Shi Dongpeng (l) with Liu Xiang (r) - after their 7th and 3rd place finishes in the 2003 World Champs 110mH Final (© Getty Images)
The short Chinese indoor season concluded last weekend (25/26 Feb) with the second and final leg of the national indoor grand prix in Beijing. Still most big names were absent from the competition, but two men's national indoor records were equalled during the competition, and Qi Haifeng grabbed his Heptathlon record back after losing it to Yu Bin last year.
MEN
In the men's 60m in was a big duel between 2005 World University Games 100m champion, 23-year-old Hu Kai and national indoor record holder, just 19-year-old Wen Yongyi. Wen set the record in March 2005 finishing in 6.61 seconds. In this competition Hu, also the 2005 100m national champion and East Asian Games winner, was able to match that time winning with a 6.61 result as well. Wen was a very close second in 6.62, his second best career clocking.
In the men's Pole vault Liu Feiliang was able to get back from the surprise loss in the first indoor competition and equalled his 5.60m national indoor record from 2004. Liu holds the outdoor national record with 5.70m result he set in Eugene last summer. Behind Liu 18-year-old Yang Yansheng established himself as a possible medallist in the 2006 Beijing World Junior Championships equalling his indoor personal best of 5.40m for the second place. Yang has jumped 5.45m outdoors last season and won the World Youth Championships gold medal in Marrakech.
Shi Dongpeng, the second best 110m hurdler in China behind Olympic champion Liu Xiang, took the win in the 60m Hurdles in 7.76, but had gone even faster in the heats, recording his personal best in the heats with a 7.67 finish. Ji Wei was second with a personal best of 7.80 and Wu Youjia third in 7.83. Liu Xiang was still absent because of the ankle injury he suffered earlier this winter.
In the men's High Jump 21-year-old Wang Hao won with a personal best of 2.24m and in the Long Jump Fujian athlete Song Nian recorded his first career 8m jump winning with 8.03m distance.
The first and only Chinese to throw over 20m in men’s Shot Put, Zhang Qi, won his event with a 19.18m toss and Qi Haifeng regained the national indoor record in Heptathlon scoring 5763 points. Yu Bin finished second with 5317 and lost the record he had set with a total of 5739 last winter in Shanghai.
WOMEN
In the women's events, Shu Yan won the 60m in a personal best of 7.38 and Tang Xiaoyin was a double winner of 200/400m with times of 24.15 and 53.25 respectively.
16-year-old Xue Fei was fastest in the 1500m clocking 4:17.17 and Steeplechase specialist Chen Xiaofang won the 3000m in 9:04.46 ahead of Li Zhenzhu, who took the second place in 9:08.54.
Women's Pole Vault has a new star in China. 18-year-old Liaoning athlete Zhao Yingzhu is emerging as a major force very quickly. In Beijing she competed only in her second career national level competition and took a win with a big personal best of 4.30m. Zhao is also naturally looking at a chance of a medal in the World Junior Championships in Beijing this summer.
Xie Limei won the Triple Jump competition with an indoor personal best of 14.10m, and Li Ling was a surprise winner in the Shot Put at 17.46m. The best Chinese athlete in this event for the last five years, Li Meiju, was only able to finish third with a low-quality mark of 17.10m.
Mirko Jalava for the IAAF
2nd Chinese Indoor Grand Prix
Beijing, 24-25 February 2006
Results
Men
60m: Hu Kai 6.61 =NR; 2 Wen Yongyi 6.62.
200m: Hu Kai 21.72.
400m: Tang Linyan 48.96.
800m: Wang Wei 1:56.12.
1500m: Ma Jifu 3:50.46.
60m Hurdles, race 1: Xing Yanan 7.90, race 2: Shi Dongpeng 7.76 (7.67 1h4); 2 Ji Wei 7.80; 3 Wu Youjia 7.83.
High Jump: Wang Hao 2.24; 2 Zhang Shufeng 2.20.
Pole Vault: Liu Feiliang 5.60 =NR; 2 Yang Yansheng 5.40.
Long Jump: Song Jian 8.03; 2 Li Xin 7.70.
Triple Jump: Zhu Shujing 16.32; 2 Gu Junjie 16.06.
Shot Put: Zhang Qi 19.18; 2 Jia Peng 18.19.
Heptathlon: Qi Haifeng 5763 NR.
Women
60m: Shu Yan 7.38.
200m: Tang Xiaoyin 24.15.
400m: Tang Xiaoyin 53.25.
800m: Yang Xiaocui 2:10.86.
1500m: Xue Fei 4:17.17.
3000m: Chen Xiaofang 9:04.46; 2 Li Zhenzhu 9:08.54.
60m Hurdles: He Liyuan 8.41 (8.43 1h5); 2 Wang Jindan 8.49.
High Jump: He Yanhong 1.81; 2 Qiao Yanrui 1.81; 3 Zhao Ning 1.81.
Pole Vault: Zhao Yingzhu 4.30; 2 Liang Dan 4.20; 3 Huang Yu 4.10; 4 Lu Xiaodi 4.00.
Long Jump: Liu Huahua 6.48; 2 Guan Yingnan 6.33.
Triple Jump: Xie Limei 14.10; 2 Wang Ying 13.56; 3 Tao Yujia 13.19.
Shot Put: Li Ling 17.46; 2 Zhang Qiang 17.14; 3 Li Meiju 17.10; 4 Li Li 16.93; 5 Gong Lijiao (born 1991) 16.82; 6 Yang Cui 16.46; 7 Wang Lihong 16.41; 8 Zhang Chunjing 16.34; 9 Li Bo 15.84; 10 Liu Xiangrong 15.72; 11 Lu Ying 15.70.
