Here's how Solano native Robyn Stevens did at the Tokyo Olympic Games
(Image courtesy Team U.S.A.; Graphic by Solano NewsNet)
Robyn Stevens of Vacaville clinched her spot on Team USA in the speed walking event after participating in the Olympic Trials in June.
A graduate of the California State University at San Jose, Robyn Stevens intially retired from her athletic career in 2004 while suffering from an eating disorder, she told the Bay Area News Group in an interview earlier this summer.
A friend in Sacramento encouraged her to participate in a 20-kilometer race walk several years ago, a move that ultimately convinced her to emerge from retirement and compete once again.
In 2016, a calf strain removed any hope of her entering the Olympic Games that year. She tried again, winning the Olympic Trials Champions in June and earning the honor of being one of the top speed walkers in the world.
Speed walking may sound like an unusual sport, but it involves more than a casual stroll around the mall.
The rules are strict: One foot must be on the ground at all times. The leg of the lifting foot must remain straight "until the body passes over it," according to the official rules posted on the website of World Athletics.
So how did Robyn Stevens do in Tokyo?
Stevens started in 22nd position, falling to 57th position two kilometers into the race. From there, it was nowhere to go but up — and she did, coming in 39th position by mid-race.
She finished the race in 33rd position with a time of 1:37:42 (h:mm:ss), about 8:30 (m:ss) behind the first place finisher.
Antonella Palmisano of Italy clinched the gold medal with a final race time of 1:29:12. Sandra Lorena came in second place to win a silver medal for Colombia, and China clinched bronze with Hong Liu coming in third.
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