If the men's 20km was a spectacular race, we don't have an adjective to define that of the women.
Participation in Tokyo will be the prize, but also something else.
20km women
Six are leading the race immediately after the start: Liu Hong, Yang Jiayu, Qieyang Shenije, Ma Zhenxia, Lu Xiuzhi and Wang Yingliu.
Immediately after or 2km, however, Yang Jiayu decides that it is his day and goes to the head by warming up the other us about 10 meters.
Liu Hong and Qieyang Shenije react and soon the six athletes are back together.
After a few breaths, Yang Jiayu starts again to set the pace with an 8-second lead.
- at 5km
Yang Jiayu in 20:54
Liu Hong and Qieyang Shenjie and the others in 21:03
- at 10km
Previously around 7km Ma Zhenxia and Wang Yingliu had detached, while at 8km the local idol Lu Xiuzhi had detached
Yang Jiayu's passing takes place in 41:52 (with the second 5km covered in 20:58)
Liu Hong and Qieyang Shenjie in 42:01
Lu Xiuzhi in 42:10
- at 15km
Between 13km and 14km Yang Jiayu suffers a very slight crisis and Liu Hong and Qieyang Shenjie get close to about 15 meters, but immediately the London 2017 World Champion reacts.
Liu Hong seeks to catch but she fails and in the meantime Qieyang Shenjie also comes off
At three quarters of the race these are the split times
Yang Jiayu takes place in 1:02:44 (with the third 5km covered in 20:52)
Liu Hong is second in 1:02:56 (with the third 5km covered in 21:04)
Qieyang Shenjie is third in 1:03:14 (with third 5km covered in 21:13)
- the last 5km
The race is now decided.
Liu Hong always walks with a smile on his face and seems to accept defeat.
Qieyang Shenjie, with perhaps the best race walk of the first three, thinks of qualifying for Tokyo which until two nights ago she was still far from certain due to an allergy that had swollen her face and produced some lines of fever.
But in Yang Jiayu's head there is the pleasent smell of the world record, that of Liu Hong in La Coruna in 2015.
She looks wildly at her watch at every step and realizes that there is a good chance of getting it.
Only an intervention of the jury will be able to deny him, but today it will not be so.
The last laps are a Rossinian crescendo
- 16km: 1:06:56
- 17km: 1:11:05
- 18km: 1:15:20
- 19km: 1:19:36
- 20km: 1:23:39 new world record
Liu Hong also smiles again, because she achieved her personal best by beating her own world record, finishing in 1:24:27
Qieyang Shenjie also smiles at the new personal best of 1:24:45 (previous of 1:25:16 obtained the distant 11.8.2012 at the Olympic Games in London).
We stop here.
Perhaps today we will understand even more than in recent weeks, how the center of gravity of the world march has shifted to the Far East.
Three women in one race under 1:25:00 is not an everyday thing. If they are from the same country then the music is a Rossinian crescendo.
Other events
10km U20 men
The U20 category winter championship was won by Li Xingfu from Yunnan with a time of 39:28 (19:36 + 19:52)
10km U20 women
Victory for Jiang Jinyan of Jiangsu gold in 43:20
After a partial in the middle of the race of 21:59 the Jiangsu junior was capable of an excellent negative split with the second part of the race in 21:21