IT’S THE LATE SHOW FOR LIU
WALK WORLD CHAMPION OUSTS MEXICAN IN THE DYING METRES
20KM WALK
IN A DISCIPLINE affected by doping more than most, China’s Liu Hong, who should have been on the medal rostrum four years ago in a drugs-tainted race, took gold after pulling away over the last 100 metres.
The world record-holder and world champion was engaged in a tight battle with Mexico’s Maria Guadalupe Gonzalez over the last 2km and it went down to the wire as the final gap was just two seconds.
As in the men’s event, China gained two medals, but here the Mexican prevented a onetwo as Lu Xiuzhi took bronze.
Whether because of the absence of the formerly dominant Russia, the warm temperature or simply tactics, the pace was well short of the world record set in London 2012. On that occasion, Russia’s Yelena Lashmanova set the record at 1:25:02 and Olga Kanaskina was second. The latter’s result was subsequently annulled due to a doping violation, although the IOC are yet to officially reallocate the medals. The winner, incidentally, committed a doping violation in 2014, but her gold stands.