Stano wins the 35 km race walk by edging Kawano by a second (Video)

Massimo Stano of Italy outlasted Japan’s Masatora Kawano to win the men’s 35 km race walk at the World Athletics Championships on Sunday by just one second.

In the final 4 km, Stano and Kawano fought shoulder to shoulder as the top pair, but the Italian handled the pressure admirably and accelerated in the final 300 m to secure the gold medal.

The 20km race walk Olympic champion crossed the finish line in 2:23:14, grabbing an Italian flag as he neared the finish line, while Kawano collapsed to his knees in defeat.

“Even if I were to win the Olympic gold, I would find it hard to believe. Theoretically, it should be simple to comprehend what transpired today, but it is not, “explained Stano.

“I’m pleased to have won gold at a different distance and to have demonstrated my versatility. Kawano ran a fantastic race. To win today, I had to alter my pace a few times. He exhausted me a lot.”