Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
- Masatora Kawano finished sixth in the 50-kilometer racewalk at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
- It was a herculean performance from the Japanese athlete as he collapsed and vomited mid-race.
- Competitors had to endure 90 degrees Fahrenheit heat in a near four-hour race.
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A 22-year-old athlete called Masatora Kawano threw up on himself and collapsed from exhaustion, but recovered to finish sixth in the men's 50-kilometer race walk at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Few people had as eventful a race as Kawano, who appeared to be angry at his body for failing him in the middle of the competition on Friday, as he punched the ground when he collapsed in the unforgiving 90 degrees Fahrenheit heat.
Kawano is one of the best racewalking athletes in the world, and was in contention for a podium finish at the Tokyo Games.
But, in the middle of the event, Kawano appeared to throw up over himself. He then dropped to the floor and hit the ground, according to Mail Online.
Olympic commentators suggested Kawano's race was over.
However, it was a herculean performance from the Japanese racewalker as he picked himself up from the ground, finished, and placed sixth with a time of three hours, 51 minutes, and 56 seconds.
He wasn't too far off the podium, either, as Evan Dunfee of Canada won bronze with a time of three hours, 50 minutes, and 59 seconds.
Jonathan Hilbert, of Germany, won the silver medal with a time of three hours, 50 minutes, and 44 seconds.
The gold medal heads to Poland as Dawid Tomala won the race with a three-hour, 50-minute, and eight-second finish.