Yang claims U20 women's individual and team honours in Brasilia

Yang Yutong emerged victorious in a competitive U20 women’s 10km at the Caixa World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships Brasilia 26, winning both the individual and team titles for China on Sunday (12).

It was only in the closing stages that the 19-year-old finally shook off the challenge of Italy’s European U18 champion Serena di Fabio, the seventh-place finisher at this event two years ago. Yang crossed the line in 46:11 to finish 10 seconds ahead of Di Fabio with Ni Lihua placing third in 46:37 to secure team gold for China.

The race got off to a conservative start as the first kilometre was covered in 5:09. The pace started to pick up as the large lead pack approached 3km, but it was only at half way – which was reached in 24:01 – that the pack started to whittle down.

Di Fabio led a nine-woman group at that point. After another kilometre, covered in 4:35, the pack was down to five: Di Fabio, France’s Chloe le Roch, plus Chinese trio Yang, Ni and Wang Yaru.

Le Roch and Wang started to drift off the pace, leaving just three women to battle for the podium places over the final few kilometres. Di Fabio, Yang and Ni race walked together through 8km, then Yang began her long drive for home.

Ni surrendered her challenge, while Di Fabio tried her best to stick with Yang, but the Chinese teenager was too strong. With a final kilometre of 4:23, and having covered the second half in 22:10, Yang crossed the line in 46:11 to become the third consecutive Chinese winner of the U20 women’s race at these championships.

Di Fabio held on for second place in 46:21 while Ni finished third in 46:37. Further back, Le Roch was fourth (47:18) and Wang fifth (47:27).

"I thought it was very hard to finish the race," said Yang. "I hope I can repeat the same success at the World U20 Championships as I had here in Brazil."

China dominated the team standings and regained gold, two years after Spain ended their four-edition winning streak.

Italy claimed team silver with 12 points, just one ahead of Japan. It represents Italy’s best team result in the U20 women’s race at these championships, and Japan’s first team podium finish in a women’s race.

Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics