Canadian racewalker Evan Dunfee wins gold, sets record at Commonwealth Games
Canada's Evan Dunfee says he drew on the support of his loved ones to propel him to a Commonwealth Games gold medal.
The 31-year-old from Richmond, B.C., won the 10,000 metres on Sunday, using a fabulous kick over the final lap to open up a 40-metre gap on his nearest competitor.
He finished in a Commonwealth and Canadian record time of 38 minutes 36.37 seconds.
“To believe in myself today as much as my friends and family back home believed in me,” Dunfee said. “That was the goal for today, to just come in here and have that same belief as everyone else has in me, and back myself, and that's what I did and I'm thrilled.”
Dunfee's victory comes after a tough season that saw him struggle with a nagging hamstring injury and lack of motivation largely around the elimination of the 50-kilometre event, in which he won bronze at both last summer's Toky Olympics and the 2019 world championships. Dunfee had lobbied fiercely to keep the event, but it was eventually scrapped from the world and Olympic programs.
“I'm forever going to mourn the loss of the 50K, I think it was just the best event in track and field, the best event there is just showcasing endurance, so I'm always going to miss it, I'm always going to root for it, I'm always going to speak to its benefits and its place,” he said. “But you know, the sprint events are fun too, I guess.”
Sunday's race was a huge change of pace for Dunfee, since it was held on the track inside Alexander Stadium. Race walkers normally compete on road courses.
“That was amazing, to come out here, be in the stadium, we've never experienced anything like this as race walkers,” he said.
Canada's Sam Schacter and Daniel Dearing captured silver in men's beach volleyball. The Toronto natives lost 2-1 to Australia's Chris McHugh and Paul Bernett in Sunday's final.
Canada's women's beach volleyball duo of Sarah Pavan and Melissa Humana-Paredes played for gold later Sunday on the penultimate day of the Games.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 7, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
developing Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Calgary bridges remain closed due to ongoing police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Kinew, Poilievre meet at Manitoba legislature, discuss each other's priorities
Premier Wab Kinew and federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre met at the Manitoba legislature Thursday afternoon.
Biden OKs US$60M in aid after Baltimore bridge collapse as governor warns of 'very long road ahead'
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore warned Thursday of a 'very long road ahead' to recover from the loss of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge as the Biden administration approved US$60 million in immediate federal aid after the deadly collapse.