Yang Jiayu won the women's 20-kilometer race walk final at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics on Thursday, to add the 11th gold medal for China at this year's Games in the French capital.

Yang finished the competition in a season-best 1:25:54, topping the podium ahead of Spain's Maria Perez (1:26:19) and Australia's Jemima Montag (1:26:25).

Yang, who holds the world record holder in the event at 1:23:49, became a world champion when she won the women's 20-kilometer race walk at the 2017 World Championships in London. Her latest victory secured a first Olympic gold.

Yang finished the first kilometer in 4:22 after quickly establishing herself as the race leader. She remained in that position while completing the first 10 kilometers in 43:06.

She extended her lead over Perez to 30 seconds after 15 kilometers. And even though the Spaniard began to close the gap second by second over the final five kilometers, Yang held on to wrap up the victory.