Borchin holds off Perez to win walk

By Balazs Koranyi

BEIJING (Reuters) - Russia's Valeriy Borchin finally shook off former champion Jefferson Perez of Ecuador to win the Olympic men's 20 kilometer walk on Saturday.

Borchin clocked a time of 1 hour 19:01 minutes, 14 seconds ahead of Perez with Australia's Jared Tallent in third.

Borchin's victory lifted the Russian team who started the race with only two entrants following the withdrawal of world record holder Sergey Morozov.

Three Russian walkers, including Vladimir Kanaikin, a medal favorite in the 20km event in Beijing, were banned on the eve of the Games for failing doping tests.

The pace was modest in the first half of the race under Beijing's burning sun and nearly a dozen athletes were in contention past the halfway mark.

Perez, fourth in the last two Olympics and a triple world champion, upped the tempo past the 15km mark and tried to shake off his challengers but 21-year-old Borchin countered with a surge which shook off the 1996 Olympic champion.

Defending champion Ivano Brugnetti of Italy came in fifth after leading the pack several times in the second half of the race.

There was no immediate explanation for Morozov's absence from the Russian team.

(Editing by Ed Osmond)