Mexico's Alegna González wins bronze at the Cantones Grand Prix

The Mexican Alegna González during the International Grand Prix of Cantones March, held in A Coruña, Spain.KIKO DELGADO (EFE)

Alegna González shines a light on Mexican athletics. The marcher from Ojinaga (Chihuahua) has won the bronze medal in the International March Grand Prix Cantones de A Coruña, one of the most important events in athletic walking. The test, of 20 kilometers, is part of the roadmap of the Mexican who aims to shine in the Olympic Games in Paris.

The Mexican started the race from seventh position. In front of him were the Chinese Qieyang Shijie and Liu Hong, as well as the great marcher Kimberly García, winner of two gold medals at the World Athletics Championships held in Oregon last year. The Peruvian took the lead, followed by Wu Quanming, who started from position 82. Alegna González was the leader of the competition for half of the classification. González's pace did not slow and he showed again that he is serious about Paris 2024.

Gonzalez sealed his ticket to the Olympics last March when he won gold in the Dudinksa 50 event in Slovakia. His time, 1:28:09, earned him his second Olympic ticket, now in France. In Tokyo, the Mexican broke out of 31st place to finish in fifth place in what was her debut. The triumph in the Slovakian event gave Alegna González the ticket to the World Athletics Championships to be held between August 19 and 27 in Budapest, Hungary. The Chihuahuan marcher won another bronze on May 1 at the Finetwork Madrid International Grand Prix, in a 10-kilometer race.

Mexican marcher Alegna González, after one of her workouts. Conade

Mexico has seen in the athletic march a great opportunity to excel in the sport. In total, the country has won 10 Olympic medals in this discipline thanks to José Pedraza, Carlos Mercenario, Noé Hernández, Daniel Bautista, Ernesto Canto, Raúl González, Joel Sánchez and Guadalupe González, the only woman to achieve it. The case of Lupita González is a thorn in the side of Mexicans because she won the World Walking Championship and silver in Rio 2016, but in 2019 she was suspended for testing positive for trenbolone, an anabolic steroid that reduces fat and increases muscle mass. That cut short his career.

Hopes are pinned on Alegna, who in reverse is Angela, the name of her grandmother. The Mexican athlete won the World Youth Athletics Championship, in 2018, in the 10,000 meters test. And also in the 10-kilometer march test. Her talent has opened the doors to be supported by the Adidas brand, by La Salle University and by the Mexican Navy.

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