Spain shines in the 35-kilometre walk with two new medals

Despite the change in registration, going down from 50 to 35 kilometres, the march has once again given joy to the Spanish delegation at the European Championships in Munich. Miguel Ángel López has won the gold and Raquel González with the silver in the 35 kilometers and add the third and fourth medals for Spain after those obtained yesterday in the marathon.

The Murcian athlete, with a record of 2:26.27, has made an exhibition through the streets of the German town, where he has taken almost three minutes to the German Linke, silver. Almost four came the Italian Giupponi, bronze. Manuel Bermúdez, also from Murcia, with whom López shares a coach, José Antonio Carrillo, was fourth. Carrillo and López embraced even before crossing the finish line. Ibizan Marc Tur, the third Spanish representative in the final, was disqualified after being in the leading group at all times. Bad year for the islander, also eliminated from the test in Eugene.

“Trying to escape alone from the beginning is very difficult to keep up, but I felt very good, strong,” the champion proudly told the official championship media. At 34 years old, López hangs his second European gold after the one achieved in the 20 march in Zurich 2014. A year later and in the same category, he won the World Cup in Beijing. In Eugene, held this summer, he finished tenth in the 35, a test that premiered this year. Barely a month later, the Spaniard extends his spectacular record with gold in Munich.

The one from Llano de Brujas signed a great breakaway at kilometer 5 of a test that started at 8.30 in the morning. Before the 20th he was already one minute ahead of his immediate pursuer, the Swedish Karlstrom, who collapsed in the final stretch of the race suffering from his knee and nauseated. López imposed a devastating and aggressive rhythm, unable to be reached by his rivals.

His first big medal

Raquel González crosses the finish line second. /

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Raquel González premiered her record in international competitions with a spectacular silver after a race that she led at times. The Catalan walker completed the 35 kilometers in 2:49:10, two minutes below the record of the Greek Ntrismpioti, second in the world ranking. Third was the Hungarian Madarasz, who led the start of the race. Barcelona’s Mar Juárez entered seventh and Galician Antía Chamosa finished in a meritorious fifteenth position.

González demonstrated in the capital of Bavaria the great state of form that he is going through. In Eugene he finished in fifth position in what was a serious warning ahead of the European. This Tuesday he completed the test in seven more minutes due to the slow pace, but he knew how to shoot ex officio to hang his first absolute medal at the international level. The 32-year-old from Mataró has gotten the best of herself in a year that started with difficulties. The one trained by José Antonio Quintana suffered injuries and even a monucleosis, but she has obtained her reward after her tireless work.