Liu Xiang on his way to victory in Hong Kong where he secured his third East Asian Games title (© AFP / Getty Images)
As expected Liu Xiang successfully completed his mission in Hong Kong today (11), and although his winning time in the 110m Hurdles was a relatively slow 13.66 secs, he carved his name in Games’ history by becoming the first individual athlete to win a ‘hat-trick’ in East Asian Games.
The former World and Olympic champion comfortably won his heat this morning by clocking 14.02 secs, and then with ease held off the challenge from compatriot Ji Wei in this evening’s final.
“My foot is good, there was not much problem, but it was a little sore” he revealed after the race. About his chances of taking the World record back, Liu Xiang played it safe and told “I have not even thought about breaking the World record, I don’t have such hopes at all.”
But he was optimistic about taking the top spot in London Olympics of 2012. “I have confidence in competing in London. It may be my last Olympics, so I would like to have a good finish.”
Liu’s coach Sun Haiping described his prodigy’s performance as satisfactory. “He was a little tired. The recovery is not bad, but he still needs time,” was the coach’s opinion about his pupil.
In the women’s 100m Hurdles China’s Asian champion Sun Yawei won in 13.13 secs.
It was again a matter of Chinese dominance virtually all the way today with China picking up ten of the eleven titles on offer, with only Japan’s Kayo Sugihara breaking the stranglehold by winning the women’s 10,000m (33:55.43).
Chinese throwers dominated the second day’s proceedings. Shot putter Zhang Jun tossed out a new Games’ record of 20.41m on his fifth try. It was a new huge personal best (previous:19.58m; 7 July 2009) for this year’s World University Games silver medalist who comes from Shanghai.
In the women’s Discus Throw, Li Yanfeng (30) sets the second record of the day when she bettered her training partner Song Aimin’s Games’ mark of 64.32m with her third round throw which measured to 64.66m. Yanfeng, the current National Games champion of China with a PB of 66.40, was also a silver medallist in Universiade like Zhang Jun, but she achieved that twice, in 2001 and 2003.
Japan’s Yuki Matsuoka, yet another World University silver medalist this time from two years ago, went down to Chinese national junior record-holder Li Zicheng in a hard-fought men’s 5000m race, losing 13:58.00 to 13:53.48.
Li Zhenzhu won the women’s 3000m Steeplechase introduced for the first time in the Games, while 2002 Asian Games gold medallist and national record holder Qi Haifeng took the men's Decathlon with 7747 points.
Ram. Murali Krishnan for the IAAF
RESULTS
MEN
400m: 1. Liu Xiaosheng CHN 46.72, 2. Park Bonggo KOR 46.96, 3. Yusuke Ishitsuka JPN 47.12;
5000m: 1. Li Zicheng CHN 13:53.48, 2. Yuki Matsuoka JPN 13:58.00, 3. Yuichiro Ueno JPN 14:18.90;
110m Hurdles (-0.6): 1. Liu Xiang CHN 13.66, 2. Ji Wei CHN 13.88, 3. Park Taekyong KOR 14.02;
Shot Put: 1. Zhang Jun CHN 20.41 (GR), 2. Chang Ming-Huang TPE 18.33, 3. Yohei Murakawa JPN 17.58;
Decathlon: 1. Qi Haifeng CHN 7747, 2. Daisuke Ikeda JPN 7596, 3. Ng Chit Wing HKG 5976;
WOMEN
400m: 1. Chen Jingwen CHN 53.52, 2. Tang Xiaoyin CHN 53.84, 3. Miho Shingu JPN 55.37;
10,000m: 1. Kayo Sugihara JPN 33:55.43, 2. Jia Chaofeng CHN 34:50.22, 3. Battsetseg Baatarkhuu MGL 37:04.86;
100m Hurdles (0.5): 1. Sun Yawei CHN 13.13, 2. Mami Ishino JPN 13.42, 3. Li Wang CHN 13.57;
3000m Steeplechase: 1. Li Zhenzhu CHN 10:00.17, 2. Minori Hayakari JPN 10:07.01, 3. Yiu Kit Ching HKG 11:26.03;
Long Jump: 1. Chen Yaling CHN 6.30/-0.6, 2. Saeko Okayama JPN 6.28/0.1, 3. Lu Minjia CHN 6.24/1.0;
Discus Throw: 1. Li Yanfeng CHN 64.66 (GR), 2. Xu Shaoyang CHN 56.04, 3. Li Wen-Hua TPE 55.35.
The former World and Olympic champion comfortably won his heat this morning by clocking 14.02 secs, and then with ease held off the challenge from compatriot Ji Wei in this evening’s final.
“My foot is good, there was not much problem, but it was a little sore” he revealed after the race. About his chances of taking the World record back, Liu Xiang played it safe and told “I have not even thought about breaking the World record, I don’t have such hopes at all.”
But he was optimistic about taking the top spot in London Olympics of 2012. “I have confidence in competing in London. It may be my last Olympics, so I would like to have a good finish.”
Liu’s coach Sun Haiping described his prodigy’s performance as satisfactory. “He was a little tired. The recovery is not bad, but he still needs time,” was the coach’s opinion about his pupil.
In the women’s 100m Hurdles China’s Asian champion Sun Yawei won in 13.13 secs.
It was again a matter of Chinese dominance virtually all the way today with China picking up ten of the eleven titles on offer, with only Japan’s Kayo Sugihara breaking the stranglehold by winning the women’s 10,000m (33:55.43).
Chinese throwers dominated the second day’s proceedings. Shot putter Zhang Jun tossed out a new Games’ record of 20.41m on his fifth try. It was a new huge personal best (previous:19.58m; 7 July 2009) for this year’s World University Games silver medalist who comes from Shanghai.
In the women’s Discus Throw, Li Yanfeng (30) sets the second record of the day when she bettered her training partner Song Aimin’s Games’ mark of 64.32m with her third round throw which measured to 64.66m. Yanfeng, the current National Games champion of China with a PB of 66.40, was also a silver medallist in Universiade like Zhang Jun, but she achieved that twice, in 2001 and 2003.
Japan’s Yuki Matsuoka, yet another World University silver medalist this time from two years ago, went down to Chinese national junior record-holder Li Zicheng in a hard-fought men’s 5000m race, losing 13:58.00 to 13:53.48.
Li Zhenzhu won the women’s 3000m Steeplechase introduced for the first time in the Games, while 2002 Asian Games gold medallist and national record holder Qi Haifeng took the men's Decathlon with 7747 points.
Ram. Murali Krishnan for the IAAF
RESULTS
MEN
400m: 1. Liu Xiaosheng CHN 46.72, 2. Park Bonggo KOR 46.96, 3. Yusuke Ishitsuka JPN 47.12;
5000m: 1. Li Zicheng CHN 13:53.48, 2. Yuki Matsuoka JPN 13:58.00, 3. Yuichiro Ueno JPN 14:18.90;
110m Hurdles (-0.6): 1. Liu Xiang CHN 13.66, 2. Ji Wei CHN 13.88, 3. Park Taekyong KOR 14.02;
Shot Put: 1. Zhang Jun CHN 20.41 (GR), 2. Chang Ming-Huang TPE 18.33, 3. Yohei Murakawa JPN 17.58;
Decathlon: 1. Qi Haifeng CHN 7747, 2. Daisuke Ikeda JPN 7596, 3. Ng Chit Wing HKG 5976;
WOMEN
400m: 1. Chen Jingwen CHN 53.52, 2. Tang Xiaoyin CHN 53.84, 3. Miho Shingu JPN 55.37;
10,000m: 1. Kayo Sugihara JPN 33:55.43, 2. Jia Chaofeng CHN 34:50.22, 3. Battsetseg Baatarkhuu MGL 37:04.86;
100m Hurdles (0.5): 1. Sun Yawei CHN 13.13, 2. Mami Ishino JPN 13.42, 3. Li Wang CHN 13.57;
3000m Steeplechase: 1. Li Zhenzhu CHN 10:00.17, 2. Minori Hayakari JPN 10:07.01, 3. Yiu Kit Ching HKG 11:26.03;
Long Jump: 1. Chen Yaling CHN 6.30/-0.6, 2. Saeko Okayama JPN 6.28/0.1, 3. Lu Minjia CHN 6.24/1.0;
Discus Throw: 1. Li Yanfeng CHN 64.66 (GR), 2. Xu Shaoyang CHN 56.04, 3. Li Wen-Hua TPE 55.35.
