In 2017, the world women's race walk will lose its prominent athlete.

Liu Hong, the Olympic Champion of Rio and the World in Beijing and world record holder over the distance of 20km has announced that in 2017 she doesn't compete.

A sabbatical year so for Liu Hong (born on May 12, 1987 in Anfu in Jiangxi) which will be dedicated in particular to complete her studies at the Sport University of Beijing.

Reigning Olympic and World champion, after the marriage, is thinking even to the future. Is not that hard to predict, given these studies, in the field of sports management: the determination is not lacking to Liu Hong.

The Chinese squad will participate to the next World Championships in London 2017 unless its most representative athlete, of which we remember the progression over the years.

The news a few days ago came together with that of the renewal of the "race walk head coach" of the China Athletics Association contract until the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020 by Sandro Damilano.

The Saluzzo technician, who for five years is following the national team of China, has renegotiated the contract with terms roughly similar to the previous ones.

Chinese athletes will be doing three training camps in Italy, stopping every time two or three months.

But the important news is that the assistant coach will be Si Tianfeng (vice olympic champion in London 50km) which then coordinate the activity of walkers in the land of China.

The group will consist of 8/12 athletes.

Men:

Wang Zhen (winner of this year's IAAF World Team Championships in Rome and Olympic Champion), Cai Zelin (Vice Olympic Champion and 2nd in IAAF World Team Championships in Rome)

Yu Wei (5th place at the Olympics) plus other.

Women:

Qieyang Shenjie (2nd this year at IAAF World Team Championships in Rome and 5th place in Olympic Games), and the new emerging athlete of China

Ma Zhenxia (winner in 2016 of U20 event in IAAF World Team Championships in Rome and of the U20 World Championships in Bydgoszcz).

Together this group will arrive in Italy also a group of athletes with their coaches of Yunnan Province in preparation for the most important appointment in 2017 to the Chinese athletes: the National Games scheduled in September.