Multiple world and European medallist Perseus Karlström from Sweden concluded his season with a commanding victory and another fast time in the 20km race walk at the World Race Walking Tour event in Dublin, a Bronze level event, on Sunday (17).
Karlström, who is coached by Ireland’s Robert Heffernan, won the 20km race walk in 1:18:39 - a time which only three other European race walkers have surpassed in 2023 - to win by almost one-and-a-half minutes ahead of Mexico’s Noel Ali Chama (1:20:05) and Finland’s Veli-Matti Partanen (1:20:33).
"Crazy day, but I felt good and with great conditions I decided to just go for it. However, ending up with sub-1:19 and my third career fastest time ever was definitely a surprise considering I'm in the base building period of the season," said Karlstrom on Instagram.
Now 33, Karlström's season climaxed with another silver medal in the 20km race walk at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest although the latter months of his season were scuppered by injury.
What was supposed to be a homecoming for Karlström at the annual Finnkampen in Stockholm saw the Swede leave the track on crutches after sustaining a leg injury in the 10,000m race walk having initially had aspirations of challenging the world record.
Slovakia’s Maria Katerinka Czakova won the women’s race in 1:31:42 just ahead of Greek race walkers Panagiota Tsinopoulou (1:35:11) and Olga Fiaska (1:37:21).
The marathon mixed relay, an event which has been added to the programme for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, also made its international debut in the Irish capital. Slovakians Dominik Cerny and Hana Burzalova won in 3:11:17 ahead of Ireland (3:11:48) and Finland (3:16:11).
Fast early season times for Muir and Kerr
In her first race since the summer track season, European indoor and outdoor 1500m champion Laura Muir clocked a fast 3000m in Cardiff on Sunday (17), stopping the clock at 8:34.39.
Georgia Bell was second in a big lifetime best of 8:49.63 while recently crowned 17-year-old European U20 cross country champion Innes FitzGerald was third in 9:06.26.
World 1500m champion Josh Kerr demonstrated his strength as well as his versatility by clocking 61:51 on a downhill course in the San Diego Half Marathon on Saturday (16) in just his second competitive attempt at the distance.
Reigning European 800m champion Mariano Garcia set an indoor 3000m lifetime best of 8:11.56 in Lorca, Spain on Saturday (16).
2016 European 200m champion Bruno Hortelano set an indoor 300m lifetime best of 33.14 in Salamanca on Saturday and also clocked 6.82 in the 60m heats.