"I had this problem with my hamstring after the 20km race and I was still considering whether to start at the 35km but I managed to get through," said Perez, who smashed Garcia Leon's 35 km world record by nearly half a minute in May. "I was fourth in the Olympic Games and it was very tough to get so close to an Olympic medal. It's wonderful now to be a double world champion in Budapest. "I see Maria is first too in the women's race, so today is a great day for Spain." Reporting by Hritika Sharma in Hyderabad; Editing by Devika Syamnath, Peter RutherfordOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Persons: Spain's Maria Perez, Alvaro Martin, Marton Monus, Maria Perez, Martin, Brian Pintado, Perez, Kimberly Garcia Leon, Perez's, Peru's Garcia Leon, Antigoni Drisbioti, Garcia, Aurelien Quinion, Kawano, Massimo Stano, Maria, Hritika Sharma, Devika Syamnath, Peter Rutherford Organizations: Alvaro Martin REUTERS, Rights, Spanish, Olympic Games, Thomson Locations: Budapest, Hungary, Greece, France, Italy, Spain, Hyderabad