Brazilian race walker Caio Bonfim achieved his life-long dream of winning gold in a major championships at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Saturday.<\/p>\n
But the victory came with a price.<\/p>\n
The 34-year-old powered home to win the men’s 20km race walk ahead of Zhaozhao Wang of China, with Spain’s Paul McGrath winning bronze.<\/p>\n
But earlier in the race, he realised he had lost his wedding ring.<\/p>\n
“I lost my wedding ring in the third kilometre,” he said, although he didn’t seem too worried.<\/p>\n
“I believe my wife will be OK because I won today.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Caio Bonfim with his wedding ring on his left hand, won silver in the 35km. (Getty Images: Christian Petersen)<\/p>\n
The man from Brasilia finished second in the 35km walk on the opening weekend in Tokyo, adding a silver medal to go with the two world championship bronze medals he won in London 2017 and Budapest 2023.<\/p>\n
He also won silver in the 20km walk at the Paris Olympics in 2024 and has three individual medals at the Pan American Games, two silvers and a bronze.<\/p>\n
“After taking silver in the 35km walk, my wife told me to believe I would win gold,” Bonfim said.<\/p>\n
“I did not know I was in first place. I overtook the Chinese and Spanish athlete on the last lap but I thought I was second and accelerated to try to win a medal.<\/p>\n
“It was a tough race and I knew I could grow as the race progressed, that I could connect with the leading group. I gradually moved up a few places.”<\/p>\n
After so many near misses, Bonfim said this gold medal was a fitting reward for his perseverance.<\/p>\n
“This is a world championships of resilience,” he said.<\/p>\n
“This is my eighth world championships. I did not finish my first one in 2013 and I won gold today.<\/p>\n
“This is my fourth world championships medal and I am honoured to be part of the same generation of athletes as [400m hurdler] Alison dos Santos.”<\/p>\n
Dos Santos, a two-time Olympic bronze medallist, won silver in the 400m hurdles in Tokyo on Friday night.<\/p>\n
“People in Brazil can now say, ‘Caio Bonfim won medals as well,” he said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Caio Bonfim won his first major world title, but it came at a cost. (Getty Images: NurPhoto\/Andrzej Iwanczuk)<\/p>\n
Now Bonfim, who also wears a ring on his right hand, which did not fall off, has to go home \u2014 sans wedding ring, which he wears on his right hand \u2014 with a different type of jewellery.<\/p>\n