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The South American nation last tasted victory in the quadrennial show in 1996 Olympics
Ecuadorian race walker Brian Pintado has described his victory in the Paris Olympic Games as insane after breaking the country's athletics 26-year gold medal drought in the French capital.
The 29-year-old became a double Olympic medalist in Paris, winning the 20km race walk title and securing marathon race walk mixed relay silver.
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10:42 - 01.08.2024
Paris 2024 Olympics: Samuel Gathimba falls short as Ecuador's Brian Pintado claims win in men's 20km race walk
Samuel Gathimba gave his all in the men's 20km race walk finishing the event unlike at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games where he pulled out of the race halfway to the finish line.
The South American nation last tasted victory in the quadrennial show in 1996 Olympics, coincidentally, a race walk gold won by Jefferson Perez. Pintado crossing the finish line first in Paris brought relief to the two-time Pan-American Games champion.
The 2008 South American School Games champion cut the tape in 1:18:55, to realise his dream of laying his hands on the coveted gold medal. "It was insane," Pintado reflected on the challenges he faced during the race as revealed by World Athletics.
Pintado, a father of two and the 2023 silver medalist at the World Championships in 35km walk, reiterated that he raced in isolation towards the end of the race in France and he was confident of clinching gold. “In the last few metres, I realised I was completely alone, and seeing the finish line I just kept thinking, ‘I'm the Olympic champion, it's me’,” he said.
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17:19 - 01.08.2024
TBT: Olympic star’s medal dreams dashed as hopes went down the toilet in race walk incident
The French race walker faced a mid-race bowel incident during the 2016 Olympics but finished the event in eighth place.
Pintado has improved in all the three Olympics he has participated in. He competed in the men's 20 km walk at the 2016 Rio Olympics, finishing in 37th place with a time of 1:23:44.
In the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, Pintado scooped 12th position with a time of 1:22:54. He never disappointed in Paris after being named Ecuador flag bearer alongside weightlifter Neisi Dajomes for the Paris Games.
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