Pan American Games women’s race walk results overturned due to incorrect distance measurement

The results of the women’s 20-kilometer walk competition at the Pan American Games in Chile were canceled after it turned out that the distance covered was about 3 kilometers shorter than the required distance, the press service of the organizers of the Games.

As reported, the expert from the Pan American Athletic Association, Marcelo Iturralde, made a mistake when measuring the distance.

Victory was won by Peruvian Kimberly Garcia, who posted a result of 1 hour 12 minutes 26 seconds, more than 11 minutes better than the world record of China’s Yang Jiayu. This feat was surpassed by more than 10 participants in the race. The competition constitutes a qualifying start for the Paris Olympic Games.

“We understood it from the first kilometer. The time did not match the distance. We focused more on our sensations so as not to lose control. This not only affected me, but other girls wanted to go to the Olympics. It’s a shame that it didn’t happen, because the time was favorable for good results,” Garcia said, as quoted by the AP.