Olivia Lundman (right) and Evan Dunfee (left) placed 20th in the debut marathon race walk relay at the Olympics in Paris overnight. (Athletics Canada)
paris olympics

Lantzville’s Lundman places 20th in Olympic marathon race walk relay

Aug 7, 2024 | 10:13 AM

PARIS, FRANCE — A local athlete has wrapped her first Olympic experience.

Lantzville’s Olivia Lundman and her Richmond-based race partner and coach Evan Dunfee placed 20th in the marathon race walk relay at the Paris Olympics overnight on Wednesday, Aug. 6 with a time of 3:04:57.

Dunfee opened the race for Canada, along with other male competitors and completed the first 11.45 kilometres in 43 minutes and 41 seconds, putting the duo in a share of 7th place.

Lundman then walked the second leg of 10 kilometres in 47 minutes and 23 seconds before Dunfee walked his second and final 10 kilometre leg in 39:51.

The race finished under the Eiffel Tower in Paris with Lundman completing the final 10.75 kilometres in 51:02.

Their time was roughly 14 minutes off the gold medal-winning Spanish duo, with a time of 2:50:31.

Ecuador finished nearly a minute behind for silver, beating out the Australians, by 16 seconds, who took bronze.

Lundman and Dunfee’s qualification came at the 2024 World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships.

Lundman, 21, is a decorated racewalker at the U18 and U20 levels, including multiple national titles.

She won gold in the 10-kilometre event at the Canadian U20 Championships in 2022, then won the 20-kilometre race at the 2023 Canadian Championships.

She’s also the Canadian U20 record holder in the women’s five, 10 and 20-kilometre events.

Lundman’s competition was the final event at the 2024 Olympics with a direct mid-Island connection, following Ethan Katzberg’s gold medal performance in the men’s hammer throw on Sunday, Aug. 4.

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