Tokyo 2020: Christy Yiu breaks Hong Kong marathon record on Gold Coast but misses out on Olympic spot
- Runner breaks one of oldest national records but finishes just one place outside Olympic qualification
- Athletic Association has high hopes of her qualifying for second Games as she heads to the World Championships in Doha
Christy Yiu Kit-ching shattered one of the oldest Hong Kong records when she finished sixth in the Gold Coast Marathon in Australia on Sunday, just one place short of the required entry standard for next year’s Olympic Games.
The 31-year-old’s time of two hours, 34 minutes and seven seconds broke Maggie Chan Man-yee’s mark set in 2004 by almost two minutes and represents a significant step towards her goal of making a second appearance in an Olympic marathon.
It was her first marathon since the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Chan, who has now retired from competitive running, clocked 2:35:49 in the United States more than 20 years ago.
“I have reached a little target but missed the one I wanted most – reaching the top five,” said Yiu, who clocked 2:36:11 when she raced in Rio. “But I am really pleased to have broken the Hong Kong record, which has been there for a long time. I present the performance as a gift to my coach, whose birthday was on Saturday.
“I also need to thank my husband Chan Ka-ho for doing a good job as a pacer for me. He helped a lot in the first 25 kilometres to get me into the right rhythm.”
Truphena Chepchirchir of Kenya finished ahead of Yiu in fifth place in 2:33:35. Her compatriot, Rodah Tanui, won the women’s race in 2:27:56. Japan’s Yuta Shitara won the men’s race in 2:07:50.
The time entry standard for the Tokyo Olympic Games is 2:29:30, but Yiu can also qualify by finishing in the top five of a gold-label event such as the Gold Coast Marathon or the Hong Kong Marathon, or finishing in the top five at the forthcoming world championships.
Yiu’s result has already qualified her for the worlds, which will take place in Doha in late September and the two-month break should give her sufficient time for recovery.
Another way to qualify is through the world rankings. The Tokyo Games has a maximum quota of 80 in the women’s marathon. Yiu believes about half of the qualifiers will need to rely on the rankings route as the entry time is set extremely high.
The Hong Kong Amateur Athletic Association also has high hopes of Yiu qualifying.“We are very proud of her for such a strong showing,” said its senior vice-chairman, Simon Yeung Sai-mo. “With more competitions prior to the Tokyo Games, we think she has a bright chance of making it. Her coach will continue to work her for the next phase of Olympic qualification and preparations.”
Her coach, Shinetsu Murao, has already admitted it would probably be too difficult to reach the entry standard by time.
Yiu’s husband finished with a personal best 2:32:28 to come 49th, while another Hong Kong runner, Ngai Kang, was two places behind in 2:33:16.
