanwhile, Brazilian Caio Bonfim fought hard to secure a bronze medal for his country (1:17:47). Both Karlström and Bonfim also set up their respective national records.
World Athletics Championships 2023: Men’s 20km Race Walk Event (Final Status)
Rank | Athlete | Country | Mark |
1 | Álvaro Martín | Spain | 1:17:32 WL |
2 | Perseus Karlström | Sweden | 1:17:39 NR |
3 | Caio Bonfim | Brazil | 1:17:47 NR |
4 | Evan Dunfee | Canada | 1:18:03 NR |
5 | Christopher Linke | Germany | 1:18:12 NR |
6 | Veli-Matti Partanen | Finland | 1:18:22 NR |
7 | Brian Daniel Pintado | Ecuador | 1:18:26 PB |
8 | Declan Tingay | Australia | 1:18:30 PB |
9 | Samuel Kireri Gathimba | Kenya | 1:18:34 SB |
10 | Gabriel Bordier | France | 1:18:59 PB |
(27) | Vikash Singh | India | 1:21:58 |
(35) | Paramjeet Singh Bisht | India | 1:24:02 |
(47) | Akashdeep Singh | India | 1:31:12 |
(NOTE: WL = World Leading [Best in the season]; NR = National Record; PB = Personal Best; SB = Season Best)
World Athletics Championships 2023: Men’s 20km Race Walk – Brief Story
A total of 50 athletes from 28 nations participated in the men’s 20km race walk event. Japanese Koki Ikeda, who won the silver medals in the Summer Olympics 2020 and the previous World Athletics Championships (2022), started strongly in the Budapest race.
At the end of the first half of the men’s 20km walk, Ikeda had a handsome lead of 15 seconds. But at the end of the 15 km, the Japanese racewalker lost his lead to Spanish Martín. Ikeda ultimately managed the 15th place.
(Indians)
Three Indian athletes participated in that event. While Vikash Singh finished in the 27th place (1:21:58), Paramjeet Singh Bisht (1:24:02) and Akashdeep Singh (1:31:12) had the 35th rank and 47th rank, respectively.
Álvaro Martín ended Spain’s gold medal wait
Álvaro Martín became the first Spanish gold medalist in the World Athletics Championships since 2015 (previously, Miguel Ángel López won the gold medal in the men’s 20km race walk in the 2015 edition).
Last year, Martín won his second European Athletics Championships in the men’s 20km race walk event.
Álvaro Martín’s comments
According to Olympics.com, Martín said after winning the gold in Budapest, "I trusted myself and I saved my strength at the beginning, because I knew that when I attacked I had to leave. I had to attack and not look back."
(Next goal)
The Spanish racewalker is now eyeing the Olympics gold medal next year. He claimed, "The next goal is to win gold at the Olympics, but all I want to do right now is cry with joy. I'm going to enjoy this moment.”
