Ma Zhenxia on her way to winning the women's 20km in Muscat (© Getty Images)
There is so much star quality at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships Antalya 24 that despite the double world champion and the Olympic champion focusing on the marathon mixed relay, the senior women’s 20km still features multiple global medallists, all on the hunt for further success.
Another double world gold medallist – Kimberly Garcia – and two champions from the last edition of this event in Muscat in 2022 – Ma Zhenxia and Glenda Morejon – will be among the leading contenders when athletes take to the 2km loop course in the Turkish coastal city on Sunday (21).
Ma led China to a comfortable team victory in Muscat two years ago and she looks in form to repeat the feat, having clocked a PB of 1:26:07 at the Chinese Race Walking Grand Prix in Taicang on 3 March. That was an improvement of more than half a minute on her previous best set one year prior.
After winning world U18 and U20 titles, Ma’s performance in Muscat was a senior breakthrough and she went on to finish 10th at the World Championships in Oregon and seventh at the global event in Budapest.
She leads the entries when it comes to season’s bests and will form part of another strong Chinese squad. The last three senior women’s 20km team titles have all been won by China and although the entry list includes reserves, each of the seven athletes named have dipped under 1:29:00 already this year.
Joining Ma near the top of the list are Ji Haiying and Peng Li, who respectively clocked 1:27:19 and 1:27:26 in Taicang but do not have the benefit of as much experience as their teammate. Yin Lamei, who finished 10th in the 35km event at the 2022 World Championships, also set a lifetime best in the shorter event in Taicang - 1:27:36.
When it comes to experience, Morejon and Garcia both have plenty.
Ecuador’s Morejon has the quickest PB of those entered thanks to the 1:25:29 she achieved as a 19-year-old in La Coruna in 2019. In Muscat she won the 35km on her debut at the distance, leading Ecuador to team victory. One of her teammates on that occasion – Magaly Bonilla – joins her on the team again, along with Paula Milena Torres.
Morejon finished sixth in the 20km at the World Championships in Budapest and most recently clocked 1:27:21 – the second-fastest time of her career – to finish second at the World Race Walking Tour Gold meeting in Podebrady on 6 April.
It was Peru’s Garcia, the double world champion in 2022, who beat Morejon to the title in Podebrady and the pair will clash again in Antalya.
As well as her world 20km and 35km gold medals in Oregon, Garcia secured world 35km silver in Budapest and finished fourth in the 20km there. She also won Peru’s first ever medal at the World Race Walking Team Championships when she claimed bronze in the 20km in Muscat.
Illness forced her to drop out during the 20km in Dudince in March but she was back to winning ways in Podebrady, where she set a race record of 1:27:08 – her third fastest ever time.
The race in Dudince was won by her compatriot Evelyn Inga in 1:27:42, just 10 seconds off her PB, and they form part of a powerful team in Antalya, joined by Mary Luz Andia.
The host nation will also have high hopes, with multiple world age group medallist Meryem Bekmez and 2019 European U23 champion Ayse Tekdal on the team.
Others to watch out for include Italy’s Eleonora Giorgi and Valentina Trapletti, each competing at their sixth World Race Walking Team Championships, plus Spain’s Raquel Gonzalez and Brazil’s Viviane Lyra, who secured two top eight places in Budapest.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics
