World and Olympic race walk champion Alvaro Martin announces retirement

Alvaro Martin made four consecutive Olympic apperances.

World 20km and 35km race walk champion Alvaro Martin has announced his retirement from international athletics.

The 30-year-old Spaniard earned two Olympic medals in Paris last month, taking bronze in the 20km race walk before teaming up with fellow world champion María Pérez to capture gold in the marathon race walk mixed relay.

Born in the small village of Llerena (Badajoz), Martín moved to Madrid at the age of 16 to study and chase his athletics dreams. His race walking ability soon became apparent, and just two years later he made his Olympic debut in London in 2012 at the age of 18.

A highly consistent performer, Alvaro Martin has competed in major championships every single season since then. He has competed at four Olympic Games, five World Championships and three European Championships.

Also Read: Paris Olympics 2024: Spain’s Alvaro Martin and Maria Perez secure gold in marathon race walk mixed relay

After his DNF on his first Olympic appearance in London, he placed 22th in Rio in 2016 and fourth in Tokyo in 2021 before finally making it on to the podium in Paris. He made his World Championships debut in 2013, again while still an U20 athlete, and he placed 23rd. He then went on to finish 16th in Beijing in 2015, eighth in London in 2017 and seventh in Oregon before achieving his historic double triumph in Budapest in 2023.

Alvaro Martin also boasts two European golds over the shorter distance, both achieved on German roads – Berlin in 2018 and Munich in 2022 – following his fifth-place finish in Zurich in 2014 when he was just 20.

Before then, he also earned championship medals in age-group categories, taking European U20 bronze in Rieti in 2013 and improving to European U23 silver in Tallinn in 2015.

He has a 20km lifetime best of 1:17:32, set in Budapest last year, and has broken the 1:20 barrier 10 times at that distance. He also has a 2:24:30 PB over 35km and has twice won the ‘Gran Premio Cantones’ in La Coruna (2017 & 2022), one of the most competitive race walking events on the circuit.

Alvaro Martin, who holds degrees in political science and law, announced his decision to retire after receiving the highest honour of Extremadura, one of the autonomous communities/states of Spain on Saturday. Perez, his relay partner in Paris, presented his medal and Martin then addressed a packed audience with an emotional speech.

“I doubt I was destined to become world or Olympic champion,” he said. “I deny having had ability or qualities above the rest, it has just been a matter of a lot of hard work, sacrifice and a bit of luck. Is winning the most important thing? definitely no; being able to influence the others is much more relevant and I have shown it’s possible to reach the top from a small town and make athletics success and studies compatible, I hope I have paved a way for future generations.

“Today I announce that the Paris Olympics 2024 was my last competition,” added an emotional Martin, who thanked his family, partner and coach José Antonio Carrillo for their unconditional support. “I have mixed feelings of sadness and happiness but I want to retire at the top. It’s now time for new challenges beyond athletics.”

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