Portugal's 2017 world 50km race walk champion Ines Henriques will take part in tomorrow's 20km IAAF Race Walking Challenge on her home course in Rio Maior ©Getty Images

Home athlete Ines Henriques will be the centre of attention tomorrow at the Grande Prémio Internacional de Rio Maior em Marcha Atlética, the fifth stop of the 2018 International Association of Athletics Federations Race Walking Challenge.

The reigning 50 kilometres world champion and world record holder has been honoured by local organisers in Portugal, who have given her a bib with the number one on it.

But it will not be an easy challenge for Henriques who will face a strong field in the women's 20km which includes 2012 Olympic silver medallist Qieyang Shenjie of China, her compatriot Xiuzhi Lu, the 2016 Olympic bronze medallist, and Brazil's Erica de Sena, the current Challenge leader.

Qieyang, who won in Rio Maior two years ago, has a personal best of 1 hour 25min 16sec and won the Chinese National Grand Prix meeting in Huangshan, clocking 1:27:36, the third fastest in the word this year.

In the same competition Lu, who took world silver in 2017, was seventh in 1:31:04.

Another Chinese walker, Wang Yingliu, who clocked 1:28:37 for third in Huangshan, will also be in Rio Maior.

De Sena, the South American record holder, seventh at the 2016 Rio Games, arrives as overall leader thanks to her second place in Monterey in Mexico in February and her victory at the South America Championships in Sucua, Ecuador, last month where she clocked 1:30:22.

Also in the hunt will be Italian Antonella Palmisano, the 2017 world bronze medallist who was fourth at the 2016 Olympic Games and comes with a 1:26:36 personal best set last year.

Ecuador's Andres Chocho will defend his lead in the IAAF World Race Walking Challenge as he competes in Rio Maior, Portugal tomorrow ©Getty Images
Ecuador's Andres Chocho will defend his lead in the IAAF World Race Walking Challenge as he competes in Rio Maior, Portugal tomorrow ©Getty Images

Despite specialising in the 50km event, Henriques is a serious contender over 20km, over which she has dipped under 1:30:00 on nine occasions.

The Challenge leader on the men's side, Ecuador's Andres Chocho, is among the strong favourites.

He was this year's 50km winner in Monterey and champion over 20km at the South American Championships in 1:22:51.

Chocho also finished third in Rio Maior in 2016.

Argentina's Juan Manuel Cano, with a 1:22:10 personal best, and Brazil's José Bagio, who has a 1:21:46 best, will also be strong contenders.

Spain's champion Alvaro Martin, who has a best of 1:19:36 and won in Rio Maior in 2016, should also challenge.

Three Chinese walkers are also expected - Xiangqian Jin, who has a 1:19:12 lifetime best and was fourth in Huangshan, Jiaxing Yin, whose best is 1:20:56, and Wenbin Niu, who has recorded 1:21:41.