María Pérez, European half marathon champion, shares the victory with her friend Antonella Palmisano

The Spanish athlete María Pérez once again demonstrated this Saturday that she is the queen of walking by becoming the European half marathon champion in Birmingham (United Kingdom). However, it was a bittersweet gold medal due to the poor result of the Italian Antonella Palmisano, her close friend, with whom she starred in the most emotional moment of the event after the finish line. The Grenadian waited for Palmisano just after the finish line, even though event security did not allow it, she bowed to her when she reached her and then the Italian put a crown on her. The friendship between María Pérez and Antonella Palmisano goes far beyond the competition, so much so that the Spanish athlete herself was sad because she would have loved to "share the podium" with the Italian. I have experienced all the preparation with her, I know how she is, I know how she has shown and has maintained that motivation to continue working very hard at 35 years old. Hopefully this will be a blip and will be stronger for next year," he said in statements to the official media of the Royal Spanish Athletics Federation (RFEA). In addition, that crown that Palmisano gave María Pérez is also part of her story. "The first time she wore a crown was Antonella, which she received from her husband in Rome when she won a crown as queen of Europe in the stadium. Antonella's mother, who makes things by hand, embroidered it and made it with gold thread," explained the woman from Granada. "She told us that whoever was the European champion had to give it to the other. Since Antonella was European champion, she gave it to me. As I told Antonella, at least the gold stays at home, with the family. I hope we can defend her together again soon," she wished. In addition, María Pérez, who appeared in the test with braids on her head, also confessed that her change of look has to do with Palmisano: "I promised Antonella that I would leave my hair long for a year, I have left it."