Alvaro Martin after finishing third in the men's 20km at the World Race Walking Team Championships Rome 2016 (© Getty Images)
Spain has selected 25 of their best race walkers for the IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships Taicang 2018 on 5-6 May.
The team includes 2016 World Race Walking Team Championships 20km bronze medallist Alvaro Martin, 2015 world champion Miguel Angel Lopez and 1993 world champion Jesus Angel Garcia.
Martin finished third in Rome two years ago in a lifetime best of 1:19:36. He came within five seconds of that mark at last year’s World Championships to finish eighth in the 20km race walk.
Garcia’s first appearance at this event, back when it was known as the IAAF World Race Walking Cup, was in 1993 when he finished second. He went on to win the 50km four years later.
With three medals and eight top-six finishes, the 46-year-old is the most successful athlete in the history of the championships. This year he will be making a record 13th appearance at the championships.
Spain has also named four women in the 50km event. 2011 European under-23 20km champion Julia Takacs made her debut at the longer distance last month, clocking a national record of 4:13:04, little more than seven minutes shy of the world record.
Spanish team for Taicang
Men
20km race walk: Luis Alberto Amezcua, Manuel Bermudez, Diego Garcia, Miguel Angel Lopez, Alvaro Martin.
50km race walk: Jose Ignacio Diaz, Jesus Angel Garcia, Pablo Oliva, Benjamin Sanchez, Marc Tur.
U20 10km race walk: Pedro Conesa, Alvaro Lopez, Jose Manuel Perez.
Women
20km race walk: Amanda Cano, Laura Garcia-Caro, Raquel Gonzalez, Maria Perez, Lidia Sanchez-Puebla.
50km race walk: Mar Juarez, Maria Larios, Ainhoa Pinedo, Julia Takacs.
U20 10km race walk: Antia Chamosa, Mariona Garcia, Marina Pena.
