BARCELONA ’92 OLYMPICS / DAY 7 : Plaza Takes 20-Kilometer Stroll to Gold Medal for Spain, Catalonia

When Daniel Plaza began the ascent to Montjuic Stadium on Friday, he had doubts about whether he would make it to the top. But then he heard the crowd, 60,000 strong, begin to roar as it anticipated his arrival.

“There were so many people cheering me on, it inspired me to go on and climb the hill to the stadium,” said Plaza, who became Spain’s first gold medalist in track and field with his victory in the 20-kilometer walk.

The victory was even more significant for many among the crowd because Plaza is from near Barcelona, in a region of the country, Catalonia, that prides itself on its distinctiveness from the rest of Spain.

When Plaza took his victory lap, he carried a Catalan flag.

But, during his post-race news conference, he said that he had won for the entire country.

“It’s a great day for Spanish sport,” he said.

It could have been an even greater day but for the misfortune of another Catalonian walker, Valentin Massan, who was in second place 800 meters outside the stadium, when he was disqualified after receiving his third warning for lifting his feet too far off the ground.

Plaza suffered a similar fate in the World Championships last year at Tokyo, finishing third, then learning that he had been disqualified.

In that race, he had forgotten to carry his good-luck charm, a stone-carved beetle, in his pocket. He had it with him Friday, although he credited the victory more to his coach, Jorge Llopart, who won a silver medal in the 50-kilometer walk for Spain in 1980 at Moscow.