European race walk championships see multiple world records broken

Perez and Fiorini set new world marks while Spain and Italy claim further golds at the European race walk championships.

Perez, a four‑time world champion, clocked 1:30:06 to win the women's 20km race walk, erasing more than two minutes off the previous world record held by Italy's Antonella Palmisano. The record, set in Podebrady, Czechia, in May, fell well short of the new time.

Italian Alexandrina Mihai took silver and Ukraine's Lyudmila Olyanovska earned bronze, both posting times that also surpassed Palmisano's mark. In the marathon walk, Fiorini finished in 3:15:11, more than ten minutes quicker than the world record she herself set earlier this year in Brasilia.

Spain added another gold when Paul McGrath won the men's half‑marathon in 1:23:23, ahead of Italy's Francesco Fortunato and Andrea Cosi. In the men's marathon walk, Italy's Olympic 20km champion Massimo Stano posted a world‑leading 2:56:49 to claim top honours, with Spain's Miguel Angel Lopez and France's Aurelien Quinion completing the podium.

World records at a continental meet signal a shift in the sport’s competitive balance, with athletes from Spain and Italy now challenging traditional powerhouses such as Italy’s own Palmisano. The faster times also raise the bar for upcoming global events, including the World Championships and the next Olympic Games.

With the new benchmarks set, national federations are likely to intensify training programmes and seek additional funding to sustain the momentum. Fans can expect tighter races and more headline‑grabbing performances as athletes chase the freshly lowered standards.

The championships have not only reshaped the record books but also highlighted race walking’s growing appeal across Europe.