Limei Xie of China during the triple jump final (© Getty Images)
Eight athletes remained on course for a clean sweep of wins in the three-leg Asian Grand Prix circuit by repeating their winning efforts in the second fixture in Kunshan, China, on Thursday (26 May).
Chen Qiang of China (100m), Sajad Moradi of Iran (800m), Jian Fan of China (110m hurdles) and Zhang Guowei of China (high jump), among the men, and Guzel Khubbieva of Uzbekistan (100m), Margarita Matsko of Kazakhstan (800m), Svetlana Radzivil of Uzbekistan (high jump) and Yang Fei of China (discus), among the women, were those who scored their second successive wins on the circuit.
The third leg will take place in Wujiang on 29 May.
Former Asian triple jump champion Xie Limei off China was the outstanding performer of the day, her jump of 14.06m, taking here to third on the Asian season lists behind countrywoman Li Yanmei and Kazkhstan’s Olga Rypakova.
Xie Limei, who had to be content with second place in the first Asian GP meeting in Jiaxing behind Li Yanmei, came out strongly in the second round on Thursday, touching her best for the season that all but ensured her the victory.
Li Yanmei could not reproduce her Jiaxing form, jumping a best of 13.98 metres for fourth place behind two Uzbeks. Aleksandara Kotlyarova joined the 14-metre group for the season with a 14.00m jump in the final round, while team-mate Anastasiya Juravleva who had three fouls while crashing out of the previous meet, made amends with a 13.95 this time for third. Li Yanmei had an opening jump of 13.85, fouled next and passed the rest.
Kazakh woman Margarita Matsko was once again in tremendous form in the 800 metres, pushing herself despite the lack of any serious opposition to clock 2:00.89, the leading time in Asia for the season. Just three women competed in the race, with Uzbek Anna Sidorova claiming second in 2:02.98. Matsko’s timing was a meet record, bettering her own 2:01.63 clocked in the first leg.
The timings were better in the men’s 800 metres with Iranian Sajad Moradi clocking 1:47.95, after being challenged by Indian Ghamanda Ram. In a thin and modest field, there never was any doubt about Moradi’s class, but Ram made a fight of it, coming home in 1:48.17. In fact, the fourth and last-placed Indian, Sajeesh Joseph, also dipped under 1:49 showing that this race was more competitive than the first-leg one.
The women’s High Jump produced a high quality contest with Asian Games champion and former World junior champion Svetlana Radzivil of Uzbekistan prevailing once again, but with the second best Asian mark for the season (1.92 metres). That was also achieved by Wanida Boonwan, a personal best for the Thai. Both failed at 1.95, but Radzivil took the win having had a lesser number of failures.
The Chinese supremacy over the men’s and women’s High Hurdles was challenged. Though Jiang Fan easily won the men’s 110m hurdles, Sun Yawei could not repeat her first meet performance and was beaten at the finish in the women’s 100m Hurdles by Kazakh Natalya Ivoninskaya, by one-hundredth of a second.
There was an unexpected reversal for the favourites in men’s Discus Throw, too, with Chinese Wu Jian upstaging the Samimi brothers from Iran for victory. Wu Jian who had taken the second behind Mohamamed Samimi in Jiaxing won this time with 62.56m. The younger of the two Samimis, Mahmoud, claimed the second (62.29) ahead of Mohammed Samimi (62.03).
Korean Kim Duk-Hyun edged Chinese Dong Bin by just one centimetre in the Triple Jump pit, 16.87m to 16.86. Kim had skipped the previous Asian GP meet.
The men’s High Jump and Long Jumps provided good fare and top marks.
Chinese Zhang Guowei went up to his season best of 2.28 metres in High Jump, also pushing team-mate Jin Qichao to his season best of 2.24, the same as also achieved by another Chinese, Wang Chen.
The eight-metre mark was crossed in men’s Long Jump, with Chinese Yun Zhiming kicking sand at 8.05 metres. The winner in Jiaxing, Zhang Xiaoyi failed to rise to the occasion and settled for the second with 7.78 metres.
By an IAAF Correspondent
Results
Men
100m: 1. Chen Qing (Chn) 10.45, 2. Wachara Sondee (Tha) 10.50, 3. Liang Jiahong (Chn) 10.51;
400m: 1. Sajad Hashemiahan (Iri) 46.76, 2. Chen Jianxin (Chn) 46.84, 3. Prasanna Amarasekara (Sri) 47.29;
800m: 1. Sajad Moradi (Iri) 1:47.95, 2. Ghamanda Ram (Ind) 1:48.17, 3. Yang Xiaofei (Chn) 1:48.37;
110m hurdles: 1. Jiang Fan (Chn) 13.55, 2. Rohollah Asgarigandm (Iri) 13.85, Ahmad Khadar Aimuwallad (KSA) 13.91;
High jump: 1. Zhang Guowei (Chn) 2.28, 2. Jin Qichao (Chn) 2.24, 3. Wang Chen (Chn) 2.24;
Long jump: 1. 1. Yun Zhiming (Chn) 8.05, 2. Zhang Xiaoyi (Chn) 7.78, 3. Jiang Zhaodan (Chn) 7.73;
Triple jump: 1. Kim Deok-Hyeon (Kor) 16.87, 2. Dong Bin (Chn) 16.86, 3. Li Yanxi (Chn) 16.59;
Discus: 1. Wu Jian (Chn) 62.56, 2. Mahmoud Samimi (Iri) 62.29, 3. Mohammed Samimi (Iri) 62.03; 4x100m relay: 1. China 39.46, 2. Thailand 40.10, 3. Hong Kong 40.37.
Women
100m: 1. Guzel Khubbieva (Uzb) 11.50, 2. Tao Yujia (Chn) 11.69, 3. Wei Yongli (Chn) 11.72;
400m: 1. Marina Maslyonko (Kaz) 53.15, 2. Chen Jingwen (Chn) 53.34, 3. Chen Yanmei (Chn) 53.89;
800m: 1. Margarita Matsko (Kaz) 2:00.89, 2. Anna Sidorova (Uzb) 2:02.98, 3. Li Yong (Chn) 2:12.38;
100m hurdles: 1. Natalya Ivoninskaya (Kaz) 13.32, 2. Sun Yawei (Chn) 13.33, 3. Anastasiya Supronova (Kaz) 13.38;
High jump: 1. Svetlana Radzivil (Uzb) 1.92, 2. Wanida Boonwan (Tha) 1.92, 3. Wang Yang (Chn) 1.84;
Triple jump: 1. Xie Limei (Chn) 14.06, 2. Aleksandra Kotlyarova (Uzb) 14.00, 3. Anastasiya Juravleva (Uzb) 13.95;
Discus: 1. Yang Fei (Chn) 59.26, 2. Lin Xiaojing (Chn) 53.55, 3. Seema Antil (Ind) 50.64;
Javelin: 1. Wang Ping (Chn) 57.44, 2.Gim Gyeong Ae (Kor) 55.35, 3. Xue Juan (Chn) 54.10;
4x100m relay: 1. Thailand 45.17, 2. Hong Kong 46.73, 3. China 47.57.
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