Perez shaves 29 seconds off 35 km race walk world record

Holding a Spanish flag, Perez broke the tape at the World Athletics Race Walking Tour Gold event with a time of two hours, 37 minutes and 15 seconds in the Czech Republic town of Podebrady -- 29 seconds faster than Garcia’s mark.

FILE PHOTO: Maria Perez of Spain in action. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Spain’s Maria Perez broke the women’s 35 km race walk world record by nearly half a minute at the European Race Walking Team Championships on Sunday, eclipsing the mark set by Peru’s Kimberly Garcia just two months ago.

Holding a Spanish flag, Perez broke the tape at the World Athletics Race Walking Tour Gold event with a time of two hours, 37 minutes and 15 seconds in the Czech Republic town of Podebrady -- 29 seconds faster than Garcia’s mark.

Perez completed a Spanish clean sweep of the podium, finishing more than eight minutes ahead of Raquel Gonzalez while Cristina Montesinos was third.

Garcia, the world champion in both the 20 km and 35 km walk, had set the record in March with a time of 2:37:44 in Dudince, Slovakia.