WITH the prospect of a gong dangling, 50km racewalker Eric Barrondo showed he would go to almost any length to keep himself cool. The Guatemalan tackled Tokyo 2020‘s torturous heat of 76 per cent humidity and temperatures of almost 30C by pouring water down his crotch. But the 30-year-old suffered a dampener later on as […]
WITH the prospect of a gong dangling, 50km racewalker Eric Barrondo showed he would go to almost any length to keep himself cool.
The Guatemalan tackled Tokyo 2020‘s torturous heat of 76 per cent humidity and temperatures of almost 30C by pouring water down his crotch.
But the 30-year-old suffered a dampener later on as he was disqualified for running in an undie-whelming climax to his golden dreams.
Barrondo won his country’s first EVER Olympic medal with silver in the 20km racewalk at London 2012.
And this time he gave shorts-thrift to convention by openly tipping a bottle of water in and around his ‘lower mid-region’.
But if Barrondo thought the new tactic would keep his pecker up in the sweltering conditions his mood soon wilted when he fell victim to the strict rules on not ‘lifting’.
Competitors must have at least one foot touching the ground at all times.
In fact, that’s just one of the offences for which judges all around the course in Sapporo are watching out for.
Race walkers need to keep their leading leg straight as their foot connects with the ground.
It also has to stay straight until it passes underneath the body.
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Walkers can be disqualified if they pick up three red cards for poor form.
The sport’s strict judges have rarely been accused of dragging their heels when it comes to penalising offenders.
And for poor Barraconda it meant his Olympic dream dripped then slipped away.
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