Bhubaneswar : On September 20, 2025, at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Brazil’s Caio Bonfim won the men’s 20km race walk gold with a time of 1:18:35, just a week after taking silver in the 35km walk. Bonfim, who had previously earned two silvers and two bronzes at major events, achieved his first global gold by overtaking Chinese Wang Zhaozhao (silver, 1:18:43) and Spain’s Paul McGrath (bronze, 1:18:45) in the final lap.
The race saw Japan’s world record-holder Toshikazu Yamanishi lead for much of the second half but receive a costly two-minute penalty that disqualified him from medal contention. “I wanted to win the gold, so I pushed, but that led to disqualification. I’m very disappointed,” said Yamanishi.
Bonfim dedicated his victory to his family: “Your father is a world champion,” he said to his children. Reflecting on the race, he shared, “I lost my wedding ring in the third kilometre. I believe my wife will be OK because I won today.” He also noted how his eldest son missed him during the race, and he wanted to make his effort worthy for them.
Chinese Wang prepared for Tokyo by training in a similar climate in Yunnan Province and celebrated his first World Championships medal. Spain’s McGrath, despite cramps in the final kilometre, held on to secure bronze, describing the medal as “a dream come true.”
Bonfim’s win marks a historic moment for Brazil in race walking, combining grit, family motivation, and tactical skill in Tokyo’s National Stadium .
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