Hosts Japan’s hopes of a golden start to the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 were denied in a dramatic finale to the men’s 35km race walk as Canada’s Evan Dunfee took a first global title at the age of 34.
Masatora Kawano and Hayato Katsuki had looked on course for a potential home one-two on streets lined with home supporters.
But the pair were dropped by David Hurtado at the 27km mark, only to be given a reprieve when the Ecuadorian was then given a three-and-a-half minute time penalty for a third red card, dropping him well out of medal contention in the process.
That put Kawano in the lead just ahead of Katsuki but the younger of the Japanese pair was already struggling in the fiercely humid conditions, stumbling at one point and eventually being caught by Dunfee.
For much of the event, the Canadian had appeared well off the pace but his wealth of global championship experience showed as his rivals wilted and, in contrast, he got stronger in the latter stages. Presciently, he had declared in a pre-event interview that, in the 35km race walk, “it’s not over until it’s over”.
There was further drama, though, on the final lap when Dunfee appeared to stiffen up and lost a chunk of time to a chasing Caio Bonfim of Brazil. But with pain etched across his face, Dunfee dug in for what proved a truly attritional race to take the gold, lifting the Canadian flag above his head in celebration as he crossed the line.
It added to a previous Olympic bronze medal in the 50km in Tokyo four years previously as well as a further bronze at the 2019 World Championships in Doha.
The event was always going to throw up a first-time world champion. World record-holder Massimo Stano, who won gold in Oregon in 2022, had been forced out of competing because of a hamstring injury.
Meanwhile, defending champion Alvaro Martin retired at the end of 2023 after winning the world title in Budapest.
On paper, Dunfee had been the pick of the field having set a world record of 2:21:40 for the distance in March only for Stano to then better it by nearly a minute.
And so it proved as the veteran of the sport took the gold ahead of Bonfim by just over half a minute with Katsuki, who had previously dropped out of medal contention, climbing his way back up to a podium finish, much to the delight of the Japanese fans inside the National Stadium.
Following the first major title of his lengthy career, Dunfee said: “My coach and I have been together since I was 10 years old and then we set down and set goals to become world champions and to set the world record. We managed to do both this year and it really is a dream come true. I am turning 35 this year but I just feel like I am getting better and better. I was just patient today. I was really struggling and I was thinking that maybe the gold was not going to happen today. The last two kilometres felt like the hardest ones I have ever done. I had to channel all my strength for all the people back home, the ones who supported me. I was just thinking, ‘one more step’ and it paid off.”
For Katsuki, at 34 the same age as Dunfee, it showed his decision to ignore the advice to retire after the Tokyo Olympics was well placed for what could likely be his last major race walk over the distance.
In contrast, compatriot Kawano faded significantly and had to make do with 18th place at the line. For him, it was a case of what might have been, so too Hurtado.
Hurtado had been hoping to emulate Jefferson Perez, who won Ecuador’s first ever Olympic gold in 1996 and then backed that up with a subsequent world title.
Instead, Hurtado came home in ninth place more than four minutes off the pace but still lifted his arms in a celebration of sorts.
Matt Majendie for World Athletics
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