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.
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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, 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.
