Xiang Liu of China in action in the heats of the 110m Hurdles (© Getty Images)
Olympic 110m Hurdles champion Liu Xiang did not get his 2005 indoor season off to the best of starts in Shanghai last weekend (19 – 21 February) when taking part in the national indoor championships.
Competing in his home town, 21-year-old who is the joint holder of the World record for 110m Hurdles easily advanced to the final of the 60m Hurdles as the fastest qualifier from the heats. His 7.87 clocking was a very moderate time especially as recent tests in training have shown very good form for the young Chinese star.
But it was not to be in the final, after one false start, Liu Xiang still pushed himself to the limit and on the second attempt to get the race underway he made a clear false start and so was disqualified from the final. One of the biggest stars of all Chinese sport, not just athletics, accepted his false start calmly, immediately walking away towards the dressing rooms. In his absence the 60m Hurdles race was won by Wu Youjia in 7.78.
Promising results – rising stars
The first meeting of this important year for Chinese sport which ends with the 10th National Games held in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, threw up some promising results. There were several records broken by young athletes, including one senior Asian indoor record by 18-year-old Xie Sainan, who won the 1500m in 4:12.70 before another junior, Liu Qing who took second in 4:15.75. These kind of indoor times are very rare in China and the fact that junior athletes are in good form during early season predicts good competition for the National Games in October.
Shen Shengfei broke the national record in the women's Pentathlon with 4266 points.
Four national indoor junior bests were broken as well - Wen Yongyi won the 60m in 6.67, Lin Xiangqian took the men's 1500m in 3:46.96 and Gu Biwei, who just turned 17 four days before the competition, cleared 1.87m in the women's High Jump. Furthermore Liu Qing, second in the 1500m, broke the indoor junior best in the 800m just edging the 1500m winner Xie Sainan. Liu's winning time was 2:05.79, Xie in second at 2:06.02, also under the previous national junior indoor best.
Although many stars were still missing from the action, there were several good marks in the women's part of the competition. Qin Wangping recorded a personal best of 7.26 in the 60m and there was a good competition in the women's 60m Hurdles as well. Su Yiping just dipped to the finish before veteran Feng Yun, winning the race in 8.l2, before Feng's 8.13.
Youthful vaulting ambition
Four juniors topped the women's Pole Vault competition, from which two best Chinese were absent. Zhao Yingying recently vaulted 4.40m for an Asian junior indoor best in Europe and the national record holder Gao Shuying is competing on the same continent as well. 17-year-old Wu Sha won the Shanghai Pole Vault with 4.30m, just 16-year-old Liang Dan was second at 4.20m.
Guan Yingnan, fourth in the Budapest World Indoor Championships last winter, started her Long Jump season with a moderate 6.48m and women's shot putters were well below their best too, number one putter in China, Li Meiju, won with 17.97m. Li placed sixth in Budapest World Indoors.
The Chinese season will continue with the National Walking Championships and qualification meeting for the 10th National Games next weekend in Nanning, Guangxi province. Next week there is another national indoor GP meeting in Tianjin, accompanied with an international match against Japan and international indoor meeting. The Chinese indoor season will come to an end with the third indoor GP in Beijing 5-6 March.
Mirko Jalava for the IAAF
Chinese National Indoor GP, Shanghai,
19-21 February 2005
Results
Men
60m (20): 1 Wen Yongyi (87) 6.67 NJR.
1500m (21): 1 Lin Xiangqian (87) 3:46.96 NJR.
60m hurdles (19): 1 Wu Youjia 7.78; 2 Shi Dongpeng 7.81.
Pole vault (20): 1 Zhao Yu 5.30; 2 Yang Yansheng (89) 5.30.
Triple jump (19): 1 Wu Bo 16.34; 2 Li Xin 16.31.
Shot (19): 1 Zhang Jun 18.16.
Women
60m (20): 1 Qin Wangping 7.26; 2 Zhu Juanhong 7.38.
200m (20): 1 Ni Xiaoli 23.84.
800m (20): 1 Liu Qing (86) 2:05.79; 2 Xie Sainan (86) 2:06.02.
1500 m (21): 1 Xie Sainan (86) 4:12.70 Asian record; 2 Liu Qing (86) 4:15.75.
60m hurdles (20): 1 Su Yiping 8.12; 2 Feng Yun 8.13; 3 Zhang Rong 8.20.
High jump (21): 1 Gu Biwei (88) 1.87 NJR.
Pole vault (19): 1 Wu Sha (87) 4.30; 2 Liang Dan (88) 4.20.
Long jump (21): 1 Guan Yingnan 6.48; 2 Liu Huahua 6.37.
Triple jump (20): 1 Sha Li (88) 13.49; 2 Lin Baohua 13.43.
Shot (21): 1 Li Meiju 17.97; 2 Wang Lihong 17.87; 3 Li Ling 17.35; 4 Qian Chunhua 17.34; 5 Li Fengfeng 17.21; 6 Liu Yingfan (87) 16.94; 7 Wang Yawen 16.73; 8 Li Li (87) 16.67; 9 Yang Cui 16.61; 10 Zhang Chunjing 16.41; 11 Li Bo (88) 16.40; 12 Lu Ying 16.29.
Pentathlon (19): 1 Shen Shengfei 4266 NR (8.71 1.79 13.97 6.06 2:31.90).
