iThe stage of the Taicang IAAF Challenge took place on a very hot day. Two hard-fought races.
The 7th round of the IAAF Race Walking Challenge in Taicang took place this morning in a sunny and very humid day. If the organizers wanted the athletes to verify the difficult conditions that they will find in Doha, they succeeded in full and lin any case thanks to the IAAF Technical Delegate, who yesterday in the technical meeting, had decided to anticipate the start by 1 hour.
Little foreign representation but competitions of great pathos for Chinese athletes as valid tests as selection for the Doha World Championships.
20km women
Victory to Quieyang Shenijie (CHN) in 1:28:00 which covers the last 5km in a spectacular 21:08.
Second place to Yang Jiayu (CHN) in 1:28:16
Third place to Liu Hong (CHN) in 1:28:22
A brief report
Starting with a temperature of 26°, in the final it will be 29°.
First two laps with a lot of fear due to difficult weather conditions.
For this the split time at 5 km. (22:48) sees about fifteen athletes still together in the leading pack.
The first change of the pace is towards the 6th km which immediately thins out the groups.
The three first big favorites remain in the lead: Liu Hong; Yang Jiayu and Qieyang Shenjie and some very promising young women (Yang Liujing; Ma Zhenxia; Xie Lijuan; Wu Quanming) and the more experienced Wang Yingliu.
The split time to 10km is 44:59 (seconds 5km in 22:11). At this point, under the pressure of the three stars, the group km after km gets thinner and thinner.
At around 14,5 km only three of them remain in the lead. Passage in 1:06:52 (21:53).
From this point forward, there is a continuous succession of changes in the pace and alternating between the three with the rhythm that has risen at 4:15 per km. However, none of the three intends to give up.
The turn of the race takes place around km. 17,5 when Qieyang forces the pace with one km covered in 4:05. The first to lose contact is Liu Hong then, a little later, even Yang Jiahu must give up.
With a last lap in 8:20 the Tibetan goes to win an exciting race, throbbing and technically very beautiful.
Final time for Qieyang Shenijie 1:28:00 (last 5 km in 21:08); in second place Yang Jiayu in 1:28:16; third place for the always brilliant and indomitable Liu Hong (1:28:22). A praise to all three of these magnificent athletes who, despite the difficult weather conditions, managed to thrill the large audience. Qualification for Doha for the 1998 class, Yang Liujing (1:29:30) and for Wang Yingliu (1:29:52) who as a good expert made a remarkable comeback in the final.
The race of Ma Zhenxia was disappointing, suffering particularly from the heat, 9th at the finish line with a time of 1:32:16.
First foreign athlete the New Zealand Alana Barber who finished his labor in 1:33:14 (7th in the official Challenge)
Times every 2 km. of Qieyang Shenijie:
9:16 - 9:03 - 8:59 - 8:51 - 8:47 - 8:53 - 8:41 - 8.34 - 8:31 - 8:20
First 10 km. = 44:59 - Second 10 km. = 43:01
Results (only chinese athletes)
| 1. | Qieyang Shenijie | 1:28:00 |
| 2. | Yang Jiayu | 1:28:16 |
| 3. | Liu Hong | 1:28:22 |
| 4. | Yang Liujing | 1:29:30 |
| 5. | Wang Yingliu | 1:29:58 |
| 6. | Xie Lijuan | 1:30:13 |
| 7. | Wu Quanming | 1:30:27 |
| 8. | Li Maocuo | 1:30:53 |
| 9. | Ma Zhenxia | 1:32:16 |
| 10. | Ni Yuanyuan | 1:32:24 |
20km men
Victory to Wang Kaihua (CHN) in 1:19:48
Secondo posto per Cai Zelin (CHN) in 1:20:13
Terzo posto per Caio Bonfim in 1:20:37
A brief report
At the start at 7:15 am there are already 23°C.
Athletes start with a bit of fear and the pace in the first 2 laps (4 km) is not particularly fast 4:06 - 4:08 at km.
The Chinese Wang Kaihua and the Mexican Palma will break the gap. Passage to 5 km. in 20:11.
A group of about ten units follows them at 7"-8" (20:18).
Wang Kaihua continues on the pace of 3:58 and clears off Palma. The others always remain at about ten seconds.
Passage to 10 km. for the Chinese athlete in 40:06: (19:55).
The pack always composed of the usual dozens of units passes in 40:24, leaded by Cai Zelin and Jin Xianquian (who will be stopped immediately after in the Penalty Zone). While Wang continues at the same pace (split time to 15 km. in 1:00:03 - 19:57) the battle for the valid positions for the selection is unleashed behind.
At 15 km. four valid places are playing for each other: Cai Zelin; Zhang Jun; Jin Jiaxing and Gao Wenkui passing to 15 in 1:00:21 (19:57). There are no more problems for Wang Kaihua. Behind Cai Zelin progressively earns a 30 meters followed a short distance from the young training partner, Zhang Jun. The other two suffer greatly from fatigue, while from the back, as usual, the Brazilian Caio Bonfim is returning.
Wang Kaihua ends his effort in 1:19:48 (19:45 the last 5 km.). Behind him qualification for Cai Zelin 1:20:13 (last 5 in 19:52) and for Zhang Jun, who reaches the finish line in 1:20:24.
After about five minutes we witness the incredible turn of events to see Zhang Jun disappear from the third place, (in the last he was walking with no one else). The third red cards received arrived after cross the line and then 2 minutes of Penalty vere added. Decision very difficult to accept. The third place is assigned to the Brazilian Caio Bonfim (1:20:37) while for the Chinese selection if they play in a sprint to the limit and even beyond the regulation, Jin Jiaxing and Gao Wekui with the first that just in the last meter manages to survive the rival.
Disappointing performance of the Japanese Takahashi, 1:18:00 this year, never in the top position for the whole race. In the end he finished in 1:21:08 in 6th position.
Results (only chinese athletes)
| 1. | Wang Kaihua | 1:19:48 |
| 2. | 3.Cai Zelin | 1:20:13 |
| 3. | Yin Jiaxing | 1:20:41 |
| 4. | Gao Wenkui | 1:20:41 |
| 5. | Xu Wei | 1:21:14 |
| 6. | Lu Xiaotong | 1:22:13 |
| 7. | Zhang Wanxin | 1:22:22 |
| 8. | Zhang Jun | 1:22:24 |
| 9. | Zeng Qingcun | 1:22:53 |
| 10. | Zhang Wei | 1:22:59 |