13 SEPTEMBER 2025 | 04:11
It was a heavy start at the Athletics World Cup in Tokyo for Perseus Karlström, who finished in 19th place for 35 kilometers. Evan Dunfee from Canada took the first championship gold of his career and on the female side Maria Pérez was completely superior.
Fifty male walkers started in the first branch during the Tokyo World Cup. For Perseus Karlströmwho had a strenuous year of illness, the race began promising. He stayed far ahead in the cluster during the initial part of the 35-kilometer race.
After a few laps at the Olympic Stadium, the field went out on Tokyo’s streets. The course consisted of a two -kilometer turn that the corridors would round 16 times, and Karlström was included in the sealing cluster during the first kilometers.
After five kilometers, the Swede was in 13th place. At seven kilometers he dropped something and was then five seconds behind the leader. After the mileage, he was 17th, 17 seconds from the lead.
Between the 19th and 20th kilometers, he lost a lot of time after being forced to stop and stretch due to cramps. When two miles were passed, Karlström was just over two minutes after Japanese Hayato Katsuki.
At the same time, large reversals took place. Leader David Hurtado from Ecuador ended up in the deportation booth with seven kilometers left. Then the Japanese Masatora Kawano and Katsuki took over, before Canadian Evan Dunfee put in a strong speed increase and passed both.
Dunfee held all the way to the goal and took the championship’s first gold at 2:28:22. The silver went to a strong closing Brazilian Caio Bonfim and the bronze to Katsuki.
Perseus Karlström finished 19th time 2:37:47, just over a minute before women’s winner Maria Pérez from Spain. In 2022, Perseus took the World Cup bronze at 35 kilometers and two years ago he finished eight at the Budapest World Cup. Next weekend is waiting 20 kilometers for the Swede.
Read all about the World Cup in our guide.
