Paris Olympic previews – race walks
Here is your guide to the race walks at the Paris Olympics. Don't forget to follow our coverage of the Games on our website and social media channels.
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The below statistics first appeared in our monthly print magazine, which you can buy here.
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Final: August 1
Defending champion: Massimo Stano (ITA) 1:21:05
Olympic record: Ding Chen (CHN) 1:18:46, 2012
World champion: Alvaro Martin (ESP) 1:17:32
World leader: Koki Ikeda (JPN) 1:16:51
There is little to choose between a number of the top performers, with a Japan-China showdown likely.
Top contenders
Koki Ikeda (JPN) (1:16:51 in 2024)
Second in Tokyo and at the 2022 World Championships, he set a world lead in Kobe in February but was only fifth at the World Race Walking Tour event in La Coruna.
Zhang Jun (CHN) (1:17:26 in 2024)
Eighth in Tokyo, he was only 29th in Budapest and sixth in La Coruna this year.
Massimo Stano (ITA) (1:17:26 in 2024)
The Olympic winner and 2022 world 35km champion starts as favourite, though just lost to Zhang Jun in Taicang.
Alvaro Martin (ESP) (1:17:49 in 2024)
Took the 20km and 35km world titles in Budapest and was second in La Coruna this year.
British Challenge: Callum Wilkinson was 10th in Tokyo and gained a world ranking spot courtesy of ninth place at the European Champs. Keen to break the British record.
AW Prediction: 1 Stano (ITA) 1:17:35; 2 Martin (ESP) 1:17:42; 3 Ideka (JPN) 1:17:45
Final: August 1
Defending champion: Antonella Palmisano (ITA) 1:29:12
Olympic record: Yelena Lashmanova (RUS) 1:25:02, 2012
World champion: Maria Perez (ESP) 1:26:51
World leader: Elvira Khasanova (RUS) 1:24:31
The absent Russians top the rankings, but it is the Chinese who look to have the strongest squad.
Top contenders
Zhenxia Ma (CHN) (1:26:07 in 2024)
Won in Taicang and second in Antalya but finished only eighth in La Coruna.
Kimberly Garcia (PER) (1:26:41 in 2024)
A double world champion in 2022 but second in the 35km in 2023, she has been in great form in 2024 to win in Podebracy, Antalya and La Coruna.
Liu Hong (CHN) (1:26:47 in 2024)
The Rio champion who has also won four world titles goes in her fifth Olympics. She already owns a full set of medals and, while seemingly past her best, was third in La Coruna.
Antonella Palmisano (ITA) (1:27:27 in 2024)
The defending champion also won European gold in Rome and was third in Budapest. She is a certain challenger.
British Challenge: No Brits were close to qualifying.
AW Prediction: 1 Garcia (PER) 1:26:54; 2 Palmisano (ITA) 1:26:57; 3 Liu Hong (CHN) 1:27:10
Final: August 7
This is a curious new event, without any Olympic history, that has been added to the schedule. It replaces the individual 50km event and will see teams, each made up of one male and one female athlete, compete over the marathon distance in four stages, alternating man/woman/man/woman.
Top contenders
Italy (2:56:45 in 2024)
With a likely team of Antonella Palmisano and Massimo Stano, they start as favourites, having won the inaugural mixed marathon relay at the World Race Walking Team Championships with a different line-up in Antalya this year.
Japan (2:57:04 in 2024)
Their men are stronger than their women, but they finished second in Antalya.
China (3:03:10 in 2024)
Given their high individual rankings, their 10th and 11th in the qualifying races aren’t indicative of their strength but they did qualify two teams.
Ecuador (2:56:49 in 2023)
A strong duo likely to be in the medal mix.
British Challenge: Britain are not among the 25 qualified teams.
AW Prediction: 1 ITA 2:54:55; 2 CHN 2:55:14; 3 ECU 2:56:00
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