Garcia Leon secures first World Championship medal in any event for Peru with national record 1:26:58, Yamanishi pulls away late from teammate Ikeda to become only third male athlete to achieve back-to-back titles in meet history as first winners crowned in Oregon; Zdzieblo’s silver first for Poland

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

There were memorable firsts achieved by both Peru and Japan in the 20-kilometer racewalk finals Friday at the World Athletics Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore.

Kimberly Garcia Leon, 28, earned the first medal in any event for Peru in World Championships history, winning the women’s race in a national-record 1 minute, 26.58 on the 1-kilometer loop layout held on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd near Autzen Stadium.

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“I have dreamed of this medal since I was little. I want to dedicate it to all Peruvians. They will be very proud,” Garcia Leon said through an interpreter. “This is the first medal for us at the World Championships and I hope it won’t be the last one.”

Poland’s Katarzyna Zdzieblo also produced a national all-time best 1:27:31 to secure silver, becoming the first medalist for her country as well, and China’s Shijie Qieyang grabbed bronze in 1:27:56.

“I cannot believe it now. In this moment, I think I am the happiest woman in the world,” Zdzieblo said. “I am thinking about all the things I had to go through. I knew I was well prepared for this championship. I knew that I was ready to fight for a good result, but I did not even think about the chance to fight for a medal. And that just happened.”

Toshikazu Yamanishi, 26, repeated as men’s gold medalist in 1:19:07, with teammate Koki Ikeda securing silver in 1:19:14, giving Japan the country’s first 1-2 finish in the event. Sweden’s Perseus Karlstrom earned bronze for the second straight World final, clocking 1:19:18.

Yamanishi, who won in 2019 in Doha in 1:26:34 in far more challenging weather conditions than the 80-degree temperatures in Friday’s race, pulled away from Ikeda in the last kilometer, covering the final loop in 3:40 to become the first back-to-back World gold medalist since Ecuador’s Jefferson Perez won three in a row from 2003-07 and just the third repeat champion in meet history.

“I am very gratified. It took tremendous skill and I was happy to be strong enough,” Yamanishi said through a translator. “It was very strong sunlight and a very tough race. It is very hot. It was much hotter in Doha even at midnight. Today was lower humidity, so it was easier. Today was my day. I am happy to be the first Japanese (athlete) to repeat the world title in race walking."

Japan also became the first country to take the top two spots in the men’s 20-kilometer racewalk final since Russia swept all three medals in 2001 in Edmonton.

Karlstrom surged past Samuel Kireri Gathimba (1:19:25) in the final kilometer, denying Kenya its first medal in the event at the World Championships. Kenya’s previous highest finish was 26th place by David Kimutai in 2011 in South Korea.

Qieyang remained close to Garcia Leon through the 14-kilometer split, before the 2019 Pan American silver medalist made a decisive move with five kilometers remaining and never looked back to improve on her own previous national record 1:28:38 achieved May 22 in Spain. Garcia Leon’s previous highest finish at the World Championships was seventh place in 1:29:13 in 2017 in London.

“At the 15-kilometer mark, my coach instructed me to up the pace. I told myself it would be now or never. In the last kilometer, I gave it all to break my national record,” Garcia Leon said. “I am very happy and proud of myself. I have worked hard, hoping to be in a good placing. It’s not been easy, but I am a fighter. I stayed focused on my goal to achieve a medal. I thought of that during the entire race and things worked out.”

As Garcia Leon stretched out her lead, Zdzieblo began to draw closer to Qieyang and moved into second place with less than three kilometers remaining on her way to eclipsing the 2014 national record of 1:28:58 established by Agnieszka Dygacz. The previous highest finish for Poland was fifth place by Katarzyna Radtke in 1999 in Spain.

Although China had its streak of three consecutive gold medals halted, Qieyang did extend another impressive legacy for her country to seven straight World Championships with a podium finish in the women’s 20-kilometer racewalk.

Robyn Stevens placed 24th for the United States in the women’s racewalk final in 1:36:16 and Miranda Melville finished 35th in 1:39:58. Stevens became the fourth American female competitor to place in the top 25 in a 20-kilometer racewalk global final, joining Debbi Lawrence in 2001, Joanne Dow in 2003, along with Maria Michta Coffey in 2015 and 2017.

Nick Christie was 31st for the U.S. in the men’s racewalk final in 1:28:28 and Daniel Nehnevaj placed 43rd in 1:43:07.

Four-time World hammer throw champion Pawel Fajdek of Poland led all 12 qualifiers into Saturday’s final with a 262-9 effort on his second attempt.

American Daniel Haugh prevailed in his group with a 260-3 (79.34m) performance to advance second overall.

With Poland’s Anita Wlodarczyk, also a four-time World champion, withdrawing from the women’s hammer throw competition with an injury, Americans Janee’ Kassanavoid and Brooke Andersen took the top two spots in qualifying.

Kassanavoid produced a 244-3 (74.46m) effort in her lone throw and Andersen also needed only one attempt to achieve a 244-foot mark (74.37m), looking to keep the United States in contention for the gold medal in the aftermath of reigning World champion DeAnna Price not being able to compete after testing positive for COVID-19.

Three-time NCAA Division 1 champion Camryn Rogers of Cal, the Canadian and collegiate record holder, also achieved a qualifying mark of 241-8 (73.67m) to advance to Sunday’s final, seeking the first medal for a Canadian female thrower at the World Championships after she finished fifth last year at the Tokyo Olympics.

The American quartet of Georgia’s Elija Godwin, Texas’ Kennedy Simon, LSU graduate Vernon Norwood and former South Carolina standout Wadeline Jonathas led all qualifiers in the mixed 4x400-meter relay by clocking 3:11.75 in the prelims.

Allyson Felix is expected to race in Friday night’s mixed 4x400 final, pursuing a 14th career World title and 19th overall medal in her 10th appearance at the global championship meet.

Ten athletes cleared 7-5.75 (2.28m) in the men’s high jump qualifying for Monday’s final, including the athletes who shared the gold medal in Tokyo, Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar and Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy, as well as Americans JuVaughn Harrison and Shelby McEwen.