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Day 3 IAAF World Champs: Alana Barber takes on the heat in the 20km race walk
September 29, 2019
Temperatures exceeding 30c and more than 90% humidity were the biggest obstacles in the women’s 20km race walk on day 3 of the IAAF World Championships.
Alana Barber headed out in the lead group just before midnight and was sitting in 20th through the first 5km, dropping back slightly to 23rd at the 10km and 15km mark. It was clear to see the conditions had taken their toll as Alana made it over the finish line in 1:40:59 (27th place), eight minutes behind the winner Hong Liu from China.
Alana said prior to the event that she wasn’t sure what to expect: “This event presents unique challenges that competitors have never experienced before. A race in the middle of the night in challenging weather conditions may produce surprising results.”