João Vieira at the door of the podium in the 50kms march

An incredible effort, in the longest running in athletics at the Olympic Games, did not have the desired prize, with the 45-year-old walker still achieving an excellent fifth place in the event held in the city of Sapporo, in northern Japan .

Under a lot of heat and high humidity, João Vieira only took off from the group of favorites well within the last ten kilometers, this long after the attack for the victory that the Polish Dawid Tomala staged. German Jonathan Hilbert and Canadian Evan Dunfee sealed the silver and bronze.

Just 1.20 minutes from the winner – in a race lasting more than three hours and fifty minutes -, João Vieira arrived who, in his fifth presence in the Olympic Games, participated and finished for the first time the 50 km march in fifth place.

The world runner-up in Doha 2019 celebrated the best Olympic result of his career, after 10th place in Athens 2004 and was one step away from offering Portugal the fifth medal in these Olympic Games, after Pedro Pichardo’s gold, silver by Patrícia Mamona and the bronzes by Jorge Fonseca and Fernando Pimenta.

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