Four-time champions China will be the team to beat in the U20 women’s 10km race at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships Bras\u00edlia this Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
China’s streak was stopped by Spain in Antalya two-years ago, Spain were only the third nation after China and Russia to win the team title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Chinese team for this year’s edition boasts of three of the six fastest women in the field and they will each be looking to follow in the footsteps of their compatriot Yang Xizhen who won the individual title at the last edition in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wang Yaru leads that trio on times. The 16-year-old won both the U18 5km and 10km events at the Chinese Race Walking Grand Prix in Taicang at the start of March, setting a PB of 44:31 for the longer distance. But it was Yang Yutong who won the U20 title in Taicang and the 19-year-old will want to build on the PB of 44:49 she set that day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They will be joined in Bras\u00edlia by 18-year-old Ni Lihua who finished third in that Taicang U20 10km won by Yang, in a PB of 45:24. All three athletes will be making their international debuts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chlo\u00e9 Le Roch sits at the top of the entry list and heads to Bras\u00edlia with the benefit of global experience. The 18-year-old set a French U20 record of 44:02 when finishing second at the European Race Walking Team Championships in Pod\u011bbrady last year and she was just 14 seconds off that mark when winning a national event in Lens last month. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aged 16, she finished eighth in the 10,000m race walk at the World U20 Championships in Lima in 2024, four months after finishing 18th in the U20 event in Antalya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Italy\u2019s Serena Di Fabio also set a national record at the European Race Walking Team Championships last year, clocking 44:08 to finish one place behind Le Roch. She has gone close to that mark this year, too, winning her national title last month in 44:17. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As well as her podium finish in Pod\u011bbrady, Di Fabio secured silver on the track at last year\u2019s European Championships and the then 16-year-old finished seventh at the last edition of the World Race Walking Team Championships, clinching team bronze for Italy and achieving the leading individual performance by athletes eligible to return for this year\u2019s edition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Suzu Okuno also performed well in Antalya two years ago, finishing 13th in a PB of 46:32. She returns to race for Japan, as part of a squad led by Yuna Uchiyama who set a PB of 44:46 to win the national event in Kobe in February. Harumi Tabata, who was fourth that day, completes the Japanese squad that will also be fighting for the team podium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Italy could also have strong team prospects, as Di Fabio is joined by Valentina Adamo and Francesca Gloria Buselli who completed the podium at their national championships in respective PBs of 46:48 and 47:02.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gina Torres leads Spain\u2019s team title defence after winning the national U20 crown in a PB of 47:03 in February, while \u015eerife Berra G\u00fcven and \u0130pek \u00d6zkavlak race for T\u00fcrkiye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ethiopia\u2019s Hiwot Ambaw makes her road debut after racing in the 10,000m race walk at the 2024 World U20 Championships and winning the national title in 46:22.07 at the end of March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Men’s race sees world record holders in contention<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The men\u2019s half marathon looks set to provide the most thrilling contest of the weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The event has attracted two world record-holders, both individual world champions from the 2025 World Championships as well as the full 20km podium from the last edition of these championships, and multiple global medallists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the centre of the individual battle is Brazil\u2019s Caio Bonfim, the world 20km champion who will spearhead the home team. Competing on familiar roads and backed by home support, the Olympic silver medallist started his 2026 campaign with a comfortable half marathon victory in Brasilia. He followed that with a 1:21:44 half marathon PB to place fifth in Kobe in February, then was runner-up in Taicang in 1:23:00 last month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Japan\u2019s Toshikazu Yamanishi, a two-time world champion and the world record-holder for both 20km and the half marathon, will be particularly motivated. After finishing an uncharacteristic 28th at the 2025 World Championships on home soil, he will be looking to reassert himself at the highest level and reclaim the top spot on the podium, having won the 20km at these championships in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He is supported by a formidable Japanese squad, all of whom are currently in the top 10 in the world rankings and have achieved top-eight finishes at past World Championships: Kento Yoshikawa, the Asian silver medallist who finished seventh at the 2025 World Championships; Tomohiro Noda, sixth over 35km at the 2023 World Championships; and Satoshi Maruo, fourth over 50km at the 2017 World Championships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That depth makes Japan a clear favourite in the team standings as they seek to reclaim the title they last won in 2018. But the battle for team honours is expected to be intense, with defending champions Spain, along with China and Australia, all capable of mounting serious challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Spain\u2019s hopes will be led by world bronze medallist Paul McGrath and Diego Garc\u00eda Carrera, both of whom finished on the podium in the 20km at the last edition of these championships. With the addition of Alvaro Lopez and 2015 world champion Miguel Angel Lopez, Spain\u2019s depth makes them a major force once again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sweden\u2019s multiple world medallist Perseus Karlstr\u00f6m, winner of the 20km at the last World Race Walking Team Championships and the 35km at the 2022 edition, can never be discounted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Italy also arrives with a well-balanced team led by European bronze medallist Francesco Fortunato, who claimed gold in the marathon race walk mixed relay at the last edition of these championships. Fortunato started his year in dazzling form, setting a world record for the 5000m race walk, and is joined by Gianluca Picchiottino, who finished 12th in the 20km at the last edition of these championships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n China\u2019s quartet of Zhao Xiangfei, Zhang Xinrui, Ding Shuo and Cui Lihong brings formidable depth, with all four athletes having clocked times well inside 1:24 in Taicang last month. If they\u2019re able to replicate that depth in Brasilia, they could make it on to the team podium once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Australia\u2019s challenge will be led by Commonwealth silver medallist Declan Tingay, who finished eighth over 20km at the 2023 World Championships. He is joined by Rhydian Cowley, the Olympic bronze medallist in the marathon race walk mixed relay, giving Australia both experience and proven championship pedigree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Canada\u2019s Evan Dunfee, the world 35km champion, adds further weight to the field. Although he is working his way back from an off-season injury and has indicated he may not yet be at his peak, Dunfee\u2019s experience and proven ability to deliver in championship settings make him a formidable contender.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ethiopia\u2019s African champion Misgana Wakuma, who finished sixth over 20km at the Olympic Games, recently set an African best of 38:04.09 for 10,000m and will be looking to improve on his 10th-place finish from the last edition of these championships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n African 20km record-holder Samuel Gathimba, third at these championships in 2022 and fourth at the World Championships that same year, brings further experience. He is joined on the Kenyan team by 2021 world U20 champion Heristone Wanyonyi Wafula, who returns to competition for the first time since June 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Turkey\u2019s Salih Korkmaz, fifth over 20km at the 2019 World Championships, is another one to watch.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Four-time champions China will be the team to beat in the U20 women’s 10km race at the World<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11370,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[50,298],"class_list":["post-11369","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international","tag-athletics","tag-race-walking"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t