Spain's Maria Perez celebrates after winning the women's 20km race walk

Tokyo (AFP) - Spain’s Maria Perez struck double gold after winning the 20km race walk at the world championships in Tokyo on Saturday.

Perez, who won the 35km race walk last weekend, clocked a season’s best of 1hr 25min 54sec for victory in the shorter event.

It meant the 29-year-old defended both titles after also winning the double in the last worlds in Budapest in 2023.

Mexico’s Alegna Gonzalez was second in 1:26:06 while Japan’s Nanako Fujii set a national record of 1:26:18 for bronze.

China’s world record-holder and reigning Olympic champion Yang Jiayu came in sixth behind Ecuador’s Paula Milena Torres and Peruvian Kimberly Garcia Leon, double world gold winner in Eugene in 2022.