Caio Bonfim, 33, from Brasilia, won last Saturday night (28) the silver medal in the half-marathon of the Gold stage of the world race walking circuit, held in Taicang, China.
With a time of 1h23min00s, Bonfim set a new Brazilian and South American record at a distance of 21.097 km, which will officially become part of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games program.
The race replaces the traditional 20 km and marks a new era for the sport.
Two weeks earlier, on February 15, Bonfim had already demonstrated that he was ready for the challenge, by achieving the South American record for the distance at the Japanese Half Marathon Championship, in Kobe, with 1h21min44s.
In a post on social media, the medalist celebrated the result and highlighted the symbolism of the achievement on Chinese soil, the traditional powerhouse of the sport.
“The medals here are always very beautiful. Good result for Brazil. In 2024, we were bronze medalists here. Today, Brazil has a great silver, a good time. It’s 1h23min. We ended our stage here in Asia. A Brazilian, South American record. Now we’re on the podium. It’s one Brazilian against 30 Chinese. So, thank you to everyone who participated”, he stated.
The athlete also thanked the technical team, sponsors and institutional supporters. “Thank you to the Olympic Committee [do Brasil]the Brazilian team, Puma, CEL, Caixa [Econômica Federal]to the Brasília Sports Secretariat. Thank you to everyone who supported and followed. We are together. We return home now with Brazil.”
