Evan Dunfee fights back tears after winning race-walking gold for Canada
Canada is off to a hot start at the World Athletic Championships in Tokyo, Japan.
Richmond, B.C. native Evan Dunfee took home gold for Canada in race walking during the first day of action at the games, finishing the 35-kilometre race with a time of 2:28:22.
“We started Team Canada off on the right foot, gold medal, thank you so, so much everyone back home, cheering me on,” Dunfree said in a reel posted by Athletics Canada on Instagram.
The 34-year-old then gave a shout out to his partner while fighting back tears.
“Especially Sarah, I love you so much, wish you could have been here,” Dunfee said. “But, the next best thing is that I get to bring [the gold medal] home.”
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Dunfee pulled off a dramatic comeback en route to his gold medal win. He was behind the top three race-walkers until the final eight kilometres of the race. The three-time Olympian then took the lead with less than two kilometres to go.
He then pulled up and shook out his hamstring during those last two kilometres, but he was able to hang on for the win, beating Japan’s Hayato Katsuki by 33 seconds.
āThe hardest thing Iāve ever done,” Dunfee told media following the win. “That last two kilometres was agonizing and I was just having to channel all of the people back home, people here who are part of my support team, who believe in me so, so much, channeling them to get through one more step, one more step.
“That last two kilometres, Iāve never been in that much pain in my life.”
The World Athletic Championships take place from Sept. 13-21. Other prolific athletes such as Andre De Grasse and Damian Warner will also be competing later this week in Tokyo.
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