Summary
This was the first athletics event of this Olympics. Returning silver medalist Koki Ikeda made himself the favorite by walking within 15 seconds of countrymate Yusuke Suzuki's nine-year-old world record at the Japanese National Championships in February. Returning champion Massimo Stano had technically the third fastest time of the year, losing on the finish line to Zhang Jun a few weeks later. But the form chart was upset in May when returning bronze medalist Toshikazu Yamanishi, who did not even make the Japanese team, led double reigning World Champion Álvaro Martín, Caio Bonfim and Brian Pintado to beat both Ikeda and Zhang at the Gran Premio Cantones de A Coruña de Marcha in Spain. [2]
49 walkers took the line with Bonfim charging off to a quick lead and a 4:00 lap of camera time, but after getting two yellow paddles he slowed and the peloton pulled him back over the second lap. The pack stayed together throughout the race with about half the field still in contact by the halfway point. Over the next few laps, more and more fell off the back, down to a dozen by 15 laps. As they moved into the last few laps, Stano, Martín, Bonfim, Pintado and Ikeda appeared at the front of the pack. Ikeda was the first to fall back as lap times dropped into the low 3:50's. The 18th lap was 3:45, separating the first four, several seconds back, only Evan Dunfee was able to keep up. Another 3:47 lap and Stano wasn't able to match the eventual medalists in a virtual tie at the bell. Pintado hit the gas, immediately separating from the other two, leaving them to battle for silver. [3] He picked up two yellow paddles for contact, but since it was the final lap, those judges wouldn't have another opportunity to see him. [4] Pintado's 3:31 was the fastest lap in the race by ten seconds. As Pintado accelerated, Bonfim tried to go with him and gained a couple of steps on Martín. Martín was never able to recover those steps conceding silver to pick up the Spanish flag as he crossed the finish line.
Pintado's victory comes 28 years after Jefferson Pérez won the first gold medal for Ecuador in this same event. In sixth place, 20 year old Misgana Wakuma set a new national record for Ethiopia.
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