The opening day of the World Athletics Championships 2025 in Tokyo saw the demanding 35km race walk set the stage for a dramatic morning of endurance sport.
For India, the results brought more disappointment than celebration, as the nation’s three representatives Sandeep Kumar, Priyanka Goswami, and Ram Baboo fell well short of their personal bests and struggled to keep up with the world’s elite.
While Canada’s Evan Dunfee and Spain’s Maria Pérez walked away with gold medals in the men’s and women’s races, India’s walkers finished outside the top 20, underscoring both the challenge of global competition and the long road ahead for Indian race-walking.
Priyanka Goswami: Fighting but Below Her Best
Among the women, Priyanka Goswami, India’s most experienced international walker, was unable to reproduce the form that has carried her to the Olympics and previous Worlds. She crossed the finish line in 3:05:58, placing 24th, a result well below her personal best of 2:56:34.
Priyanka started steadily in the early stages, holding on to the mid-pack after 15km, where she was in 25th position, about six minutes adrift of the leaders. However, as the race progressed, the gap widened considerably. By the 25km mark, she had slipped to 28th, nearly 17 minutes behind the front-runners, before eventually finishing in 24th.
The Tokyo conditions, known for humidity and heat, appeared to take their toll. Despite her pedigree and training, Priyanka’s inability to keep pace with the second pack highlighted the widening gap between her current form and the global standard. Still, her top-25 finish provides India with valuable points and experience.
Sandeep Kumar: Stuck in the Middle
In the men’s race, Sandeep Kumar was India’s top finisher, clocking 2:39:15 for 23rd place. For an athlete whose personal best stands at 2:35:06, this result was below expectations, though he remained India’s only finisher inside the top 25.
Sandeep began strongly, sitting in 21st position after 20km, just under five minutes behind the leaders. He showed determination to maintain a steady rhythm, even as the pace at the front intensified. However, he gradually fell back, slipping to 24th around the 29km mark before finishing 23rd.
While his timing was consistent given the attritional nature of the race, it did not reflect the upward trajectory Indian fans had hoped for. Against a field that saw Dunfee clinch gold in 2:28:22, Sandeep was nearly 11 minutes adrift a sizeable gap at the world stage.
Ram Baboo: A Race Cut Short
For Ram Baboo, the day ended in disappointment as he was disqualified at the 24km mark. Positioned in the lower half of the field, Baboo was already trailing in 28th place when judges handed him the red cards that ended his race.
Known for his fighting spirit and holding the national record in the event, Ram’s disqualification underlined the fine margins in racewalking, where technique under fatigue is often the deciding factor. His early exit was a setback not only for him but also for India, which had pinned hopes on his experience of handling long distances.
The results showed just how high the bar has been set globally. Evan Dunfee of Canada clinched gold in 2:28:22, making up for his heartbreak in 2023 when he finished fourth. Brazil’s Caio Bonfim and Japan’s Hayato Katsuki took silver and bronze respectively, both clocking under 2:30:00. In comparison, Sandeep’s 2:39:15 highlighted the gap India’s walkers must close to contend for medals.
On the women’s side, Spain’s Maria Pérez proved unbeatable once again, storming to victory in 2:39:01, more than three minutes ahead of silver medallist Antonella Palmisano of Italy. Pérez, already a world record holder and double gold medallist from 2023, confirmed her supremacy. Priyanka’s finish nearly 27 minutes behind emphasized the challenges Indian women face in bridging the competitive divide.
Though the results were far from medal territory, the performances need to be viewed in the context of India’s evolving presence in world racewalking. The nation has achieved regional success at the Asian Games and Championships, but stepping onto the global podium requires significant strides in training, nutrition, and international exposure.
- For Priyanka, the priority will be regaining consistency and closing the gap to her personal best. A time close to 2:56 would have placed her around the top 15, a realistic short-term goal.
- For Sandeep, the challenge is pushing below 2:35 regularly to stay competitive with the world’s top 15.
- For Ram Baboo, mastering technique under fatigue is critical, as disqualifications have been a recurring hurdle in his career.
The Tokyo outing may not have delivered breakthrough results, but it provided a benchmark for where India currently stands.
The Broader Indian Racewalking Picture
India has made racewalking a consistent presence at international meets, with athletes like KT Irfan, Gurmeet Singh, and Priyanka Goswami bringing visibility over the past decade. The men’s 20km walk, in particular, has seen Indian athletes finish close to top-10 spots at Asian and Commonwealth levels.
The 35km event, however, is relatively new on the world stage, introduced at the 2022 Worlds as part of a shift away from the 50km distance. For Indian athletes still adapting to this length, exposure and experience remain vital.
As athletics federations refine training bases and explore high-altitude camps abroad, Indian racewalkers can gradually bridge the gap. But Friday’s results showed there is still work to be done before India can dream of medals at this distance.
The 35km race walks at the World Championships in Tokyo served as a stark reminder of the levels required to succeed globally. For India, the 23rd place for Sandeep Kumar, 24th for Priyanka Goswami, and the disqualification of Ram Baboo painted a sobering picture.
As the Championships continue, India’s hopes will shift to other events on track and field. For the racewalkers, Tokyo 2025 was a tough outing, but one that can serve as fuel for the future.
