Mexican Gonzalez makes race walking record at Pan Am Games
Xinhua, July 20, 2015 Adjust font size:
Mexican Guadalupe Gonzalez won gold medal and set a new games record in women's racewalking at Toronto 2015 Pan American Games on Sunday.
According to Mexican news agency Notimex, Gonzalez finished the 20km race to win gold medal with a time of 1 hour 29 minutes and 24 seconds, while she broke the record set by Guatemalan Jamy Franco.
After crossing the finish line, Gonzalez almost fainted due to her strong effort.
Since 2003 in Santo Domingo when Victoria Palacios won the event, Mexican women racewalkers had not reached the podium in the Pan American Games.
Gonzalez defeated the weather with 86 percent of humidity as well as other athletes such as Salvadorian Cristina Lopez and Brazilian Erica de Sena.
On the last stretch, the Mexican athlete was 100 meters ahead of Brazilian de Sena and a little bit behind Mexican Alejandara Ortega.
As she crossed the finish line, Gonzalez fell down. "It is a tremendous dehydration," said Antonio Lozano, President of the Mexican Federation of Athletics Association (FMAA).
Gonzalez received care from the medical staff and later was taken to a nearby hospital for recovery. She rested some four hours and is out of danger.
Brazilian de Sena was second in 1:30.03 and Ecuadorian Paola Perez settled in third with 1:31.53. Endi