China’s Gong Lijiao celebrates winning the shot put final at the 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha. Photo: Xinhua
Source:
https://scmp.com/sport/china/article/3031993/china-iaaf-athletics-world-championships-highs-and-lows-mixed-campaign China
China at the IAAF Athletics World Championships: the highs and lows of a mixed campaign ahead of the Tokyo Olympics
- China captures three gold medals, its best performance since a four-gold haul in 1993 in Stuttgart
- All nine medals come from the women and all are won in field events or race walking
Ge Manqi (right) is comforted by her teammate Liang Xiaojing after the women’s 4x100m relay final at the 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha. Photo: Xinhua
China’s best medal haul at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in 26 years offers a preview of what to expect at next year’s Tokyo Olympics but its performances also highlighted a number of weaknesses.
China captured three gold, three silver and three bronze medals in Doha, finishing fourth in the medals standings. It won four golds at the 1993 worlds in Stuttgart but has since failed to win more than two gold medals until this year. With the 2020 Olympic Games in less than a year, China has plenty to do to challenge the top nations at the National Stadium in Tokyo.
Here are some of the highs and lows experienced by Chinese athletes at the Doha Worlds.
Highlights
1. Chinese women dominated the race walks in Doha, capturing gold and silver medals in the 20km and 50km, taking that tally to five thanks to a bronze in the shorter distance.
For the first time at the worlds, the women’s 20km race walk was swept by one nation and champion Liu Hong will definitely be a hot favourite to defend her Rio Olympic title in Tokyo next year.
2. Shot putter Gong Lijiao became the fourth woman to collect back-to-back world championship victories in the event. It was Gong’s 13th victory in 2019 out of 14 competitions. The 30-year-old favourite was delighted with her result, although she was disappointed with her winning throw of 19.55 metres after setting a season’s best 20.31 in Zurich in August. She is definitely a favourite to challenge for her first Olympic title in Tokyo 2020.
3. Xie Zhenye reached the men’s 200 metre final, the first Chinese male to accomplish the task, eventually finishing in seventh place. His time in the final, 20.14 seconds, was hardly impressive given a season’s best of 19.88, an Asian record he set at the Olympic Stadium in London in July. Still, the 26-year-old has plenty to look forward to.
Liu Shiying of China reacts during the javelin final at the 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships where she secured the silver medal with a throw of 56.88 metres. Photo: Xinhua
4. The men’s 4x100 metre relay team qualified for the 2020 Olympic Games after reaching the final in Doha. Although they managed only sixth place, the top eight teams can book their tickets to Tokyo next year. The quartet, headed by Su Bingtian and Xie Zhenye, also set a China national record in the heats, clocking 37.79 seconds to come third and make it to the final.
Lyu Huihui of China disappointed with just a bronze medal showing in Doha. Photo: Xinhua
5. In the women’s javelin throw, fast-improving Liu Shiying rose to occasion with a silver medal while favourite Lyu Huihui managed a disappointing third place. Both remain medal hopes in the Olympic Games next year.
Lowlights
1. The women’s 4x100 metre relay team reached the final in Doha and only needed to finish the race to book an Olympic ticket. However, a poor baton exchange in the last leg cost them dearly with the Chinese women disqualified and denied a ranking. They have to work hard again if they want to make it to the Tokyo Games next year.
Kong Lingwei (centre right) and Ge Manqi (centre left) of China fail to exchange the baton during the 4x100m relay final at the 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships. Photo: Xinhua
2. China’s male race walkers failed to win a medal in the 20km and 50km distances, the two events for which they have a strong tradition. Niu Wenbin just missed the podium when he came fourth in the longer distance while the best finisher in the 20km was Wang Kaihua with an eighth place. Japan, hosts of the 2020 Olympic Games, won both events in Doha, leaving the Chinese needing plenty to do in the next few months to bridge the gap.
3. For all their success in the women’s walking events, China’s Olympic medal hopes are affected by the fact that there is no 50km race at the Tokyo Games.
China’s Liu Hong (centre) celebrates with Qieyang Shenjie (left) and Yang Liujing after the 20km race walk final. Photo: Xinhua
4. Sprinter Su Bingtian struggled with his back injury and could not reach the men’s 100 metres final after successive appearances in Beijing 2015 and in London two years ago. Age is not on the side of the 30-year-old Asian record holder and he has a tough road ahead leading up to Tokyo.
5. China’s men’s athletes showed they are still way behind world-class standards, with all nine mainland medals won by women. They are struggling to find another Liu Xiang (former hurdler) to spearhead the men’s squad. Also, none of the nine medals came from the track. China need more quality athletes in more events before they can call themselves a world power in track and field.