Maria Perez Of Spain Wins Second Gold Medal In 20K Walk; Brazil's Caio Bonfim Upgrades To Gold; Big Jump For Taliyah Brooks Elevates Medal Chances

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Logan Hannigan-Downs Photos

TOKYO -- One week after winning the gold medal in the 35-kilometer racewalk, Spain's Maria Perez survived a much closer competition to win the 20K on Saturday morning. 

Racing in cooler temperatures than the week prior, Perez crossed the finish line in 1:25:54 to match the 35k/20k double that she achieved in Budapest in 2023.

In the 35k, Perez won by three minutes. On Saturday, the margin was just 12 seconds. 

Alegna Gonzalez of Mexico broke a North American area record with 1:26:06. 

Japan's Nanako Fujii won the host nation's second medal of the Championships, both of them bronze and both from the racewalks. 

When Canada's Evan Dunfee injured his hamstring with 3 kilometers left to go in last week's gold-medal performance in the 35k event, it took him out of competing this week. 

So last week's silver medalist, Caio Bonfim of Brazil, took with the opportunity. He won the 20k by eight seconds in 1:18;35. 

Silver went to Zhaozhao Wang of China (1:18:43) and Spain's Paul McGrath was two seconds further back for bronze. 

In the heptathlon, American Taliyah Brooks surged up the standings with a personal best in the long jump and sits in second place through five events behind teammate Anna Hall. 

Brooks was fifth coming into the second day but her jump of 6.79m was worth 1,102 points on the scoring table and would have placed her fifth in the women's long jump competition last Sunday. 

With two event left, Hall has 5,041 points and Brooks has 4,930. Katarina Johnson-Thompson of Great Britain is third with 4,874. Three-time Olympic champion Nafissatou Thiam of Belgium is eighth. 

The heptathlon will conclude later tonight. 

In the women's shot put, Americans Chase Jackson and Jaida Ross both advanced to tonight's final. 

In men's discus qualifying, Lithuania brothers Martynas and Mykolas Alekna both advanced to the final. Mykolas, the younger of the brothers, is the world record holder and is set to compete for the Oregon Ducks next spring.

Kyle Garland threw a new personal best 17.02m in the shot put and is in first place after three events of the decathlon.