Laura García-Caro was confident that she would win the bronze medal in the women’s 20 km race walk at the 26th European Athletics Championships on June 7. As she approached the finish line, she raised her fist in celebration and displayed the Spanish flag proudly on her shirt. However, her joy turned to horror when Lyudmila Olyanovska overtook her at the last moment to win bronze.
García-Caro expressed her disappointment to local media after the race, saying that she thought she had it in the final 10 meters but ended up losing. She needed time to process what happened and heal her heart before moving on. The video of Olyanovska overtaking García-Caro quickly went viral on social media, serving as a cautionary tale about celebrating too soon.
The race concluded with Antonella Palmisano winning gold for Italy, Valentina Trapletti securing silver, and Olyanovska earning bronze. Olyanovska expressed gratitude to her country and her family after the race, mentioning the difficult training conditions they faced due to Russia’s war with Ukraine. She noted that despite the tough preparation, she was glad to bring a medal home.
The 20 km race walk at the European Athletics Championships in Rome was a dramatic event, with emotions running high as the medal positions were decided in the final moments. While García-Caro was initially poised to win bronze, Olyanovska’s last-minute surge changed the outcome and left the Spanish athlete in shock. The race serves as a reminder of
