STORY: Spanish race walker Maria Perez celebrates her third world championship title with crowds in Tokyo on Sunday (September 14), a day after her stunning win at 35km race walk on the opening day of the World Athletics Championships, while marathon runner Julia Paternain secured Uruguay's first medal of the games.

“The goal was a medal, we've got that now, and now it's a question of recovering as well as possible for the 20 km race and hopefully I'll feel really good,” Perez told Reuters after a medal ceremony held outside of National Stadium.

Julia Paternain reacted in complete disbelief when she crossed the line third in the women's marathon on Sunday to win Uruguay's first world championship medal.

The 25-year-old first checked for her time and then counted off the athletes in front of her, finally raising three fingers as she realized she had won a bronze medal at her first world championships.

"Still pretty hard to believe, still very much in shock,” said Paternain, who completed only the second marathon in her career.

The daughter of a Cambridge University academic, Paternain was educated in England, ran U.S. collegiate track at the University of Arkansas, and represented Britain until switching to Uruguay in January this year.

“It's sinking in a little more now. But it's been so great, I've been able to see my family and my coach, and that's been really special to just be able to celebrate this whole day with them,” she said.

Besides Perez and Paternaian, medallists from 35km race walks, marathon, 10,000 km and shot put were presented with medals by officials and celebrated together with fans in Tokyo.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: TOKYO, JAPAN (SEPTEMBER 14, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. CROWD AND STAGE AT MEDAL CEREMONY

2. WOMEN'S 35KM RACE WALK GOLD MEDALLIST, MARIA PEREZ, STEPPING ON TO PODIUM AND WAVING ARMS IN CELEBRATION

3. PEREZ RECEIVING GOLD MEDAL / KISSING MEDAL

4. CROWD STAGE AT MEDAL CEREMONY

5. WOMEN'S 35KM RACE WALK MEDALLISTS PEREZ, SILVER MEDALLIST ANTONELLA PALMISANO AND BRONZE MEDALLIST PAULA MILENA TORRES, POSING FOR PHOTOS

6. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) WOMEN'S 35KM RACE WALK, MARIA PEREZ, SAYING:

"The goal was a medal, we've got that now, and now it's a question of recovering as well as possible for the 20 km race and hopefully I'll feel really good."

7. MEN'S 35KM RACE WALK MEDALLISTS WALKING ON STAGE

8. MEN'S 35KM RACE WALK GOLD MEDALLIST, EVAN DUNFEE, STEPPING ON TO PODIUM

9. DUNFEE RECEIVING GOLD MEDAL

10. SILVER MEDALLIST, CAIO BONFIM, AND BRONZE MEDALLIST, HAYATO KATSUKI, STEPPING ON TO PODIUM

11. MEN'S 35KM RACE WALK MEDALLISTS POSING FOR PHOTOS

12. CROWD WATCHING MEDAL CEREMONY

13. WOMEN'S MARATHON GOLD MEDALLIST, PERES JEPCHIRCHIR, STEPPING ON TO PODIUM

14. JEPCHIRCHIR RECEIVING MEDAL

15. KENYAN AND ETHIOPIAN TEAM STAFF WATCHING MEDAL CEREMONY

16. JEPCHICHIR LISTENING TO KENYAN NATIONAL ANTHEM / HOLDING UP GOLD MEDAL

17. WOMEN'S MARATHON BRONZE MEDALLIST, JULIA PATERNAIN, STEPPING ON TO PODIUM

18. PATERNAIN RECEIVING BRONZE MEDAL

19. VARIOUS OF WOMEN'S MARATHON MEDALLISTS TIGGST ASEFA, PATERNAIN AND JEPCHIRCHIR POSING FOR PHOTOS

20. (SOUNDBITE) (English) WOMEN'S MARATHON BRONZE MEDALLIST, JULIA PATERNAIN, SAYING:

"Still pretty hard to believe, still very much in shock, it's sinking in a little more now. But just it's been so great, I've been able to see my family and my coach, and that's been really special to just be able to celebrate this whole day with them."

21. PATERNAIN WITH FAMILY MEMBERS

22. PATERNAIN WEARING MEDAL

23. CROWD AT MEDAL CEREMONY

24. WOMEN'S 10,000 METRES SILVER MEDALLIST, NADIA BATTOCLETTI, GOLD MEDALLIST, BEATRICE CHEBET, AND BRONZE MEDALLIST, GUDAF TSEGAY, DURING MEDAL CEREMONY

25. CHEBET RECEIVING GOLD MEDAL

26. KENYA AND ITALY TEAM MEMBERS APPLAUDING

27. BATTOCLETTI, CHEBET AND TSEGAY POSING FOR PHOTOS

28. FAN OF SHOTPUTTER RYAN CROUSER HOLDING SIGN READING (English): "TOKYO 2025 RYAN CROUSER GOLD CONGRATULATIONS!"

29. MEN'S SHOT PUT SILVER MEDALLIST, UZIEL MUNOZ, GOLD MEDALISTL, RYAN CROUSER, AND BRONZE MEDALISTL, LEONARDO FABBRI, WALKING ON STAGE

30. CROUSER RECEIVING GOLD MEDAL

31. VARIOUS OF MEN'S SHOT PUT MEDALLISTS POSING FOR PHOTOS

32. CROUSER SPEAKING IN MIXED ZONE

33. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MEN'S SHOT PUT GOLD MEDALIST, RYAN CROUSER, SAYING:

"Special memories here for me personally at the Tokyo Stadium, winning my second Olympics. But with the global pandemic, there were no fans. And so a stark contrast last night with a very energetic crowd. I just want to say thank you to Tokyo and thank you to Japan for a very passionate crowd that definitely helped the athletes respond well to the cheering. When the crowd gets engaged and cheers loud, we tend to throw farther. So you saw that in the fifth round, the crowd started cheering, and the far throws started happening. So a fantastic atmosphere last night in the stadium and a great start to what I think will be a fantastic World Championship series."

34. VARIOUS OF CROUSER POSING WITH GOLD MEDAL