20 kilometres Race Walk, Men

The 1996 Olympic champion, Jeffersón Pérez (ECU), was the favorite, after having won the 2003 World Championships in a world record 1-17:21. But the event was won by Italian Ivano Brugnetti, who had started out as a 50 km. walker, but had moved down after winning the 1999 World Championships in that event. Brugnetti and Spain’s Francisco Javier Fernández entered the stadium almost together, but Fernández could not close the gap. Australian Nathan Deakes had some pre-race support and held on for the bronze medal, with Pérez placing fourth.