Spain clinch inaugural mixed race walk gold

PARIS: Alvaro Martin and Maria Perez clinched Olympic gold for Spain in the inaugural marathon race walk mixed relay in Paris on Wednesday as Jakob Ingebrigtsen licked his wounds to qualify for the 5,000m final.

The mixed relay was making its Olympic debut to replace the 50km race walk. Martin and Perez timed 2hr 50min 31sec for victory almost a minute ahead of silver medallists Ecuador, with Australia claiming bronze.

“This is amazing, this is history, not only for us but for Spanish race walking as well,” said Martin. Perez, having now won golds at the Olympics, world and European championships, said she felt “very special because that triple crown is the first time that has been achieved by a Spanish athlete, and I’m fortunate enough to have shared it with Alvaro.”

After misjudging his pace in the opening two laps of the men’s 1500m on Tuesday, Ingebrigtsen failed in the defence of his title when finishing fourth. The Norwegian was back on the track Wednesday in the 5,000m, however, an event in which he is a twice world champion, and he made no mistake in winning his semi-final in 13:51.59.

“I’m lucky because I get a second chance to show what I’m capable of. It’s just about keeping the focus on this race and being smart when using my powers,” Ingebrigtsen said. “It’s going to be an exciting fight.”

A dramatic first semi-final first saw Canada’s reigning silver medallist Mohammed Ahmed fall and then four others go down with the line in sight after France’s Hugo Hay pushed Britain’s George Mills into traffic.

“We were all going down like skittles. It seemed crazy out there,” said Mills, who exchanged angry words with the Frenchman after the race. “I was tucked in on the inside on the last lap, which was where I wanted to be. I knew some sort of gap would open up in the straight. It did, and I was ready to put my foot down. Then all of a sudden, ‘boom’, down I went.” Mills and the three other fallers were retrospectively given qualification for Saturday’s final.