Priyanka Goswami Becomes The First Woman To Win Silver In Race Walk At CWG 2022

Priyanka Goswami created history as she won the silver medal in the 10,000m race walk category at the Commonwealth Games (CWG). She completed it at her personal best within 49 minutes and 38 seconds.

India currently ranks 5th at the CWG and that's a hugely proud moment for everyone in the country. Goswami's medal is the 27th in India's CWG tally for 2022. She becomes the third medallist from India in track and field events at the CWG after Murali Sreeshankar to win a silver in long jump and Tejaswin Shankar who won a bronze in high jump categories.

Priyanka Goswami wins silver

For the first 4000m mark within the entire race, Goswami was leading. As the race continued, she fell behind Australia's Jemima Montag and Kenya's Emily Wamusyi Ngii. But after completing the 8000m mark she pulled up and overtook Ngii. Montag won the race by clocking 42 minutes and 38 seconds followed by Goswami who finished it at 49 minutes and 38 seconds.

Goswami was not the only Indian in the competition, Bhawna Jat who also participated in race walking in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, finished the race in the eighth position within 47 minutes 14.13 seconds.

The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi tweeted congratulating Priyanka Goswami for her win, He said, "Congratulations to our national race walking champion Priyanka Goswami for winning the coveted Silver medal. By this medal, she has inspired many youngsters in India to take up this sport. May she keep scaling new heights of success in the times to come. #Cheer4India"

Priyanka Goswami is the first woman and the second one to win a medal for racewalking at the Commonwealth Games. Harminder Singh won a bronze medal at CWG in 2010 for a 20km racewalk event. Goswami participated in the Tokyo Olympics of 2020 too. As per reports, she holds a record in India for completing a 20km racewalk in 1 hour 28 minutes and 45 seconds held in Ranchi. But today's win is Goswami's fastest so far.

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Reportedly, Goswami was inclined towards gymnastics in school which she did not pursue too long until she switched to athletics. She had started with track events initially and then moved to racewalk as her choice of sport. Priyanka Goswami won a bronze at the 2015 National Games held in Kerala. The racewalker hails from the northern state of India, Uttar Pradesh.