In a mirror image of the 20km podium, Poland's Katarzyna Zdzieblo claimed a silver medal in a personal best of 2hr 40min 03sec, while China's Qieyang Shijie took bronze in an Asian record time of 2hr 40min 37sec.
"I have always dreamed of making history in a sport I am so passionate about, (the one) that I have been practicing since I was five," said Garcia.
"I trained to finish strong in the last 5km. I can't wait to celebrate with my family once I arrive home and then reset to start preparing for the World Championships and the Pan American Games next year," she concluded.