Ortiz & Ortiz Take NACAC 2022 Championships 20k Walk Events in Stride

Anthony Foster
By Anthony Foster 2 Min Read
Flores Jose Eduardo Ortiz, Evan Dunfee and Érick Bernabé Barrondo García pose with their medals from the men's 20k walk

Guatemala’s pair of Mirna Sucely Ortiz and Jose Eduardo Ortiz won the women’s and men’s 20,000m walk at the NACAC 2022 Open Championships in Freeport, Bahamas.

Sucely Ortiz won by more than a second over the USA’s Robyn Stevens, who led the event for almost half the race. She crossed the finish line in 1 hour, 40 minutes, 04.78 seconds, over Stevens’ 1 hour, 40 minutes and 47.16 seconds.

Sucely trailed for a very long time. It wasn’t until after 30 laps that she split a faster time, 2:01.60 to Stevens’ 2:02.76, which cut the lead. Sucely took the lead for the first time after 42 laps, splitting 1:54.58 to Stevens’ 2:10.15. Maria Michta-Coffey took bronze for the USA in 1:42:14.32.

Flores Jose Eduardo Ortiz, Evan Dunfee and Érick Bernabé Barrondo García pose with their medals from the men’s 20k walk

Flores Jose Eduardo Ortiz, timed in 58 minutes, 41.12 seconds when he took the lead at 34 laps, won his first title. His winning time was 1 hour, 26 minutes, 21.08 seconds to finish ahead of Canadian record holder and dethroned champion Evan Dunfee, who clocked 1 hour, 27 minutes, 17.91 seconds.

Érick Bernabé Barrondo García, also of Guatemala, took the bronze medal with a time of 1 hour, 28 minutes and 32.19 seconds.

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