Mexico\u2019s Alegna Gonz\u00e1lez and China\u2019s Shi Shengji were victorious at the Gran Premio Cantones, a World Athletics Race Walking Tour Gold meeting, held in La Coru\u00f1a.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Contesting the half marathon, world 20km silver medallist Gonz\u00e1lez achieved her first win in Cantones, while 19-year-old Shi became the first Chinese race walker to triumph in the Spanish coastal city since Wang Zhen in 2016.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The women\u2019s contest opened with an early lead by Ant\u00eda Chamosa, Spain\u2019s world 20km race walk seventh-place finisher. The 26-year-old gave the local fans something to cheer about over the new circuit as she took command of the race to become a solo leader from the gun. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chamosa, who is a training partner of double world champion Mar\u00eda P\u00e9rez, set a 4:25 cadence to progressively build a strong margin over the favourites including Gonz\u00e1lez, P\u00e9rez, the Italian pair of Antonella Palmisano and Sofia Fiorini, and Peru\u2019s Kimberly Garc\u00eda. The Spaniard had created a lead of 22 seconds on the chasing group by the 5km checkpoint, which was reached in 22:07.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
China\u2019s Yang Liujing fulfilled most of the pacing duties in the chase group, 10 seconds behind Chamosa (44:21\/44:31) at 10km, and they caught the local athlete with the clock reading 50:45. The fireworks came during the 15th lap when Gonz\u00e1lez increased her pace to cover that circuit in 4:18, still with P\u00e9rez, Palmisano, Fiorini, Yang, Mexico\u2019s Alejandra Ortega and Japan\u2019s world bronze medallist Nanako Fujii tucked behind the Mexican.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The in-form Gonz\u00e1lez won last Saturday in Rio Maior and seemed determined to maintain her winning streak as her relentless 4:17 rhythm began to pay dividends. First Yang and then Fujii lost contact before an even quicker 4:14 18th lap saw P\u00e9rez and Ortega drop back, while the surprising Fiorini still remained at Gonz\u00e1lez\u2019s shoulder. The 21-year-old Italian, who placed runner-up at last month\u2019s World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships in Bras\u00edlia in the marathon, tried to follow in Gonz\u00e1lez\u2019s footsteps but she finally began to lose ground some 1.4km from home as the Mexican flew over the penultimate lap to clock 4:12. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gonz\u00e1lez kicked again to cover the final kilometre in 4:06 to secure her first win in Cantones in 1:32:24 following her second-place finishes in 2021, 2024 and 2025, plus a third place in 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fiorini clocked 1:32:36 and last year\u2019s victor P\u00e9rez \u2013 making her competitive debut over the half marathon distance \u2013 recorded 1:32:51 to complete a quality podium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m more than happy as I had always made the podium here, but I had never won. Fortunately, today I managed that feat,\u201d said Gonz\u00e1lez. \u201cI felt very comfortable throughout and over the last laps I thought: \u2018It\u2019s my turn\u2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI liked the new circuit and we were lucky as it was a windless day. I\u2019ll next compete in Madrid next Sunday (31), while my primary goal for this summer season is to shine at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The men\u2019s race kicked off at a moderate pace, the opening two kilometres covered in a comfortable 8:13. A large Chinese squad was at the helm alongside the other favourites including Japan\u2019s Kento Yoshikawa and Spain\u2019s world bronze medallist Paul McGrath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Surprisingly, shortly after the third kilometre which was covered in a much brisker 3:58, Brazil\u2019s world 20km champion Caio Bonfim began to lose ground. By the fifth kilometre (20:06) the front group was led by China\u2019s Yang Kaiyuan, Li Chenjie and Shengji plus the Japanese duo of Tomohiro Noda and Keisuke Hara while Bonfim travelled outside the top 20, some nine seconds in arrears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To the delight of the home crowd, McGrath moved to the front some 25 minutes into the race, the 24-year-old local hero setting the rhythm for a couple of laps to open a shy lead before being reeled in. China\u2019s Qian Haifeng then broke away to build a 10-second advantage on Shengji, Kaiyuan and Mexico\u2019s Ricardo Ortiz. The 10km mark was reached by the leaders in 39:59 while Bonfim edged towards the chasing group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following several circuits in the 3:56\/3:58 range, Shengji effectively ended the competition as he unleashed a devastating kick to cover the 15th lap in 3:48. Only Li and Hara could live with that pace, but Shi continued to accelerate to produce the quickest kilometre \u2013 3:46 \u2013 for the next circuit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Noda began to falter but Chenjie managed to remain at his compatriot\u2019s shoulder. Yet his resistance came to an end some 1:06:30 into the race when Shengji finally managed to lose Li thanks to another 3:48 17th lap.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shengji maintained 3:50 pace over the final few laps which was enough to keep Chenjie at bay, while Hara was a lonesome third way back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shengji crossed the finish line in 1:23:23 to Li\u2019s 1:23:25, while Hara completed a classy podium 29 seconds behind the winner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Loyal to his usual tactics of finishing strongly, Bonfim maintained a sub-4:00 cadence throughout the race to overtake all but the first three race walkers. He finished fourth in 1:24:08 after passing Ecuador\u2019s David Hurtado and China\u2019s Haifeng over the last couple of laps.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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