TOKYO – August 5, 2021: in stifling conditions, Italy’s Massimo Stano crossed the line at Sapporo Odori Park with a roar as he won the men’s 20km race walk ahead of the Japanese pair of Ikeda Koki and Yamanishi Toshikazu, who won silver and bronze, respectively.
In a sporting gesture, Stano waited at finish line to congratulate the Japanese duo with whom he’d spent much of the race at the head of the pack, possibly using his newly learned Japanese to share a few words at the end.
The race came to life on the hour mark as seven walkers broke away, knowing it would be from this pack that the medal winners would emerge. There were two Spanish, two Japanese, two Chinese, and Massimo, the sole Italian but he had support from countryman Francesco Fortunato who, on being lapped by Massimo, cheered him on as he passed.
«For two months I have been saying to myself “I am the strongest, the strongest in the world ”. In my head I repeated to myself: “You can do what you want, I am the strongest”» Stano said at the end of his Olympic race for the gold. He then revealed his love for Japan and its culture, saying: «I really like this Country, the people, the landscape, the manga, the writing. I have been studying Japanese for two years, and winning against two Japanese athletes, amongst the best in the world, is an added value ». Stano finally dedicated the gold medal to his wife Fatima and his daughter Sophie.
