Eugene (United States) (AFP) - Peru's Kimberly Garcia Leon won her second race walk gold medal of the World Athletics Championships in Eugene after striding away to victory in the 35km event on Friday.
Garcia Leon won the first-ever world medal of any kind for Peru when she claimed victory in last week's event-opening 20km race walk.
And there was no stopping the 28-year-old Peruvian over the longer distance as she clocked a South American record time of 2hr 39min 16sec for victory on a one-kilometre looped course starting and finishing on Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard in front of Autzen Stadium, a short hop over the river from Hayward Field.
In a mirror image of the 20km podium, Poland's Katarzyna Zdzieblo claimed silver in a personal best of 2:40.03, while China's Qieyang Shijie took bronze in an Asian record time of 2:40.37.
"I have always dreamed of making history in a sport I am so passionate about, that I have been practising since I was five," aid Garcia Leon.
"My plan to set a steady pace until 20km and gradually up the pace from there.That's what I did today.
"I trained to finish strong in the last 5km.I can't wait to celebrate with my family when I arrive home and then reset to start preparing for the World Championships and the Pan American Games next year."
