Lijiao Gong of China in the women's Shot Put qualifying round (© Getty Images)
The Chinese indoor season closed with the third national indoor meet, a two-day competition in Beijing on Saturday (14) and Sunday (15). Almost all of the top Chinese athletes were absent from this meet, but there were still a few excellent results.
In the women’s shot put only 20-year-old Gong Lijiao competed for the first time as a senior and continued the fine form she found late in the 2008 season. Gong, who reached fifth place at the Olympics being only 19 years old at the time, won the competition with a 19.24m indoor personal result, the best put indoors by a Chinese woman for more than 16 years.
The young shot put star has an outdoor best of 19.46m from the Olympic qualification last season. Despite her young age this was already the eighth meet over 19 metres during career.
Former Chinese number one Li Meiju was second with a fine 18.77m opener. Li’s indoor personal best is 19.09m which took the bronze medal at the 2008 Valencia World Indoor Championships, the only mark better than her result today.
Third in the competition was 24-year-old Li Ling with indoor PB 18.72m. Li was fourth at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka.
A handful of other China’s top names competed for the first time in 2009. In the men’s Triple Jump Li Yanxi competed for the first time since his 10th place finish at the Olympic Games. Li won with a 16.69m jump confirming good form. The best Chinese triple jumper reached 17.30m personal best at the Olympic Games qualification last year. In the women’s Triple Jump Olympic Games and World Championships finalist Xie Limei started her 2009 campaign winning with a 14.15m result.
19-year-old Wang Chen equalled the national junior indoor record in the High Jump with a 2.24m clearance. The 2007 World Youth Champion has also jumped 2.24m outdoors last season.
Liu Feiliang topped the men’s Pole Vault with 5.45m result and Li Ling won women’s competition at 4.15m, the same result with Wu Sha in second place.
The running events were low key this time. Tao Yujia continued winning in the women’s 60m clocking 7.44sec this time. There was good news in the women’s 400m with the best Chinese 400m hurdler coming back to competition. 26-year-old Huang Xiaoxiao returned having lost most of the 2008 season including the Olympic Games due to injury and strolled to an easy 55.82sec win.
The Chinese athletics season will continue with the road race walking championships next weekend.
Mirko Jalava for the IAAF
Click here for RESULTS
