Sports & Fitness

Italian 'Rocky' fan Palmisano lands 20km walk knockout blow

Records a winning time of 1hr 29min 12sec, a commanding 25sec cushion from second-placed Colombia's Sandra Lorena Arenas

Updated 5 years ago · Published on 06 Aug 2021 6:46PM

Italian 'Rocky' fan Palmisano lands 20km walk knockout blow — Italy's Antonella Palmisano celebrates on the podium after the medal presentation ceremony of the women's 20km race walk on August 6, 2021. - AFP pic. August 6, 2021

TOKYO - Antonella Palmisano shrugged off the searing heat of Sapporo's to win the Olympic women's 20-kilometre walk on Friday to follow up her fellow Italian Massimo Stano's success in the men's race.

The 30-year-old Palmisano, who narrowly missed out on a podium at the Rio Games, was followed home by Colombia's Sandra Lorena Arenas with China's defending champion Liu Hong claiming bronze.

Palmisano, a fan of Sylvester Stallone's fictional boxer Rocky Balboa, recorded a winning time of 1hr 29min 12sec, with a commanding 25sec cushion from Arenas with Liu a further dozen seconds back.

Rio champion Liu collected a record third medal in the event after bronze in London 2012.

It was Italy's fourth gold medal of the Tokyo Olympics athletics programme after Stano's walk to victory on Thursday, the surprise men's 100m win for Marcell Jacobs and the shared gold medal in the men's high jump for Gianmarco Tamberi. - AFP. August 6, 2021