China’s Yang wins women’s 20km walk Olympic gold

China’s Yang Jiayu produced a dominant performance to win the women’s 20-kilometre walk Olympic title in Paris on Thursday.

The 28-year-old world record holder timed 1 hour, 25 minutes, 14 seconds, coming home clear of Spain’s Maria Perez (1:26:19), with Jemima Montag of Australia taking the bronze (1:26:25).

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Yang is the fourth Chinese woman to win the Olympic title in the seven times she has featured at the Games.

The race was delayed by half an hour due to a thunderstorm but once it started, Yang seized control as temperatures soared.

The 2017 world champion was always in command as the 20-lap race wound its way through Paris along the banks of the Seine, sweeping past landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and Trocadero.

Yang Jiayu, at the 8km mark, had opened up a 13-second lead on a group of 11, including Commonwealth Games champion Montag and defending champion Antonella Palmisano.

She had extended it to 40 seconds with eight kilometres remaining, her only concern having been given a warning.

However, three kilometres later, perhaps due to the heat and her early effort, the lead was down to half a minute, — Spain’s two-time world champion Perez going in hot pursuit.

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Perez, fourth in the Tokyo Games, was in top gear as she took a further 10 seconds off Yang’s lead in one kilometre.

The Chinese woman, with a towel tied around her neck to absorb the sweat, managed to stabilise the situation maintaining her 20-second lead after the next lap.

Montag broke free of a group of three at the 17-kilometre mark to move into third.

With two laps to go, Yang’s lead was just 15 seconds over Perez, with Montag a further 11 seconds adrift.

Both the front two took off their caps to pour water over their heads and drank from the water bottles at the water stations — Yang dispensing with the towel around her neck.

Yang’s lead at the bell was 17 seconds, and it was Montag who was threatening Perez for silver as she was just five seconds off the Spaniard.

Yang sauntered to the line in the end untroubled, while Perez had ditched her cap and hung on as Montag, world silver last year, settled for an impressive third.