Liu clinches first gold for China at worlds
Print Edition
WITH China’s first gold of the world championships virtually assured, the only thing for teammates Liu Hong and Lu Xiuzhi to decide was who should win it.
Liu and Lu entered the iconic Bird’s Nest stadium side by side at the end of the women’s 20-kilometer walk yesterday and chatted about how to finish — a duel down the final stretch?
“I think both of us would like to have the gold. We talked about whether we would have a fierce ending, then my little sister said, ‘Let’s just enter the stadium like this (side by side),’” Liu said, using a term of endearment to describe her teammate. “So not a very fierce ending.”
In the end, experience trumped youth as the veteran Liu, competing in her fourth world championships, outstepped Lu, a 21-year-old competing in her first, to win the gold in 1 hour, 27 minutes, 45 seconds. Lu took the silver, about a stride behind and with the same time.
Lyudmyla Olyanovska of Ukraine won the bronze medal, 28 seconds behind the Chinese walkers.
For the 28-year-old Liu, who set the world record in the event in June, the victory finally gave her a gold medal after winning a silver and two bronze in the previous three world championships, each time finishing behind Russian competitors.
Russia pulled its race-walking team from the world championships amid a doping scandal surrounding former coach Viktor Chegin. More than 20 of Chegin’s walkers have been banned for doping in recent years, with four Olympic gold medalists sanctioned since last year alone.
With the Russians not in Beijing, China was the heavy favorite to win the gold with Liu and Lu, the former Asian record holder, in the field.
“A lot of pressure today,” Liu said. “I shouldered this responsibility and this mission — and put a lot of pressure on myself — because I broke the world record this year.”
Lu appeared to let up slightly down the final stretch, prompting questions about whether she had deferred to her teammate. Lu smiled and said she was perfectly happy with second place.
“It’s my first time in the world championships, so I’m glad to have this silver,” she said. “I’m very happy and excited.”
Also, home favorite Zhang Guowei sailed into the high jump final yesterday with a confident clearance of 2.31 meters. Zhang, the world No. 2, cleared four jumps at the first attempt and then the automatic qualifying height for Sunday’s final to finish joint-top with Canadian Derek Drouin on the seventh morning of action in China.
Olympic champion Aries Merritt claimed an extraordinary bronze medal days before he undergoes a kidney transplant as Russian Sergey Shubenkov stormed to the world 110 meters hurdles title. Shubenkov was left dumbfounded after flying over the hurdles to take a clear lead off the final barrier and crossing the line for his first global championship gold in 12.98 seconds.
“I can’t describe what I’m feeling,” the 24-year-old said after breaking the Russian record. “I don’t remember anything about the race. I heard the starting gun and then I opened my eyes and it was finished. I wondered whether it was really happening, whether I might wake up. This is the best day of my life.”
Hansle Parchment of Jamaica was second in 13.03 with world record holder Merritt third in 13.04 seconds, his best run of the year. American Merritt, who was told he would never run again after being diagnosed with kidney disease in 2013, will receive the new organ from his sister in Arizona next week.
Dafne Schippers ran the fourth-fastest time in history to win the 200 and completed an incredible switch from heptathlete to sprinter. Her victory denied Jamaica its fourth gold medal in the two fastest races on the track. “When I looked and saw the time,” Schippers said, “I thought the clock was broken.”
Ashton Eaton excelled just as much in the decathlon as he returned following a two-year absence. In the last event of a superlative first day, he finished the 400 in 45.00 seconds, slashing .68 seconds off the world decathlon mark he shared with 1968 Olympic champion Bill Toomey.
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