In a remarkable display of athleticism, Italy’s Francesco Fortunato shattered the world indoor 5,000 meters race walk record, clocking an astonishing 17 minutes 54.48 seconds at the Italian Indoor Championships on Saturday.
The European 20km bronze medallist significantly improved upon the previous record of 18:07.08, which had been held by Russia’s Mikhail Shchennikov since 1995.
Fortunato’s performance comes after a similar attempt last year was not ratified due to a technical judging issue. Expressing satisfaction and persistence, Fortunato stated, “I’m satisfied with myself. After last year’s disappointment, I felt this was a record I deserved.”
(With inputs from agencies.)