Goswami leads India to impressive fifth at global race walking meet

In a performance that reflects both grit and growing consistency , India’s women’s team secured a creditable fifth-place finish at the World Athletics Race Walking Championships in Brasília on Sunday. Led by seasoned race walker Priyanka Goswami, the team delivered a determined showing in one of athletics’ most demanding endurance events.

Goswami, who has often carried India’s hopes in race walking, clocked 3:43:01 to finish 10th individually , setting the tone for the team’s overall standing. She was supported by Payal , who finished 26th with a time of 3:59:50 , and Manju Rani , who came 30th in 4:05:22 . Together, their combined rankings ensured India a place among the top five nations, a result that underlines the team’s steady rise on the global stage.

The women’s event saw a dominant performance from Paula Torres of Ecuador, who clinched the individual gold and powered her country to the team title . Italy followed in second place, while hosts Brazil and China secured the third and fourth positions respectively.

The championship format adds a strategic layer to the competition. While countries can field multiple athletes, only the top three finishers contribute to the team score , making consistency just as crucial as individual brilliance. India’s ability to field three finishers and secure a solid aggregate position proved decisive in achieving their fifth-place finish.

In the men’s section, however, India could not enter the team rankings, having fielded only two athletes. Ram Baboo finished 17th with a time of 3:13:55 , while Sandeep Kumar placed 20th in 3:15:41 .

Japan dominated the men’s competition, with Hayato Katsuki winning the individual race and leading his team to the top spot. Italy and Spain rounded off the podium with silver and bronze respectively.

For India, the women’s performance stands out as a positive signal of depth and resilience in race walking. While a podium finish remains the ultimate goal, this result shows that the country is steadily closing the gap with the world’s best , one determined step at a time.