China's young stars set down marker at Asia meet
Source: AFP |
July 9, 2013, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
CHINA'S young athletics brigade showed it was ready for higher honors after dominating the medals tally at the Asian track and field championships which ended in Pune, western India, on Sunday.
China's team of the future finished the continental meet with 16 gold medals from the 42 events contested, way ahead of the five golds won by second-placed Bahrain and four each by Japan and Saudi Arabia.
Su Bingtian, who retained his 100 meters title beating Asian record-holder Samuel Francis of Qatar, turns 24 next month. The fastest woman sprinter, Wei Yongli, is 21.
Wang Jianan, who won the men's long jump, is not even 17 years of age. Compatriots Li Ling and Li Lingwei, winners of the women's pole vault and javelin events with new meet records, are both aged 24.
Gold medalists at the Asian meet earn a direct entry to next month's world championships in Moscow, but Chinese head coach Feng Shuyong insisted the idea to bring juniors to Pune was to help them gain experience.
"Most of our top athletes have already qualified for the world championships and are busy preparing for them," Feng said. "This was a good chance to have our youngsters compete against the best in Asia."
On Sunday, Belayneh Betlhem Desalegn of the United Arab Emirates clinched a double when she added the 5,000 gold medal to the 1,500 title she won last Friday.
Japanese athletes were unstoppable in the 400 hurdles as Yashuhiro Fueki won the men's event and Satomi Kubokura coasted home in the women's final.
Xie Zhenye of China took the men's 200 in 20.87 seconds.
China's team of the future finished the continental meet with 16 gold medals from the 42 events contested, way ahead of the five golds won by second-placed Bahrain and four each by Japan and Saudi Arabia.
Su Bingtian, who retained his 100 meters title beating Asian record-holder Samuel Francis of Qatar, turns 24 next month. The fastest woman sprinter, Wei Yongli, is 21.
Wang Jianan, who won the men's long jump, is not even 17 years of age. Compatriots Li Ling and Li Lingwei, winners of the women's pole vault and javelin events with new meet records, are both aged 24.
Gold medalists at the Asian meet earn a direct entry to next month's world championships in Moscow, but Chinese head coach Feng Shuyong insisted the idea to bring juniors to Pune was to help them gain experience.
"Most of our top athletes have already qualified for the world championships and are busy preparing for them," Feng said. "This was a good chance to have our youngsters compete against the best in Asia."
On Sunday, Belayneh Betlhem Desalegn of the United Arab Emirates clinched a double when she added the 5,000 gold medal to the 1,500 title she won last Friday.
Japanese athletes were unstoppable in the 400 hurdles as Yashuhiro Fueki won the men's event and Satomi Kubokura coasted home in the women's final.
Xie Zhenye of China took the men's 200 in 20.87 seconds.
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