Huang Xiaoxiao (c), winning the 400m hurdles at the 10th Chinese National Games (© Jiro Mochizuki-Agence SHOT)
The first of three outdoor national Grand Prix competitions this year in China offered cold weather and some world class performances. A temperature of 15 degrees Celsius and light rain throughout the three days of competition in Hangzhou, China (11 – 13 April) did not help the athletes and sprint events were deeply affected.
Chinese athletes will have only two more Grand Prix competitions, the four-day Good Luck Beijing competition in the capital next month, and the Olympic Trials in June to look for Olympic qualifying results.
The best result of the competition came on the last day, early on Sunday morning with 25-year-old Huang Xiaoxiao, the Asian Games champion hitting the best early season form of her career. The number one Chinese 400m hurdler since 2003 has finished fifth in the last two editions of World Championships and made the semi-finals at the Athens 2004 Olympics when then only 21-years-old.
Huang won yesterday at the Hangzhou meeting with a 55.10sec time, her best early season performance ever. 2006 Asian Games winner has a personal best of 54.00 from Osaka semi-final last season, but has not dipped under 55 before mid-July in any year since the 2004 season when she first went under 55.00.
Huang was very close to a medal in Osaka and will surely be looking for one from the Beijing Olympics. Before the Hangzhou competition where she also was fastest in the 400m heats in 53.43, Huang was in good mood and told the reporters that preparation for the season has gone without problems.
Li Ling scales junior lead to equal area junior record
Another women’s top result came in the pole vault where 18-year-old Li Ling cleared a world junior leading 4.45m personal best and tied the Asian junior record and only 3cm off Silke Spiegelburg’s World junior record 4.48m. Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS) jumped 4.46m in 2001 and another Chinese, still a junior this season, Zhang Yingning jumped 4.45m in 2006.
20-year-old Wu Sha tied her personal best 4.30m for the second place and former top junior, 22-year-old Zhao Yingying made a return to the track after missing the 2007 outdoor season and was third with 4.15m result. Zhao jumped 4.40m outdoors in 2004 as a 18-year-old and 4.45m indoors in 2005.
72.22m for Zhang Wenxiu
In the women’s Hammer Throw, 2007 World Championships bronze medallist Zhang Wenxiu won with a fine 72.22m season’s best to better 70.56m mark she threw two weeks ago. 20-year-old Wang Zheng, who had only thrown 64.04m prior to this season, was second with her first career 70m throw - 70.07m - she had started her season with a 69.86m result in the same meeting with Zhang Wenxiu in Chengdu two weeks back.
In the Discus Throw, Song Aimin won with 63.89m just missing her 64.31m season’s best.
Battle for Beijing shot squad places hots-up
The three female shot putters from Osaka World Championships final were all in action too. Li Meiju, who took the bronze medal from World Indoors this winter, was strongest with a 18.59m toss. Li Ling, fourth in Osaka 2007, was second with 18.49m and 19-year-old Liu Xiangrong is going to challenge the top trio for the Olympic team places – she was third with 18.45m and junior sensation Gong Lijiao was fourth on 18.27m.
In the women’s distance running the participant list was strong, but results were not high as usual as this stage of any season in China.
Sun Yingjie, whose 2-year-ban ended in October 2007, was in action in 5000m and 10,000m, but exactly like in marathon she fell well short of any hope to get to the Olympic team for Beijing. In the two race final of 5000m she was only 13th fastest overall with a modest 16:18.24 clocking and then finished in 9th place over 10,000m in 33:21.50. The top trio for both distances was the same with 19-year-old Zhu Yingying winning both races clocking 15:42.64 for 5000m and 32:23.43 for 10,000m. Zhang Chong was 2nd in the 5000m in 15:43.40 and 3rd in 10,000m in 32:25.82, while Jiang Chengcheng took the 2nd place in 10,000m (32:24.17) and 3rd in 5000m (15:44.84).
17-year-old Zhao Yanni won the women’s 3000m Steeplechase with a 9:53.10 personal best.
MEN’s results
On the men’s side Olympic hopeful sprinters showed good early form. Wen Yongyi won the 100m, on Friday (11) in poor conditions in 10.40, Liang Jiahong set a personal best 20.83s in 200m heats, and Liu Xiaosheng set a season’s best 46.11s in the 400m final.
The distance races were relatively fast too. Cheng Tao won both 5000m and 10,000m in 13:58.45 and 28:43.81 respectively. 18-year-old Li Zicheng set two big personal bests with 2nd place finish 13:59.10 in 5000m and 28:46.03 for 3rd in 10,000m. Lin Xiangqian, the Chinese number one steeplechaser, won easily in 8:35.89.
In the 110m Hurdles all the best Chinese were absent, but 17-year-old Xie Wenjun showed very promising form winning in a fast 13.76 personal best time. Xie will surely be a medal favourite for the World Junior Championships later this year.
World Youth champion Wang Chen won the High Jump with 2.20m result while former World Youth and Junior champion Huang Haiqiang has faded badly and could only clear 2.10m this time. Li Yanxi won the Triple Jump with 16.95m and Guo Yanxiang set a personal best 19.40m winning the Shot Put.
Looking ahead
Chinese season will continue with the Good Luck Beijing competitions next week. The IAAF Race Walking Challenge, also part of the Good Luck Beijing competitions, is on Friday (18) and Saturday (19) and Good Luck Beijing marathon on Sunday (20). The track and field part of the Good Luck Beijing meeting is in the Chinese capital 22-25 May.
Mirko Jalava for the IAAF
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