Spain wins first gold

Julia Takacs Nyerges (C) of Spain during the women’s 20km walk on August,19th.

SPAIN collected its first gold at the Universiade when 23-year-old Julia Takacs Nyerges won the women’s 20km walk on August,19th.

“It was my best performance in my career, my very first gold medal in my life and the first gold for Spain at the Universiade. I cannot express my excitement now,” the bronze medalist at this year’s European Athletics Championships said.

“I started slowly and tried to speed up gradually. I tried my best to win and am exhausted now. The medal is a big encouragement for me and I hope I can keep improving and attend the London Olympics next year,” she said.

Russian athletes, Tatiana Shemyakina and Nina Okhotnikova, won the silver and bronze medals.

China entered three athletes in the women’s 20km walk, Shi Yang and Yang Yawei from Southwest University and Wang Shanshan from Tianjin Normal University. Shi was fifth, Yang sixth and Wang ninth.

“I was very satisfied with our performances today with silver and bronze medals. It is so hot today and was very difficult for every athlete, but I’m so glad that every one made it through,” said Yevgeny Pudov, coach of Shemyakina and Okhotnikova.

Russia also won two golds in the men’s 20km walk and 20km team walk on August,18th.

Andrey Krivov pocketed gold in the men’s 20km walk, while Mikhail Ryzhov of Russia and Andres Chocho Ecuador of Ecuador took silver and bronze.

The gold for the men’s 20km team walk went to Russia and the silver to China. China won gold at the women’s 20km walk team, while the silver went to Russia.

(Wang Yuanyuan)