Kjersti Tysse-Plätzer took her second IAAF Race Walking Challenge win of the series in Rio Maior, Portugal. Photo by Picture Alliance.

Saturday's 17th IAAF Race Walking meeting in Rio Maior, Portugal, ended with a double Norwegian success for the Tysse siblings, the first ever Norwegian wins in this event.

The brother/sister duo of Erik Tysse and Kjersti Tysse-Plätzer clocked 1:19:51 and 1:29:29 respectively to win both of the IAAF Race Walking Challenge 20km events. This was 27-year-old Norwegian record holder Tysse's second IAAF Challenge race win, following his 1:21.38 performance in Sesto San Giovanni, Italy last year.

Spain's former World Championship medallist Juan Manuel Molina was second (1:20:06) in the men's race, with German Andre Hohne finishing third by clocking 1:20:19 - just 19 seconds behind his 1:20 best, and enough for his Beijing qualification. Tysse and Molina now share the series lead with 18 points each after the second round.

Sydney Olympic medallist Tysse-Plätzer adds this competition to her decisive win in Chihuahua, to place her in clear lead of the IAAF Challenge series with 20 points. The 36-year-old Norwegian record holder fought a tough battle with home favourite and Portuguese record holder Susana Feitor (1:29:31).

Third place was filled by another Portuguese walker, former European Junior medallist (2003) Ana Cabecinha, who showed a spectacular improvement in pace and form to walk her first sub 1:30 (1:29:56).

Reigning Olympic Champion Athanasia Tsoumeleka (GRE) finished just outside the podium, but with her fastest result since 2004 (1:30:00) indicating a long anticipated return to form for the 26-year-old walker. Germany's Osaka eighth placer Sabine Zimmer finished within the Olympic qualifying standard to take fifth place in 1:30:41, while Ireland's Olive Loughnane finished sixth in 1:30:51. 

Despite fast finishing times, the event records from 2005 when Spain's Francisco Fernandez achieved 1:19:02 and Rita Turava of Belarus clocked 1:27:19 remained untouched.

Results