Evan Dunfee of Team Canada competes in the Men's 35km Race Walk Final on day ten of the World Athletics Championships on July 24 in Eugene, Oregon.Hannah Peters/Getty Images
Canadian Olympic bronze medalist Evan Dunfee says he’s come to love climbing medal podiums.
But after battling both a hamstring injury and mental health issues this season, the 31-year-old from Richmond, B.C., was pleased with his sixth-place performance in the 35-kilometre race walk at the world track and field championships Sunday.
“To come away with sixth after the year it’s been … it’s been a struggle for me this year, it’s been physically and emotionally and mentally a little bit tough,” Dunfee said. “So to get sixth, I’m thrilled with this, and to have my family and friends out here on the sidelines cheering me on, that was awesome.”
Dunfee, who sat around 12th place for much of the race before moving up through the final few kilometres, crossed in two hours 25 minutes two seconds.
Italy’s Massimo Stano took the gold in 2:23.14. Japan’s Masatora Kawano was second in 2:23.15, while Sweden’s Perseus Kalstrom won the bronze (2:23.44).
Dunfee captured bronze both at last summer’s Tokyo Olympics and the 2019 world championships in Doha.
“I got used to the podium,” Dunfee said with a laugh. “It’s always disappointing to not be on there. Not disappointing, disappointing’s the wrong word. But, it’s something that, as much as I told myself – and I am really proud of this race – but you’re still like, ah, that podium’s fun to stand on.
“But no, I think today was a really good race.”
Dunfee’s two global medals came at 50 kilometres, a distance that has been eliminated from the international program, despite tireless lobbying from Dunfee and others.
“The athlete voice, it can only go so far, I guess,” Dunfee said. “I’ll forever defend the value of the 50k.
“But yeah, for where my body’s been at or how much of a struggle this year has been, I can’t be unhappy with that performance … if you told me yesterday I’d come sixth, I’d probably been pretty happy with that, so I’ll take it.”
Canada’s Pierce Lepage, meanwhile, is in the medal hunt in the men’s decathlon. He was second after Day 1.
Olympic champion Damian Warner’s quest for a world title ended Saturday night when the 32-year-old from London, Ont., suffered an apparent hamstring injury in the 400 metres.