Budapest23: Gathimba chasing world glory as championship gets underway

As action in this year's World Athletics Championships gets underway on Saturday 19, the 20km title is the first title on offer in Budapest. 

Kenya has a real chance of grabbing her first medal at the 2023 championship as Kenya's finest race walker Samuel Gathimba lines up for the men's 20km race. 

Last year, Gathimba walked a season best time of 1:19:25 in Oregon but was the unluckiest of the many athletes that lined up for the event as he came home fourth, missing out on the podium.

As he goes to battle on Saturday, the Prisons Kenya athlete says he is ready and despite the challenges he has faced in his preparations, he is chasing the gold medal. 

"I had a program that I was following under the guidance of my coach and it has not been an easy journey. Before getting to the national team camp, one needs a lot of support to get ready for such a high level competition and that could be challenging.

Regardless, I have been lucky and I feel better prepared for the challenge ahead now more than ever before. I will go to battle with the title in mind," Gathimba told Mozzart Sport. 

In 2022 when Gathimba came home fourth, Toshikazu Yamanishi led a Japanese 1-2 with  Koki Ikeda second, a repeat of the World Race Walking Team Championships in Muscat a few months prior where the Kenyan won bronze.

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The Japanese duo are formidable competitors, but both have had relatively low-key seasons so far, making their current form difficult to assess.

Yamanashi’s sole competitive outing in 2023 was a third-place finish in Rio Maior in 1:20:58. Ikeda, meanwhile, hasn’t competed since winning the Japanese title in February in 1:18:36. 

Despite their quiet seasons – which isn’t unusual for them – it’s safe to assume that when they step on the start line for a major championships, they will be ready to compete for medals.

The same applies to Massimo Stano, who beat Ikeda and Yamanashi to the Olympic title in Tokyo. 

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The Italian triumphed over 20km in the Japanese capital in 2021, then won the 35km gold in Oregon last year.

Having won global titles at both distances, he now fancies his chances at doubling up and is entered for both events in Budapest. 

The 31-year-old has competed just twice this year, clocking a 10km PB of 39:06 and then finishing third over 20km at the European Team Championships in Podebrady. 

Both performances are superior to the pre-championships form he displayed in 2021 and 2022, so Stano is certainly one to keep an eye on.

Additional reporting by World Athletics.