By Canadian Press

Canada’s Evan Dunfee captures bronze in 50-kilometre race walk

Aug 5, 2021 | 7:18 PM

SAPPORO, Japan — Canada’s Evan Dunfee won a bronze medal in the last Olympic men’s 50-kilometre race walk Friday. 

The 30-year-old from Richmond, B.C., reached the podium in a race of attrition amid the heat and humidity of Sapporo. The temperature at the 5:30 a.m. start was 25 C with over 70 per cent humidity and it got hotter. 

Poland’s Dawid Tomala captured gold, Germany’s Jonathan Hilbert claimed silver, while Dunfee took the final podium spot with a late push on the final lap.

The International Olympic Committee will remove the 50k race walk from the Summer Games program for gender balance. There isn’t a women’s 50k race walk. Men and women both compete in 20k. 

Dunfee knew how to manage the heat over 25 laps of the two-kilometre course. He endured sweltering conditions at the 2019 world championship in Doha, Qatar, to win bronze. 

Meaningful Mementos

Remembering Someone You've Lost at Christmas

Dec 03, 2024

Seasonal Sorrow

How Do You Get Through The Holidays When You're Grieving?

Nov 01, 2024

Upcoming Events at Oliver's

Grief & Loss and Estate Planning Seminars

Oct 02, 2024

Guillaume LeBlanc is Canada’s only other race walk medallist with a 20k silver in Barcelona in 1992.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published August 5, 2021.

The Canadian Press