“A little smile for everyone”: Kimberly García and why her world record in the 35km walk is historic

Although this distance has been practiced for a few years, World Athletics decided to make the competition times official – which will replace the women’s 50km walk – and set the time limit to be considered as a world record at 2:38:00 hours. A figure that Kimberly reduced by quite a bit: here every second is an eternity. The Peruvian crossed the finish line in the streets of Dudince in 2:37:44 hours, 16 seconds before the time limit.

The Russian Margarita Nikiforova had the best time until yesterday with 2:37:46 hours, but her time was not considered in the list of records because Russian athletes are banned, after the invasion of her country to Ukraine.

“This world record is for me dear Peru, which with the latest natural disasters is not having a very good time. I hope somehow to get a very small smile from everyone, ”he published on his social networks. A joy for all, a light.

—The record—

According to journalist Patrick Espejo, from Diario Récord, two Peruvians already reached a world record. First it was Ketty Baldwin in the 50 and 100 meter rifle shot in 1956, and then Augusto Echecopar set the best mark in the world championship for the kilometer against the clock in the world youth cycling championship in 1989.

Thus, Kimi opened a new record for his already immense history. “I myself don’t know where my limits are”, she assures her with some emotion and even with the exhaustion of the demanding test. It is that she is a specialist in the 20km, and this is the third time that she has competed in the 35km. “The last 15 kilometers were very difficult because of the weather,” she says. The sun was already beating down on the competition area and leaving with a headwind. “In the last five kilometers I got excited and said: ‘All or nothing’”, and she went for the record.

The Peruvian surpassed by just over two minutes the Chinese Hong Liu, gold medalist in Rio 2016 in the 20 km and world record in the 50 km, who competed for the first time in this distance and achieved the best mark for the Asian continent (2: 40:06). The Ecuadorian Magaly Bonilla closed the podium with 2:46:32.

—Goes for more—

And it is valued more because Kimberly has returned to the track after eight months. The last tests of her were the gold medals at the Oregon World Cup in July last year. What is the plan now? Back to racing the 20km and 35km in Budapest in August, but still has to think about it.

And what comes next may be even more glorious for Kimberly. She now has a month to prepare for the next competition which will be the 20km in Poland on April 23rd. There she will seek the minimum mark for the Olympic Games in Paris (1:29:20). Kimi is already running under that time, so she fills up with confidence. “I have already been a champion, but I have not yet achieved my dream of an Olympic medal”, she told us a few weeks ago.

He already has a world record. Each step she takes brings her closer to the ultimate goal, the dream that an entire country has been waiting for for more than thirty years. That’s where it’s going, Kimberly. Safe step.

The competition…

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