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Gold for Toth as Diniz collapses

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Matej Toth today won Slovakia’s first Olympic medal since their independence in 1993 - and it was gold.

With a brilliant late surge, the world champion triumphed in the 50km walk in a dramatic race in Rio’s morning heat which saw France’s Yohann Diniz suddenly collapse with nine kilometres left before clambering up, having a rest, dousing himself down with a sponge and then, amazingly, finishing in eighth.

Carrying a Slovak flag, hand-slapping the fans in the crowd as the finishing line came into sight, Toth savoured the last 150 metres for a superb victory as he won in 3:40:58, defeating Australia’s defending champion Jared Tallent (3:41:16) and Hirooki Arai (3:41:24) of Japan.

When Toth won silver at the European Athletics Championships in Zurich in 2014 in a national record (3:36:21), Diniz broke the world record (3:32:33).

Today, the champion of then looked like he might become the Olympic champion aswell as Diniz took control of the race, leading at all the splits in the first half and reaching halfway in 1:49:31, 100 seconds in front of Toth, who was leading the chase.

Diniz was still in front at 30km but the gaps were narrowing as he started to struggle and after Canadian Evan Dunfee took over, the Frenchman just fell to the ground.

There was shock and natural concerns at the way he just collapsed but Diniz took a rest, a brief recovery and he was back competing.

Now it was Tallent’s turn to come into his own and the race looked his as he led at 40km and by the time of the 45km marker, the gap to Toth in second was 22 seconds.

But the Slovakian had so much in reserve and it was at this stage that he started to edge towards the Australian, before confidently going past him with 3km left.

There was no way back for Tallent and Toth, purposely, strode all the way to the line, with Ireland's Robert Heffernan (3:43:55) in sixth, Norway’s Havard Haukenes in seventh (3:46:33), in a national record, and a weary looking Diniz in eighth (3:46:43), his determination ensuring he made it home in an incredible performance.




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