World U20: Wanyonyi disqualified as bid to defend historic gold fails
Heristone Wanyonyi Wafula (sixth right) competes in the men's 10000m race walk at the World Athletics Under 20 Championships at Pascual Guerrero stadium on August 3, 2022 in Cali, Colombia.
What you need to know:
- In the women’s 10,000m race walk, Margaret Gati managed to clock a national Under-20 record of 49:05.09, but could only finish 14th in a race won by Mexico’s Karla Ximena Serrano (46:24.35).
- Japan's duo of Ai Oyooma and Ayane Yanai finished second and third in 46:24.44 and 46:43.07 respectively.
Kenya's Heristone Wanyonyi bid to retain his men's 10,000m race walk gold medal at the ongoing World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Cali, Colombia went up in smoke after he was disqualified on Friday.
Wanyonyi, who made history last year in Nairobi by becoming the first Kenyan to win a world title in any race walk competition, was in the lead pack before he picked a penalty. He was then qualified from the race.
Turkey’s Mazlum Demir won gold after crossing the line in 42:36.02 ahead of Algeria’s Ismail Benhammouda who timed 42:42.49.
In the women’s 10,000m race walk, Margaret Gati managed to clock a national Under-20 record of 49:05.09, but could only finish 14th in a race won by Mexico’s Karla Ximena Serrano (46:24.35).
Margaret Gati competes in the women's 10000m race walk at the World Athletics Under 20 Championships at Pascual Guerrero stadium on August 3, 2022 in Cali, Colombia.
Japan's duo of Ai Oyooma and Ayane Yanai finished second and third in 46:24.44 and 46:43.07 respectively.
This was an improvement for Gati, who now has her eyes set on improving further in future assignments.
“I’m happy to have clocked a national record but my target was to be on the podium. We learn every day and I will continue training and I hope I will be able to do better in the future championships,” said Gati.
