Racewalker Priyanka Goswami finishes creditable seventh in top-class field in China

New Delhi: National record holder Priyanka Goswami clocked her best time outside the country to finish a creditable seventh in a top-class field in the 20km event at the Chinese Race Walking Grand Prix in Taicang on Sunday.

Goswami, who has already qualified for the Paris Olympics, clocked 1 hour 29 minutes and 48 seconds to end the gruelling competition at seventh in the World Athletics Race Walking Tour gold label meet.

This was her best performance abroad and third best time of her career. She had earlier clocked 1:28:45s (NR) in 2021 and 1:28:50s in 2023 – both in Ranchi – as her two best times before Sunday.

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It was a tough field in Taicang with some of the best race walkers competing in the event. There were five Chinese athletes in the top-six, with Hangzhou Asian Games silver medallist Zhenxia MA taking the title with a time of 1:26:07s.

3rd personal best conquered at the World Athletics Race Walking Tour (Gold level)Taichang! China🌟

Finished 7th in the 20km with a timing of and feeling incredibly proud of this achievement. A heartfelt thanks to @Media_SAI , and @afiindia @GoSportsVoices @KIITUniversity… pic.twitter.com/POqGWcbaxN

— Priyanka goswami (@Priyanka_Goswam) March 3, 2024

Zhenxia’s compatriot Jiayu Yang, the 2017 world champion and Hangzhou Asian Games gold medallist, was second in 1:26:07s while 36-year-old four-time world champion and 2016 Olympics gold and 2020 Tokyo Games bronze winner Hong Liu was third with a timing of 1:26:47s.

Another veteran Chinese race walker, Shijie Qeeyang, who won gold in 2012 London Olympics besides multiple World Championships medallist, was fourth with a time of 1:27:05s.

The 27-year-old Goswami has been training in Australia for the last two months under race walk coach Brent Vallance at the high-altitude training centre near Canberra as part of her preparation for the upcoming Paris Olympics.

“3rd personal best conquered at the World Athletics Race Walking Tour (Gold level) Taichang! China. Finished 7th in the 20km with a timing of and feeling incredibly proud of this achievement,” Goswami tweeted.