Chinese Online Class - Ecuadorean Perez makes history with 'suicide strategy'

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Sports / Other Sports

Ecuadorean Perez makes history with 'suicide strategy'

(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-08-26 17:39

OSAKA, Japan, Aug 26 - Ecuadorean Jefferson Perez's "suicide strategy"
paid off when he became the first man to win three successive world 20km
walk titles on Sunday.

With his steely gaze fixed determinedly on the middle distance, the
33-year-old made light of the 33 degree Celsius temperatures and high
humidity.

The one hour 22 minutes and 20 seconds had clearly taken their toll,
however, and he collapsed after crossing the line, his legs twitching
with violent cramps. "The three is good but what really matters is the
here and now," Perez, his country's first Olympic champion, told
reporters.

"Today my strategy was to challenge my spirit. I knew I could collapse
during the race, you could say it was kind of a suicide strategy."

"I was not surprised when I collapsed at the end, my whole body was in
pain, but I only felt the pain after the race was over."

Spain's Francisco Fernandez won his third world championship silver medal
after a jury of appeal reinstated him. The Spaniard had been disqualified
for "lifting," but the jury of appeal decided his mode of progression did
not merit disqualification.

Tunisian Hatem Ghoula was relegated to the bronze after the
reinstatement. Both he and Fernandez were timed in 1:22.40.

Despite the conditions, Olympic champion Ivano Brugnetti led from the
front and had built a 17-second lead by the halfway stage, also picked up
two warnings for "lifting".

Perez attacked just after 12km mark, closing the gap on Brugnetti and
taking the lead with six kilometres to go. The Italian was disqualified
soon afterwards following his third offence.

Ghoula briefly led but Perez stayed with him and charged again to claim
his place in the record books with two kilometres to go.

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