A 22-strong Spanish squad has been selected for the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships in Antalya on 21 April. The team includes double world champions Alvaro Martin and Maria Perez, as well as other talented athletes such as Alberto Amezcua, Laura Garcia-Caro, Miguel Angel Lopez, Cristina Montesinos, Paula Juarez, Lucia Redondo, Lidia Sanchez-Puebla, Aldara Meilan, Sofia Santacreu and Griselda Serret.
The mixed relay event at the championships features teams composed of one male and one female athlete who will each complete the marathon distance in four legs of equal distance. While the exact pairs for the mixed relay are yet to be announced, six Spanish athletes have been selected for this event: Alvaro Martin and Maria Perez.
The top 22 teams in Antalya will automatically qualify for the marathon race walk mixed relay at the Olympic Games in Paris. Up to five of those spots can be filled with a second team from the same country. Spain is aiming for a strong performance to secure two relay spots for the Olympics. The men’s 20km team for Antalya features national champion Paul McGrath and Diego Garcia Carrera, a two-time European Championships medallist. The women’s squad includes Raquel Gonzalez, a European 35km silver medallist.
In addition to their participation in individual events such as the Women’s 20km event (Antia Chamosa, Raquel Gonzalez, Paula Juarez, Lucia Redondo and Lidia Sanchez-Puebla) and U20 10km event (Aldara Meilan and Sofia Santacreu), the Spanish team also includes several young talents such as Griselda Serret who will compete in U20 10km event. The Men’s 20km team consists of Diego Garcia Carrera, Alvaro Lopez
