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Event Report - Men 20km Walk Final
Perez retains his World title
Jefferson Perez clearly has what it takes to produce his best when it matters most. The 31-year-old Ecuadorian produced yet another impressive display of championships race walking to retain his 20km crown despite a determined challenge from Spain’s Francisco Fernandez who had to settle for silver for the second world championships in succession.
Perez made his name by winning the Olympic title back in 1996, and two years ago became world record holder when he added the World gold to his collection. But before this evening’s race he did not figure in this year’s top ten walkers and wasn’t expected to beat the hotly tipped Spaniard.
But Perez knows how to get it right at the crucial moment and won here in a season’s best of 1:18:35, more than a minute outside the world record he set in Paris in 2003, but 61 seconds ahead of Fernandez.
The bronze medal went to another Spaniard, Juan Manuel Molina who produced the race of his life to get on the podium, crossing the line in a personal best 1:19:44.
After racing stride for stride for a full lap, Perez broke away from Fernandez with a little over 4km remaining, rapidly opening up a decisive gap on the Spaniard that he extended to more than a minute by the time he entered the stadium. With 300m left to walk he allowed himself one anxious glance over his shoulder before lapping up the enthusiastic applause of the Finnish crowd.
Fernandez had a best time this year of 1:17:52 and, now coached by all-time walking great Robert Korzeniowski, was expected to be the man to beat. Perez used all his competitive experience, though, and walked a sensible race, staying just off the leaders in the early stages and covering Fernandez as he tried to push the pace with three quarters of the race gone.
The first significant break came from China’s Yu Chaohung who opened up a 15 metres lead after 10 minutes. Fernandez and Italy’s Olympic champion Ivano Brugnetti led the chase and they reeled him in within five minutes. Fernandez led a pack of 14 through 5km in 19:47.
After half an hour the leading contenders were Fernandez, Brugnetti, Perez and the two Chinese, although Yu had two warnings. They passed the half way mark in 39:32 (19:45, 5k split) shortly after Russia’s Ilya Markov, the 1999 champion, was disqualified. Yu’s elimination soon followed as Fernandez stepped it up again, reducing the pack to five by the time they passed 12km.
It was too much for Brugnetti who dropped out after 43 minutes and was seen vomiting on the side of the road, but Perez took up the challenge. It was clear the little man from Ecuador wasn’t going to give up his title easily. The gold and silver medallists two years ago, these two were now set to battle it out.
It seemed that Fernandez had the advantage as Perez had one warning and, indeed, it was the Spaniard who again took the initiative, leading through 15km in 59:10 (5k split 19:38), 10 seconds ahead of the chasing Molina and another Ecuadorian, Rolando Saquipay.
Saquipay was disqualified just as, further up the road, Perez made his timely move. It was too good for the Spanish pair and for the second time in a row Perez claimed the first gold medal of the IAAF World Championships.
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