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Italy’s Antonella Palmisano wins gold in the Olympic 20km race walk

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Italy’s Antonella Palmisano took gold in the Olympic 20km race walk in a commanding victory on Friday.

Palmisano crossed the finish line 25 seconds ahead of the next competitor to win her country its first gold medal in the event.

The Italian athlete, who turned 30 on race day, dominated the international field with not a single technical infringement against her name.

Colombia’s Sandra Lorena Arenas squeaked through to win silver, avoiding a final red card for technique infringement, which would have resulted in a penalty stop or disqualification.

Defending champion and world record holder Liu Hong from China came through to complete the Olympic podium, which was previously predicted to be a Chinese 1-2-3.