This Wednesday, as the Budapest World Athletics Championships unfold at the equator of city timing, the hourglass begins its countdown toward a Thursday that signals the return of the walking events. The Spanish delegation has claimed two medals so far, both gold, courtesy of Alvaro Martín and Maria Pérez in the 20km race walk.
Relating to
At 07:00, a demanding 35-kilometer walk will open with a joint start in Plaza de los Héroes. While shade helps, the final stretch could see temperatures near 30 degrees Celsius, posing a particular test for the women runners.
Maria Pérez is also the world running champion
In the male category, sprint world champion Álvaro Martín has recovered strongly after Saturday’s exertion and will begin with a chance to claim a second Budapest medal, chasing a rare double gold in the World Cup. That achievement has already been matched by Peru’s Kimberly García León in the last edition, who earned two golds in the 20km and 35km events.
Martín will be joined by the third-best mark on the course (2:35:35) and will compete alongside European champion Miguel Ángel López, who earned the 20km gold in Beijing in 2015, and Balearic athlete Marc Tour, who placed fourth in the 50km at the London Games.
Only a handful of runners have posted faster times this year, including Chinese athlete Xianhong He and Japanese racer Tomohiro Noda. The lineup also features Massimo Stano of Italy, who won the Italian title but failed to medal in the 20km, Japanese runner-up Masatora Kawano, and Sweden’s Perseus Karlström, who earned a silver in the 20km in recent times and remains in the global top 35 for 2023.
Injury concerns shadow Maria Pérez, whose preparation has been interrupted by a muscle issue as she approached the 20km mark on Sunday. The Granada athlete has shown strong progress and has medical clearance to start, though her health remains the priority and retirement remains a considered option if needed.
There is sympathy for not only Pérez but also the prospect of a historic run by her teammate. With World Athletics confirming a 2:37.15 mark by a different athlete at Podebrady, Pérez faces a highly competitive field, with Kimberley García León as the favorite to challenge her title defenses with a time around 2:37.44.
The field also includes Katarzyna Zdzieblo of Poland, Shijie Queyang of China, Xueying Bai, and Maocuo Li. They will be joined by the former Barcelona veteran Raquel González and rising star Cristina Montesinos, among others who finished high in recent World Cups.
Six more Spaniards
After reaching the 200m semifinals, Catalan Jaël Bestué faces a formidable draw in the third semifinal with top contenders Sha’Carri Richardson, Shericka Jackson, and Maria-Josée Ta Lou at 8:03 p.m. The aim is to post a personal best of 22.54 seconds and close in on Sandra Myers’ national record of 22.38 seconds.
Earlier, Mohammed Katir will test himself in the 1500 meters semifinals, with the 5000 meters later in the night. He’ll face a tough lineup that includes Ouassim Oumaiz, Jakob Ingebrigtsen, and Joshua Cheptegni, who has claimed the 10,000m title in Budapest for a third time. In the second heat, Thierry Ndikumwenayo of Burkina Faso makes his debut alongside Rodrigue Kwizera and other challengers, including Kejelcha, a strong Ethiopian contender eyeing global glory.
The other main event is the 800m semifinal featuring three Spaniards in a World Cup scenario for the second time since Daegu 2011. With just two slots available for finals and two for times, Mohamed Attaoui will run the first heat at 20:50, with the toughest opponent possibly Frenchman Robert; Saúl Ordóñez, the Spanish record holder, will try to secure a final berth. In the same race, Canadian Marco Arop and European champion Adri Ben will contend against American Hoppel and Kenyan Wanyonyi at 21:08, shaping a dramatic medal picture for North American audiences in attendance, including Canada and the United States in search of podium places.