IRISH RACE WALKERS Brendan Boyce and Alex Wright have finished 10th and 29th respectively in the men’s 50km walk.
Competing at his third Olympics, Boyce was competitive throughout and put in his best performance at the games. The 34-year old crossed the line with a time of 3:53:40.
It was a remarkable finish from the Donegal man given he lost contact with a breakaway group at the 35km mark and appeared to be struggling.
Leevale Athletics Club competitor Wright clocked a season’s best of 4:06:20. It is his highest ever finish at a global championship.
This is the last time the 50km will be at the Olympics. The winner was Polish walker Dawid Tomala in a time of 3:50:48. Germany’s Jonathan Hilbert took second with Evan Dunfee of Canada in third.
#Athletics
— Team Ireland (@TeamIreland) August 6, 2021
10th for Brendan Boyce! 🇮🇪👏🏻
What a brilliant performance in extreme conditions, another top-10 at a global championships for @brendanboyce
Finishing time of 3:53:40, less than 3 minutes from the medals!#TeamIreland #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/YXjAf57tUk
Conditions were scorching in Tokyo and took their toll on numerous athletes during the event. As they navigated the 2km laps, several athletes broke down. Gold medalist Tomala looked particularly fatigued but held on to deliver Poland’s fourth gold medal in Tokyo.