The ongoing Asian Games in Hangzhou saw four more Games records smashed on Sunday (1) and Monday (2) as Chinese athletes continued their gold medal harvest on home soil.
<h2>Yavi and Sable dominate steeplechase</h2>
World champion Winfred Mutile Yavi of Bahrain met barely no real threat in the women's 3000m steeplechase final on Monday. She comfortably retained her Asian Games title in 9:18.28, cutting more than 13 seconds off the previous Games record.
India&rsquo;s Parul Chaudhary also beat the previous record to take the silver in 9:27.63. The bronze went to Priti, also from India, in 9:43.32.
"I had a lot of pressure from people telling me, 'you're going to win',&rdquo; said Yavi. &ldquo;But anything can happen, so I was careful and focused on trying to break the Asian Games record.&rdquo;
It was the second gold medal for Yavi in two days as she also grabbed the 1500m gold on Sunday night in 4:11.65, winning by more than a second.
"It (winning two gold medals) means I&rsquo;m capable of shifting to different events,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t need to stay in the steeplechase for a long time. I can graduate slowly to different events. Maybe I&rsquo;ll do 5km or 10km road races, and in the future maybe even a marathon."
India&rsquo;s Avinash Mukund Sable clocked 8:19.50 to claim the men&rsquo;s steeplechase gold on Sunday, improving the previous Games record of 8:22.79 set in 2018 by Iran&rsquo;s Hossein Keyhani by more than three seconds.
The in-form Indian record-holder took pole position after just half a lap and confidently led the race at a relatively swift pace. He kept extending his lead, although slowed down a little bit in the last lap and started with his celebration on the home stretch.
&ldquo;I was focusing on beating my personal best, but on the last lap I thought I'd better go for the gold,&rdquo; said Sable. &ldquo;And then I saw that I broke the record; I'm very happy about that.&rdquo;
<h2>Games record for China&rsquo;s Feng and Li</h2>
In the women&rsquo;s discus, 2022 world champion Feng Bin sent her implement out to a winning mark of 67.93m in the opening round, smashing the Games record of 66.18m set back in 2010 by compatriot Li Yanfeng, also a former world champion.
Feng, who took world bronze in Budapest, went on to produce four more throws beyond 64 metres, each of which would be good enough to send her to the top of the podium.
China&rsquo;s Jiang Zhichao took the silver with a personal best of 61.04m, the third PB this year for the 18-year-old, and the best throw in the world by an U20 athlete this season. India&rsquo;s Seema Punia finished third with 58.62m.
&ldquo;For the entire 2023 season, my performance and technique have remained in a relatively good state,&rdquo; said Feng. &ldquo;I hope to continue this form in next year. This gold medal at the Asian Games holds significant meaning for me. It also lays the foundation for me to strive for better results in the Olympic Games in Paris. 70 metres would be my goal for next year.&rdquo;
Pole vaulter Li Ling has also set her eyes on the Olympics after winning her third Asian Games title in a row with a Games record of 4.63m, improving her own record by three centimetres.
She went on to take three attempts at 4.73m to challenge her own Asian record of 4.72m, but was unsuccessful eventually.
"Today my goal was not only to win the gold, I also hoped to set a PB," said Li. "Winning the gold medal is a great recognition of my training and preparation work for the year. I&rsquo;m very happy with that. But on the other hand, there are still some tiny regrets. I hope in Paris I can do better.&rdquo;
There was a rare case of a dead-heat in the men&rsquo;s 110m hurdles final. Japan&rsquo;s Shunya Takayama and Kuwait's Yaqoub Alyouha both clocked 13.41, and even their readings of photo finish were still tied at 0.409, so the duo shared the top of the podium while China's Xu Zhuoyi took the bronze in 13.50.
Elsewhere, the hosts maintained their gold-winning momentum. 2022 world champion Wang Jianan took the men&rsquo;s long jump gold at 8.22m. Lin Yuwei clocked a PB of 12.74 to win the women&rsquo;s 100m hurdles. Zheng Ninali, granddaughter of China&rsquo;s former women's high jump world record-holder Zheng Fengrong, grabbed the heptathlon gold with 6149, and 19-year-old Xiong Shiqi achieved a PB of 6.73m to win women&rsquo;s long jump gold.
Vincent Wu for World Athletics

The ongoing Asian Games in Hangzhou saw four more Games records smashed on Sunday and Monday

Four more Asian Games records fall in Hangzhou

At the finish, no matter their speed, the smiles were just the same. So too was the pain.
Because in the end, whether they ran the half marathon in one hour or three hours, whether they raced the mile in four minutes or 14, these were people of different cultures, varied backgrounds, who were all cut from the same cloth.
At the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23 on Sunday (1), thousands of runners from across the globe came together on the streets of the Latvian capital for a festival that united various strands of the running community.
It began with a mass 5km race at 10am and finished with a half marathon at 2:30pm, a race that saw the elites set off with thousands of others &ndash; each competitor circling the same course around the splendid capital before finishing alongside the River Daugava.
Of course, the weekend was about more than just the races, given the World Athletics Global Running Conference was held over the preceding two days, along with various events for kids on Saturday (30).
To stand at the finish of the concluding half marathon event on Sunday was to be met with a kaleidoscope of colour, as well as various illustrations of immense courage. The first woman home was Peres Jepchirchir, the Kenyan great claiming her third world half marathon title and looking just as dominant as ever. She had twice conquered the event when it was held as a standalone World Half Marathon Championship. What did she make of the new format?
&ldquo;I love it,&rdquo; she said, adding that she hoped to see a 10km added in future editions. &ldquo;We used to not have championships on the road, just for the half marathon, but now it&rsquo;s more special.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/651a6cc5fc424b66e7cdb0c8.jpg" alt="Peres Jepchirchir celebrates her world half marathon win in Riga" />
Peres Jepchirchir celebrates her world half marathon win in Riga (&copy; Adam Nurkiewicz)
</div>
Jepchirchir had to dig deep to take gold, kicking clear of teammate Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi down the home straight, but those far behind were all fighting their own battles, no matter their pace.
Otonye Iworima, a Nigerian who works with the Lagos City Marathon, had come to Riga for the Global Running Conference but with her duties there complete, she wasn&rsquo;t going to miss the chance to race the world&rsquo;s best.
&ldquo;I had to do a Sifan Hassan like 11 times with my calf &ndash; to stop and stretch,&rdquo; laughed Iworima, who finished in just over two hours. &ldquo;I fell down at 20km but this is the best half marathon, the most challenging, the best experience. I love the fact that ordinary people can compete with elite athletes. It&rsquo;s something no other sport has.&rdquo;
France&rsquo;s Jimmy Gressier, who had a storming run in the men&rsquo;s half marathon, clocking a PB of 59:46 to finish fifth, was also a fan of the format. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a good idea because all the athletes run together on the road, 1500m guys, 5K guys, marathon guys,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s beautiful.&rdquo;
His teammate, Thierry Bardon, wasn&rsquo;t quite as swift around the course. The 61-year-old from Bordeaux finished in just under two and a half hours, which he put down to doing &ldquo;no training&rdquo; and racking up 19km of walking while sightseeing in Riga the day before. But when he saw the event advertised a few months earlier, he knew he had to be part of it. &ldquo;Because it was the World Championship and to get this &ndash; the medal,&rdquo; he said.
Finishing just ahead of him was Christopher Alonso, a New Yorker who said the experience was &ldquo;pretty amazing,&rdquo; adding it was the &ldquo;first time but not the last time&rdquo; he&rsquo;d run at the championships.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/651ad9cfab326f48b8574519.jpg" alt="The start of the mass races in Riga" />
The start of the mass races in Riga (&copy; Marta Gorczynska)
</div>
From the Netherlands came a delighted trio of runners who raced and finished together &ndash; Wim, Nico and Ingrid, who organise the Venloop Half Marathon. &ldquo;We ran as one, suffered as one,&rdquo; said Ingrid. &ldquo;And we were not last!&rdquo;
They were followed home by Tony Phillips, who had travelled from South Derbyshire in the UK to run his 24th half marathon, having already completed 100 marathons. These days, the 76-year-old can &ldquo;only 10-minute miles&rdquo; so he was happy to dip inside two-and-a-half hours. &ldquo;It was tough,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But the music on the course was fantastic.&rdquo;
The reports were much the same from the speedier competitors.
&ldquo;The more you can bring the best runners from different events together to compete in head-to-head competition, it makes a better, more entertaining sport,&rdquo; said Morgan McDonald of Australia, who was seventh in the men&rsquo;s 5km in 13:26. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d like it to continue and to happen in a sustainable way. I don&rsquo;t want it to disappear; I want more and more people to do it.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/651ad65fab326f48b8574516.JPG" alt="The start of the men's 5km at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23" />
The start of the men's 5km at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23 (&copy; Adam Nurkiewicz)
</div>
His teammate Jess Hull, who finished fifth in the women&rsquo;s mile in 4:32.45, said it was a very different experience to major track championships. &ldquo;You get the feeling in the stadium of the crowd being right there with you but here, they can literally be in your face if they lean over the barrier &ndash; it takes it to a new level and was really cool,&rdquo; she said.
Hull&rsquo;s one wish was that the finish line for the mile had been the same as for the half marathon and 5km, so she could have watched other competitors, but others pointed out the benefits of two different courses.
&ldquo;I quite like the fact it&rsquo;s not all on the same course, it gives spectators something different to look at,&rdquo; said Callum Elson of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, who surprised many to take silver in the men&rsquo;s mile. &ldquo;The grand finish, to see that monument from 800m out, it gets you excited earlier than you normally would.&rdquo;
Elson edged former world record-holder Sam Prakel to second place, and the US athlete was another to herald the success of the championships. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m all for this event, it&rsquo;s amazing and it&rsquo;s great to include all age groups,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Running, for me, I hope it&rsquo;s a lifelong thing and maybe when I&rsquo;m older I&rsquo;ll come back to this and still get to compete, maybe not at this level, but to keep that going is such a healthy lifestyle.&rdquo;
The men&rsquo;s mile champion Hobbs Kessler &ndash; who netted $60,000 in prize money, inclusive of his world record bonus &ndash; said it was a &ldquo;great concept&rdquo; to bring track specialists and road specialists together. &ldquo;I hope over the coming years it gets more and more prestigious,&rdquo; he said.
Ethan Yan of Singapore was the final finisher in the men&rsquo;s elite mile, clocking 4:32.44 for 35th, but for him this was a trip well worth making. &ldquo;The atmosphere was electric, it was such a good experience,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I never raced the mile before on the road, only on the track, and this was an entirely different experience.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/651ad9f2ab326f48b857451c.jpg" alt="The women's half marathon in Riga" />
The women's half marathon in Riga (&copy; Marta Gorczynska)
</div>
His teammate Romaine Rui-Min Soh finished 29th in the women&rsquo;s mile and she was all smiles afterwards as she mingled with runners from various countries. &ldquo;Usually track is such a separate event from the road and to bring the shorter distances up to a mass level is a really good concept because now both ends of the spectrum meet together,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;People I see run on TV are with me, right in front of my eyes. I get to say hello to them, and that&rsquo;s such a great experience for me.&rdquo;
The next edition of the World Athletics Road Running Championships will take place in 2025 in San Diego, USA. &ldquo;I think America love their road miles and going there on the back of a first time like Latvia, who have really shown out today, will be great,&rdquo; said Hull. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s going to level up again.&rdquo;
It may be two years away, but Hull plans to be there, as does Beatrice Chebet, the Kenyan who capped a fine year with victory in the women&rsquo;s 5km in 14:35. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll come back again, to make history,&rdquo; she said.
Chebet, like the other winners, carved their own piece of history on the streets of Riga, becoming the first gold medallists at the inaugural championships which, if the weekend was anything to go by, now looks set to run and run.
As Morgan McDonald put it: &ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s what the sport should be.&rdquo;
Cathal Dennehy for World Athletics

World Athletics Road Running Championships

At the finish, no matter their speed, the smiles were just the same. So too was the pain.

Riga reflections – looking back on a superb inaugural championships, and hopes for what future editions could be

If there was any lingering doubt about who rules the half marathon world, Kenya firmly dispelled it at the&nbsp;World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23&nbsp;on Sunday (1), claiming a 1-2-3 in the men&rsquo;s race to add to their podium sweep in the women&rsquo;s event.&nbsp;
Sabastian Kimaru Sawe led them home, the 28-year-old utilising a powerful kick down the home straight to take gold in 59:10 ahead of compatriots Daniel Simiu Ebenyo (59:14) and Samwel Nyamai Mailu (59:19). Ethiopia&rsquo;s Jemal Yimer Mekonnen was edged off the podium into fourth (59:22), having made a bold bid to win gold, with France&rsquo;s Jimmy Gressier fifth in 59:46.&nbsp;
It was just the second time in 25 editions that a nation swept the men&rsquo;s world half marathon podium, the last one occurring in 1997 when Kenya&rsquo;s Moses Tanui, Paul Yego and Charles Tangus went 1-2-3.&nbsp;It meant Kenya claimed the team title for the 17th time, with a cumulative time for their top three of 2:57:43, well clear of Ethiopia (2:59:54). South Africa, led by Thabang Mosiako in sixth, took bronze in 3:01:17.&nbsp;
In a race of impressive depth, 97 competitors toed the line on a cool, sunny day in the Latvian capital without any one man looking a clear favourite. Whether it was the open nature of the race or the breezy conditions on the course, the opening 5km proved a cagey affair, with Kenya&rsquo;s Benard Kibet leading the field to a controlled split of 14:31. As Sawe later put it: &ldquo;slow&rdquo;.
Things began to heat up in the second 5km, covered in 14:04, with Sawe hitting 10km at the front of a pack of 15 athletes in 28:35. Things remained much the same after a 14:02 split brought them to 15km in 42:37, the leading pack then down to 13, with all the leading contenders in the mix.&nbsp;
Ebenyo was the first to lose patience and launch an attack, surging ahead shortly after 16km, with Yimer Mekonnen the only one man to go with him. But that was short-lived, with Ebenyo pouring on the pace as he raced through Riga&rsquo;s old town. He extended the lead to 50 metres at one point, covering the fourth 5km section in a vicious 13:33.&nbsp;
As he raced back towards the finish alongside the river, passing 20km in 56:10, Ebenyo had a four-second lead, but by then he was starting to pay for his efforts, as was Yimer Mekonnen, who faded to fourth.&nbsp;
Sawe was in hot pursuit of his teammate as they rounded the final turn into the home straight, and it was a few hundred metres from the finish when he drew alongside him. As he did, Ebenyo smiled and then motioned at his teammate in what looked like a request for him to ease down, perhaps so the Kenyan trio could cross the line together, though Sawe had eyes only for gold, offering his teammate a quick salute before kicking clear.&nbsp;
What had Ebenyo actually said to his teammate while being passed?&nbsp;&ldquo;I told him, &lsquo;don&rsquo;t worry, go!&rsquo;&rdquo;
<iframe src="https://players.brightcove.net/6415670005001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6338197225112" width="100%" height="475" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Sawe felt that despite the deficit he had to overcome, gold was always within reach. &ldquo;I always have confidence in the last kilometre,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;After approaching him, I saw he wasn&rsquo;t pushing much and I had enough strength and after that, I never stopped.&rdquo;
Ebenyo was content with his silver, saying:&nbsp;&ldquo;We pushed each other to a good result.&rdquo;
He had worried, when the wheels started to fall off in the closing kilometres, if he&rsquo;d win a medal of any colour. &ldquo;At around 18km I just said, &lsquo;let me get to the finish,&rsquo;&rdquo; he explained. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m happy with the silver. My career is coming along slowly.&rdquo;
Cathal Dennehy for World Athletics
&nbsp;
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 75%; border-color: #ffffff; border-style: solid; height: 110px;" border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="background-color: #fd5249; text-align: center; height: 22px;" colspan="3">MEN'S HALF MARATHON MEDALLISTS</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #e9c968; text-align: center; height: 22px;">🥇</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #e9c968; height: 22px;">Sabastian Sawe 🇰🇪 KEN</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #e9c968; height: 22px;">59:10</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #ced4d9; text-align: center; height: 22px;">🥈</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #ced4d9; height: 22px;">Daniel Simiu Ebenyo 🇰🇪 KEN</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #ced4d9; height: 22px;">59:14</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #bd895e; text-align: center; height: 22px;">🥉</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #bd895e; height: 22px;">Samwel Nyamai Mailu 🇰🇪 KEN</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #bd895e; height: 22px;">59:19</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="background-color: #34495e; text-align: left; height: 22px;" colspan="3">&nbsp;&nbsp;<a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://worldathletics.org/en/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/riga23/results/men/half-marathon/final/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full results</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

Sawe comes through in closing stages to lead Kenyan sweep

Sawe leads second Kenyan medal sweep in Riga with half marathon win

Kenya&rsquo;s Peres Jepchirchir underlined her status as one of the all-time greats by claiming a third world half marathon title at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23 on Sunday (1), the 30-year-old utilising her fearsome finishing speed to take gold in 1:07:25.
She was followed home by compatriot Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi in 1:07:26, with Catherine Reline Amanang&rsquo;ole completing a 1-2-3 for Kenya in 1:07:34.
&ldquo;I wanted to win three times and make history, and thank God I have made it,&rdquo; said Jepchirchir. &ldquo;It was my birthday this week and I told my husband I would work extra hard to get the win.&rdquo;
Jepchirchir led Kenya to a decisive victory in the team title, their first since 2016, when they also swept the medal positions. Their top three had a cumulative time of 3:22:25, with Ethiopia second with 3:27:55 and Great Britain and Northern Ireland claiming bronze with 3:29:15.
&ldquo;I am so happy for team Kenya,&rdquo; said Jepchirchir. &ldquo;I knew we would sweep this as a team because I trust my colleagues so much.&rdquo;
On a cool, sunny afternoon in the Latvian capital, Jepchirchir once again played a very patient game, the Olympic marathon champion and women-only half marathon world record holder content to let the pace remain steady through much of the race, knowing she possessed a gear no one else could live with when it counted most.
The early pace was relatively pedestrian, with a group of 22 hitting the 5km mark clustered together, led by Britain&rsquo;s Samantha Harrison in 16:25. But that pack began to whittle soon after, with a group of eight passing 10km in 32:19.
Jepchirchir, Chelimo Kipkemboi and Reline Amanang&rsquo;ole took turns at the front soon after, with British duo Harrison and Calli Thackery also putting in a shift in the breezy conditions. But in the third quarter, Harrison and Thackery began to lose contention while the Kenyans started to apply pressure up front, Amanang&rsquo;ole passing 15km in 48:33 and six athletes left in the battle for the podium positions.
That was soon down to five, with Ethiopia&rsquo;s Ftaw Zeray dropping away. Jepchirchir ran at the back of the pack as they approached 20km, marking her opponents&rsquo; every move. But as they ran through the old town and back towards the finish, alongside the River Daugava, Jepchirchir began to take closer order, with just one Ethiopian, Tsigie Gebreselama, sandwiched among the four Kenyans.
The 20km mark, reached in 1:04:20, was Jepchirchir&rsquo;s cue to make her first big effort, surging to the front and quickly checking the effect on her rivals, with only her compatriot Irine Jepchumba Kimais dropping away. But with Kipkemboi soon taking up the pace, the Kenyans swiftly had what they wanted &ndash; with Gebreselama dropping off the leading trio.
Leading into the wind in the final kilometre, Kipkemboi began to veer around the road, hoping for assistance from those behind, but by then it was every woman for themselves, Jepchirchir smartly sitting in her teammate&rsquo;s slipstream until she drew inside the final 400 metres, at which point she unleashed that renowned change of pace, surging to gold.
<iframe src="https://players.brightcove.net/6415670005001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6338197225112" width="100%" height="475" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
&ldquo;When I saw the tape, I started celebrating,&rdquo; said Jepchirchir, who admitted she couldn&rsquo;t sleep the night before as she was worried about the race. But with another global title in the bag, she has big plans for the year ahead.
&ldquo;Next month I&rsquo;m going to run the New York City Marathon,&rdquo; said Jepchirchir, who will then train her sights on retaining her Olympic marathon title. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s my prayer; I pray to God for good health to get that chance. I will try my best.&rdquo;
Silver medallist Chelimo Kipkemboi said: &ldquo;It was great to run with Peres today. I am always proud to run for Kenya. I was fourth at the World Championships on the track so to get a medal today is very special. It&rsquo;s very nice to see that I&rsquo;m progressing and next, I will race the Valencia Half Marathon.&rdquo;
Amanang&rsquo;ole was content with her bronze, saying: &ldquo;It was a very tough race but I&rsquo;m super excited because it is my first time running this event.&rdquo;
Cathal Dennehy for World Athletics
&nbsp;
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 75%; border-color: #ffffff; border-style: solid; height: 110px;" border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="background-color: #fd5249; text-align: center; height: 22px;" colspan="3">WOMEN'S HALF MARATHON MEDALLISTS</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #e9c968; text-align: center; height: 22px;">🥇</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #e9c968; height: 22px;">Peres Jepchirchir 🇰🇪 KEN</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #e9c968; height: 22px;">1:07:25</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #ced4d9; text-align: center; height: 22px;">🥈</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #ced4d9; height: 22px;">Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi 🇰🇪 KEN</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #ced4d9; height: 22px;">1:07:26</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #bd895e; text-align: center; height: 22px;">🥉</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #bd895e; height: 22px;">Catherine Reline Amanang'ole 🇰🇪 KEN</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #bd895e; height: 22px;">1:07:34</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="background-color: #34495e; text-align: left; height: 22px;" colspan="3">&nbsp;&nbsp;<a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://worldathletics.org/en/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/riga23/results/women/half-marathon/final/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full results</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

Jepchirchir takes third global half marathon crown

Jepchirchir takes third global half marathon title in Riga

The men&rsquo;s mile lived up to its status as the most wide-open event of the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23 as USA&rsquo;s 20-year-old Hobbs Kessler took a surprising victory in a world record of 3:56.13*.
In a close and frantic finish with the first nine men placing within two seconds of one another, Britain&rsquo;s Callum Elson took an equally surprising silver in a PB of 3:56.41, finishing just 0.02 ahead of former world record-holder Sam Prakel, who took bronze.
Kenya&rsquo;s world U20 mile record-holder Reynold Kipkorir Cheruiyot led during the early stages and reached the first turn before anyone else, but the teenager was soon caught by the rest of the field.
South Africa&rsquo;s Ryan Mphahlele and Kenya&rsquo;s Kyumbe Munguti then edged into the lead and passed the 1km marker in 2:29, but there were still about 20 runners in close contact, including Kessler, Elson and Prakel.
Mphahlele was first to reach the final turn and he continued to lead as the clock ticked over to 3:00, but more than a dozen men were still packed close behind, ready to strike. The South African eventually dropped into the pack as Kessler made a move on the side of the pack.
With about 20 seconds of running left, Munguti, Elson, Canada&rsquo;s Kieren Lumb and Eritrea&rsquo;s Yobiel Weldrufael were level with Kessler. But with the finish in sight, Kessler proved to have the better sprint finish as he broke the tape in 3:56.13.
Elson and Prakel, on either side of the lead pack, tried their best to catch the former high school phenomenon, but had to make do with silver (3:56.41) and bronze (3:56.43) respectively.
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/videos/playlist/latest-videos/6516b4533a10607034090886" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Watch Again &ndash; 5km and Road Mile</a>
<iframe src="https://players.brightcove.net/6415670005001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6338197225112" width="100%" height="475" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
"It's been a a really up and down year and I luckily got in really good shape at the end of the season," said Kessler. "The road mile is a very American event and we're quite experienced in them. I'm very proud of myself.&nbsp;
"Nick Willis texted me before it and said, 'draft as long as you can,' there was a big headwind in the last 800 metres, and about 150 metres out I struck for home, but immediately regretted it as I got hit with a big blast of wind. I didn't realise how close it was. I was waiting for them to run me down.&nbsp;
"I just bought a house two weeks ago so now I have some money for furniture, I guess."
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics
*Subject to the usual ratification procedure
&nbsp;
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 75%; border-color: #ffffff; border-style: solid; height: 110px;" border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="background-color: #fd5249; text-align: center; height: 22px;" colspan="3">MEN'S MILE MEDALLISTS</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #e9c968; text-align: center; height: 22px;">🥇</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #e9c968; height: 22px;">Hobbs Kessler 🇺🇸 USA</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #e9c968; height: 22px;">3:56.13 WR</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #ced4d9; text-align: center; height: 22px;">🥈</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #ced4d9; height: 22px;">Callum Elson 🇬🇧 GBR</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #ced4d9; height: 22px;">3:56.41 PB</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #bd895e; text-align: center; height: 22px;">🥉</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #bd895e; height: 22px;">Sam Prakel 🇺🇸 USA</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #bd895e; height: 22px;">3:56.43 PB</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="background-color: #34495e; text-align: left; height: 22px;" colspan="3">&nbsp;&nbsp;<a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://worldathletics.org/en/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/riga23/results/men/road-mile/final/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full results</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

Hobbs Kessler clocks world record of 3:56.13

Kessler takes surprise mile victory in Riga with world record of 3:56.13

Ethiopia&rsquo;s Diribe Welteji turned the tables on Kenya&rsquo;s Faith Kipyegon to win the inaugural women's world mile title in a world record of 4:20.98* at the&nbsp;World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23&nbsp;on Sunday (1).
Kicking away from Kipyegon &ndash; the multiple world champion and world record-holder on the track &ndash; as they passed the Freedom Monument in the closing stages of the race, world 1500m silver medallist Welteji didn&rsquo;t look back. The 21-year-old strode to her first senior title, eventually leading an Ethiopian top two as Freweyni Hailu passed Kipyegon in the closing stages and got the silver &ndash; 4:23.06 to 4:24.13.
Kipyegon claimed the world 1500m title ahead of Welteji in Budapest in August, the Kenyan star gaining another honour in a sensational season that has included world 1500m, mile and 5000m records on the track and a world 5000m title to go with that 1500m win in Hungary.
As she took to streets of the Latvian capital for her first ever road race, Kipyegon looked focused as she went straight to the front and the field quickly strung out behind her.
But she was joined by Welteji, Hailu and her Kenyan compatriot Nelly Chepchirchir, and it soon became clear that those four athletes would be battling for the three places on the podium, and victory was not a foregone conclusion.
Kipyegon and Welteji had opened up a gap on Hailu and Chepchirchir after a kilometre of running and were two seconds ahead at that point, passing the 1km mark in 2:41.00.
As they raced towards the finish line in Riga&rsquo;s old town, Kipyegon was looking a little less comfortable. Glancing over her shoulder, she couldn&rsquo;t hold off the well-judged attack from Welteji, who passed her as they ran by the central landmark.
Breaking the tape, Welteji won her first senior world title in 4:20.98, improving on the inaugural road mile record of 4:27.97 set by Nikki Hiltz in Des Moines in April.&nbsp;
Welteji adds this win to the world U20 800m title she won as a 16-year-old at her first ever international competition in Tampere in 2018, while she also claimed world U20 1500m silver in Nairobi in 2021 before getting her first senior world medal in Budapest behind Kipyegon.
World indoor 800m silver medallist Hailu followed her teammate over the finish line in Riga to secure the silver, while Kipyegon got the bronze. Chepchirchir finished fourth in 4:31.18 and Australia&rsquo;s Jess Hull was fifth in 4:32.45. Hull has competed in all three World Athletics Series events in 2023, claiming mixed relay bronze at the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst and finishing seventh in the 1500m final at the World Championships in Budapest.
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/videos/playlist/latest-videos/6516b4533a10607034090886" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Watch Again &ndash; 5km and Road Mile</a>
<iframe src="https://players.brightcove.net/6415670005001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6338197225112" width="100%" height="475" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
&ldquo;It was hard, the weather is not good for me,&rdquo; said Welteji. &ldquo;When I saw Faith in front, near the line, at that moment I decided to sprint. I could sense that she was tired, and I had it in my mind: 'I can beat her.'
&ldquo;I came here to win, to write history and to motivate the new generations of our athletes.&rdquo;
Hailu was also delighted with her performance. &ldquo;It is a big honour for me to be a part of this competition,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I am proud to have won a silver medal for Ethiopia.&rdquo;
At the end of a busy season, Kipyegon reflected: &ldquo;It was a very successful season, but unfortunately, I am a little bit tired today. It feels good to be part of these first World Road Running Championships, so I am glad I did it. This was my first road race, so I did well.&rdquo;
Jess Whittington for World Athletics
*Subject to the usual ratification procedure
&nbsp;
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 75%; border-color: #ffffff; border-style: solid; height: 110px;" border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="background-color: #fd5249; text-align: center; height: 22px; width: 100%;" colspan="3">WOMEN'S MILE MEDALLISTS</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #e9c968; text-align: center; height: 22px;">🥇</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #e9c968; height: 22px;">Diribe Welteji 🇪🇹 ETH</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #e9c968; height: 22px;">4:20.98 WR</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #ced4d9; text-align: center; height: 22px;">🥈</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #ced4d9; height: 22px;">Freweyni Hailu 🇪🇹 ETH</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #ced4d9; height: 22px;">4:23.06 PB</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #bd895e; text-align: center; height: 22px;">🥉</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #bd895e; height: 22px;">Faith Kipyegon 🇰🇪 KEN</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #bd895e; height: 22px;">4:24.13 PB</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="background-color: #34495e; text-align: left; height: 22px; width: 100%;" colspan="3">&nbsp;&nbsp;<a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://worldathletics.org/en/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/riga23/results/women/road-mile/final/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full results</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji turned the tables on Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon to win the inaugural women's world mile title in a world record of 4:20.98* at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23 on Sunday

Welteji breaks world mile record to pip Hailu and Kipyegon in Riga 

Ten years after winning the world U20 cross-country title, Ethiopia&rsquo;s Hagos Gebrhiwet earned his long-awaited first senior global title by winning the men&rsquo;s 5km at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23.
The 29-year-old crossed the line in 12:59 to lead an Ethiopian 1-2 finish from Yomif Kejelcha (13:02). Kenya&rsquo;s Nicholas Kipkorir earned his first global medal, taking bronze in 13:16.
Few were keen to make a move during the initial incline on Stone Bridge in the opening kilometre. South Africa&rsquo;s Maxime Chaumeton found himself the early leader of the large lead pack with Kejelcha tucked close behind.
The first kilometre was covered in 2:41, and after five minutes of running Kejelcha moved into the lead and started to push the pace, covering the second kilometre in 2:39. Kenya&rsquo;s Cornelius Kemboi was in second place at this stage with Gebrhiwet and Kipkorir close behind.
As the course headed over Vansu Bridge back towards Riga&rsquo;s old town, Kejelecha once again tried to ramp up the pace, the two-time world indoor champion bidding to win his first senior outdoor global crown. He reached 3km in 7:58, but had compatriot Gebrhiwet for company.
The Ethiopian duo stayed close together through the fourth kilometre, covered in 2:32, but roughly a minute later Gebrhiwet darted into the lead. Kejelcha tried to go with him, but once the finish line was in sight, there was no catching Gebrhiwet, who unleashed a superb finishing kick to charge through the finish in 12:59.
Kejelcha followed three seconds later, with Kipkorir crossing the line in 13:16. Eritrea&rsquo;s little-known Dawit Seare passed a fading Kemboi in the closing stages to finish fourth in a national record of 13:21, three seconds ahead of the Kenyan.
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/videos/playlist/latest-videos/6516b4533a10607034090886" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Watch Again &ndash; 5km and Road Mile</a>
<iframe src="https://players.brightcove.net/6415670005001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6338197225112" width="100%" height="475" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Gebrhiwet&rsquo;s victory capped a superb season for the 29-year-old. A decade ago, while still an U20 athlete, he took 5000m silver at the World Championships in Moscow, which he followed with 5000m bronze at the 2015 World Championships and 2016 World Championships.
He hadn&rsquo;t made a major championships podium since then, but he set a 5000m PB of 12:42.18 to win in Monaco earlier this year before going on to finish sixth over that distance in Budapest.
Here in Riga, though, it was once again his time to shine.
"Coming to this race, I was thinking about Budapest," said Gebrhiwet. "I was sick in Budapest and I could not perform well at the World Championships, so I am very proud of what I achieved right now. It is a historic moment for me and for my country to become the first road running world champion. One year ago, maybe I would not even think of running here but now, I am very glad I managed to come and take this victory.
"The biggest difference between Budapest and Riga is the weather," he added. "The conditions in Riga are very similar to ours in Ethiopia. In Budapest it was just too hot and I didn't feel well. It was a bit windy today, but the competition was of a very high level and the start was very fast. The home straight and the finish was very hard for me, but I am the world champion and that is the most important thing."
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics
&nbsp;
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 75%; border-color: #ffffff; border-style: solid; height: 110px;" border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="background-color: #fd5249; text-align: center; height: 22px;" colspan="3">MEN'S 5km MEDALLISTS</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #e9c968; text-align: center; height: 22px;">🥇</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #e9c968; height: 22px;">Hagos Gebrhiwet 🇪🇹 ETH</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #e9c968; height: 22px;">12:59 CR</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #ced4d9; text-align: center; height: 22px;">🥈</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #ced4d9; height: 22px;">Yomif Kejelcha 🇪🇹 ETH</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #ced4d9; height: 22px;">13:02</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #bd895e; text-align: center; height: 22px;">🥉</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #bd895e; height: 22px;">Nicholas Kipkorir 🇰🇪 KEN</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #bd895e; height: 22px;">13:16 SB</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="background-color: #34495e; text-align: left; height: 22px;" colspan="3">&nbsp;&nbsp;<a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://worldathletics.org/en/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/riga23/results/men/5-kilometres/final/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full results</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

Ethiopian wins in 12:59

Gebrhiwet takes long-awaited senior global title with 5km triumph in Riga

Kenya&rsquo;s Beatrice Chebet completed a 2023 world title double, claiming the first gold medal of the inaugural World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23 on Sunday (1).
On a bright and breezy morning, the 23-year-old &ndash; who won the world cross country title in Bathurst in February &ndash; led a Kenyan top two in the women's 5km, clocking 14:35 for a time just six seconds off the women-only world record.
Lilian Kasait Rengeruk, the 2017 world cross country bronze medallist, finished four seconds behind her Kenyan teammate to secure the silver medal, holding off Ethiopia&rsquo;s Ejgayehu Taye, the world record-holder for the women's 5km in a mixed race, by one second &ndash; 14:39 to 14:40.
In the first elite race action of the championships in the Latvian capital, Uganda&rsquo;s Joy Cheptoyek and Peruth Chemutai placed themselves either side of a lead breakaway pack early on, flanking Chebet and Rengeruk, with Taye and her compatriot Medina Eisa just behind them.
Rengeruk and Cheptoyek led a group of nine athletes through the 1km mark in 2:55, the start of the race including a slight incline into a bit of a headwind as athletes crossed the Daugava River for the first time.
Burundi's Francine Niyomukunzi and Olympic 3000m steeplechase champion Chemutai were unable to maintain the quick opening pace and were dropped by 2km, that point passed by a lead group of seven in 5:54. Taye was to the fore at that stage, followed by Chebet, Rengeruk, Cheptoyek, Italy&rsquo;s Nadia Battocletti, Eisa and USA&rsquo;s Weini Kelati.
The course then took athletes back over the river, with 3km reached in 8:53 &ndash; that seven-strong group still intact and all the podium places still to race for. As the group forged ahead, Kelati was dropped and Taye was at the front as 4km was reached in 11:47.
With the first world title of the day in sight, Taye kicked, but Chebet was right on her shoulder. As they ran back towards the river, ready to make a final left turn towards the finish line, the race was down to Taye, Chebet, Rengeruk and Eisa.
After they took that final corner, and with the finish line in view, it was Chebet's turn to kick &ndash; determined to complete a world podium treble this year. She did it in style, getting another gold after her win in Bathurst and her 5000m bronze medal win at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/videos/playlist/latest-videos/6516b4533a10607034090886" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Watch Again &ndash; 5km and Road Mile</a>
<iframe src="https://players.brightcove.net/6415670005001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6338197225112" width="100%" height="475" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
&ldquo;I had to be confident,&rdquo; said Chebet. &ldquo;It was not easy, but the last time I ran the 5000m in Oregon (at the Wanda Diamond League Final, where she finished second), I saw I could deliver and today I delivered. It was just an amazing race, something amazing.&rdquo;
Reflecting on her successful season, she added: &ldquo;Winning the World Cross Country, then running 14:05 for 5000m on the track, the third fastest time in history, then today, winning the 5km, it makes me so happy.&rdquo;
Following the medallists over the finish line was Eisa, who clocked 14:41, four seconds ahead of Battocletti, whose 14:45 improved the Italian record.
Cheptoyek was sixth in 14:50 and Kelati seventh in 15:10 &ndash; both marks also improving the respective national records. Britain&rsquo;s Verity Ockenden completed the top eight in a 15:18 PB.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics
&nbsp;
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 75%; border-color: #ffffff; border-style: solid; height: 110px;" border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="background-color: #fd5249; text-align: center; height: 22px;" colspan="3">WOMEN'S 5km MEDALLISTS</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #e9c968; text-align: center; height: 22px;">🥇</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #e9c968; height: 22px;">Beatrice Chebet 🇰🇪 KEN</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #e9c968; height: 22px;">14:35</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #ced4d9; text-align: center; height: 22px;">🥈</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #ced4d9; height: 22px;">Lilian Kasait Rengeruk 🇰🇪 KEN</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #ced4d9; height: 22px;">14:39</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #bd895e; text-align: center; height: 22px;">🥉</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #bd895e; height: 22px;">Ejgayehu Taye 🇪🇹 ETH</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #bd895e; height: 22px;">14:40</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="background-color: #34495e; text-align: left; height: 22px;" colspan="3">&nbsp;&nbsp;<a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://worldathletics.org/en/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/riga23/results/women/5-kilometres/final/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full results</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet completed a 2023 world title double, claiming the first gold medal of the inaugural World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23 on Sunday

Chebet wins world 5km title, claiming the first crown in Riga

Chinese athletes grabbed seven out of the 12 gold medals on offer during the opening two days of athletics action at the Asian Games in&nbsp;Hangzhou, while Ernest John Obiena from the Philippines improved the Games record by 20cm to take the spotlight in the men&rsquo;s pole vault.
Among China's winners were global medallists Gong Lijiao and&nbsp;Wang Zheng, plus Xie Zhenye, who claimed the men's 100m crown ahead of Thailand's Puripol Boonson, who equalled the world U18 best in the semifinals.
<h2 align="left">Games record for Obiena</h2>
In the men&rsquo;s pole vault on Saturday (30), the 27-year-old world silver medallist Obiena only needed three attempts to clinch the gold medal with a Games record of 5.75m. He went on to further improve it to 5.90m and then chose to attack his own Asian record of 6.00m, although his three brave attempts at 6.02m were in vain.
"I didn't want to stop at 5.90m. I'm excited to take this medal, put it on a shelf, but I would have liked to hit a record in front of an Asian crowd. That would have been amazing," he said. "Unfortunately, I didn't have it in me, but this is one of the biggest stadiums I've been in and one of the most amazing crowds. I felt so welcomed here.&rdquo;
China&rsquo;s Huang Bokai and Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s Hussain Asim Al-Hizam both cleared 5.65m as the silver went to Huang on countback.
The three athletes on the podium all train with the same coach, Vitaly Petrov.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re happy to be on this podium together,&rdquo; said Obiena. &ldquo;We do this every day. We compete and push each other to the very best.&rdquo;
<h2 align="left">Yang edges Ma in a thrilling last-kilometre duel</h2>
The women&rsquo;s 20km race walk staged alongside the Qiantang River in Hangzhou on Friday (29) morning saw a dramatic last-lap battle between Chinese duo Yang Jiayu, gold medallist at the 2017 World Championships, and Ma Zhenxia, winner of the 2022 World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships in Muscat.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/65188c09066255401bf99c86.jpg" alt="Ma Zhenxia, Nanako Fujii and Yang Jiayu in the 20km race walk in Hangzhou" />
Ma Zhenxia, Nanako Fujii and Yang Jiayu in the 20km race walk in Hangzhou (&copy; AFP / Getty Images)
</div>
The 27-year-old Yang, who set the world record of 1:23:49 two years ago in Huangshan, was slightly ahead of her teammate when they hit the bell. As they passed the last water station, Ma accidentally stepped on Yang&rsquo;s left foot, causing the latter&rsquo;s left heel to slip out of her shoe. After hesitation, Yang stopped to put the shoe back on, only to find Ma some 10 metres ahead when she stood up.
The determined Yang refused to throw in the towel. She kept pushing ahead and overtook Ma before the last turning point. And the 25-year-old Ma soon made her move, retaking the pole position with some 100 metres to go.
Then it was Yang&rsquo;s showtime as the defending champion overtook Ma once again ahead of the finish, hitting the line in 1:30:03.
Ma finished one second behind to take the silver and Japan&rsquo;s Nanako Fujii, who faded away from the three-woman leading group after 12km, finished third in 1:33:49.
&ldquo;When the shoe was stepped off my heel, I didn&rsquo;t want to stop at the first moment. But then I realised I could not walk like that for the home stretch. So, I had to stop to solve the problem,&rdquo; Yang said.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s really a tough race for me because of the hot weather and the humidity. And I am not in a very good physical condition as well. I decided to follow the others in the early part of the race and see what will happen in the last two kilometres. I am really happy to win the race.&rdquo;
In the men&rsquo;s 20km race, the hosts also managed to wrap up a one-two finish. National Games champion Zhang Jun pulled clear from teammate Wang Zhaozhao after 15km to seal the deal in 1:23:00.
Wang took the silver in 1:24:08, followed by Japan&rsquo;s Yutaro Murayama at 1:24:41.
<h2 align="left">Overwhelming victories for Gong and Wang</h2>
Olympic and two-time world champion Gong captured a convincing victory on Friday night to win the women&rsquo;s shot put gold. The 34-year-old Chinese star surpassed 19 metres from five of her six attempts, grabbing the victory with a 19.58m throw.
That is Gong&rsquo;s third straight gold medal from four outings at the Asian Games and also the 12th win in a row for Chinese female shot putters at the quadrennial multi-sport event.
The silver also went to China as Song Jiayuan, the Universiade champion in Chengdu last month, finished at 18.92m. India's Kiran Baliyan was third at 17.36m.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/65188ba7066255401bf99c83.jpg" alt="Gong Lijiao in action in Hangzhou" />
Gong Lijiao in action in Hangzhou (&copy; AFP / Getty Images)
</div>
Like Gong, hammer thrower Wang of China was also competing in her fourth Asian Games. And after three consecutive runner-up finishes, the 35-year-old finally stepped on the top of the podium in Hangzhou.
The Olympic silver medallist seemed to be struggling to find her rhythm in the opening three rounds as the unexpected rain made the throwing circle wet and slippery. She achieved a mark of 69.83m from the fourth round to take the lead and kept on to improve it before finishing with a winning mark of 71.53m.
&ldquo;Finally, I took the gold medal in my fourth Asian Games. It might be the heaviest medal I have ever taken in my life,&rdquo; said Wang, who burst into tears of joy in the mixed zone.
Her teammate Zhao Jie finished second at 69.44m and Kim Taehui of Korea hurled a personal best of 64.14m to finish third.
China also won three other gold medals as Xie clocked a wind-assisted 9.97 (2.4m/s) to win the men&rsquo;s 100m, Ge Manqi took the women&rsquo;s 100m title in 11.23 and Wang Qi snatched the men&rsquo;s hammer gold at 72.97m.&nbsp;
Xie won the men's 100m ahead of&nbsp;17-year-old Boonson of Thailand, who clocked a wind-aided 10.02 to secure the silver medal, while his PB of 10.06 in the semifinals&nbsp;equalled the world U18 best and broke the national record.
Elsewhere, Birhanu Balew and Violah Jepchumba achieved a 10,000m double for Bahrain, while their compatriot Kemi Adekoya claimed the women&rsquo;s 400m title. Asian record-holder Youssef Ahmed Masrahi won the men&rsquo;s 400m gold for Saudi Arabia.
Vincent Wu for World Athletics

Chinese athletes grabbed seven out of the 12 gold medals on offer during the opening two days of athletics action, while Ernest John Obiena improved the pole vault record by 20cm

Asian Games record for Obiena and seven gold medals for China after two days of action in Hangzhou

The second day of the Global Running Conference in Riga, held as part of the&nbsp;World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23, is available to view via a live stream.
After the conference kicked off on Friday with various road running workshops, the day two programme on Saturday (30) features a series of sessions on topics including the Kenyan running ecosystem and culture, elite race strategies, the&nbsp;Label Road Races programme and&nbsp;building elite athletes&rsquo; public profiles.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kC6mJVx9MFo?si=MqP_CerwGjybqlGg" width="100%" height="475" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<h2>Programme</h2>
(Timings in local time, EEST)
9:15 Welcome to Riga,&nbsp;Aigars Nords, CEO of the Organising Committee World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23
9:25 Opening remarks,&nbsp;Sebastian Coe, World Athletics President
9:40&nbsp;The Kenyan running ecosystem and culture, with&nbsp;Jackson Tuwei, President, Athletics Kenya
10:05&nbsp;Elite race strategies: how to build an elite race that matters to your stakeholders, with&nbsp;Tracy Sundlun, World Athletics Road Running Championships San Diego 25; Founder, Rock &lsquo;n&rsquo; Roll Marathon Series
10:30&nbsp;The road ahead: How ASICS Apps and the latest race technologies can help your race thrive, with&nbsp;Pierre Duvelleroy, Founder,&nbsp;Njuko.com&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
11:35 Panel discussion.&nbsp;What elite athletes need. Engineering the best conditions for top performance, with&nbsp;Federica Romano, Elite Race team Rome Marathon;&nbsp;Samantha Hanson, Hawi Management;&nbsp;Davor Savija, Ikaika Sports.&nbsp;Moderated by&nbsp;Chris Robb
12:05&nbsp;Insights in the Japanese pro running scene, with&nbsp;Tsuyoshi Ugachi, Konica Minolta Pro Running Team, and&nbsp;Takahiro Nishida, Elite Race Coordinator, Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon
14:00&nbsp;Road Races Integrity&nbsp;Programme, with&nbsp;Brett Clothier, Head of the Athletics&nbsp;Integrity Unit
14:25&nbsp;The new Regulations for Athletes&rsquo; Representatives, with&nbsp;Laurent Boquillet, Head of Global Development, World Athletics
14:50&nbsp;Improving road runners&rsquo; safety: action plan from the World Athletics Health and Science department, with&nbsp;Stephane Bermon MD, PhD, Director&nbsp;
15:20&nbsp;How to maximise social media and athlete influencers for event promotion, with&nbsp;Jonny Murch, CEO, Redtorch
16:15 Label Road Races programme updates, with&nbsp;Alessio Punzi, Head of Running, World Athletics
16:30 Panel discussion.&nbsp;A global sport. Connecting elite and recreational runners in different running cultures across the world. With&nbsp;Jean-Pierre Ndacyayisenga, Kigali International Peace Marathon;&nbsp;Constantina Dita, Olympic marathon champion from Romania;&nbsp;Rut Jiroajvanichakorn, Bangsaen Race Series Thailand;&nbsp;Shoaib Nizami, Sport in Pakistan;&nbsp;Mario Peinado Garrido, Road Mile Guadalajara;&nbsp;Jose Adalberto Iriarte, Buenos Aires Marathon;&nbsp;Charlotte Melchert,&nbsp;Worldsmarathons.com. Moderated by&nbsp;Chris Robb
17:15 Successful strategies in building elite athletes&rsquo; public profiles. A conversation with&nbsp;Marleen Vink-Rennings,&nbsp;Marketing Manager at Global Sports Communication

The second day of the Global Running Conference in Riga, held as part of the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23, is available to view via a live stream

Live stream: Global Running Conference

Two days ahead of the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said that the Latvian capital will mark an important chapter for the sport on 1 October when it hosts the newest World Athletics Series event.
More than 300 of the world&rsquo;s best endurance runners &ndash; including Olympic gold medallists, world champions and world record-holders &ndash; will compete for global titles in the road mile, 5km and half marathon. Recreational runners from around the world, meanwhile, will be able to participate in the same distances on the same day.
The event will offer the first ever free global World Athletics live stream of a championships; fans across the world can watch the action live by <a style="color: #f48033; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/riga23/watch-riga-23?utm_source=Worldathleticsbanner&amp;utm_medium=Web&amp;utm_campaign=Riga-Livestream&amp;utm_content=Editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://worldathletics.us14.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3D3c4427c3b82ef23e5076f1ead%26id%3D2e492bbb32%26e%3D71a7ff184c&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1696071396879000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2RScejMk1cTTBN2GtwqNSG">signing up to Inside Track</a>. The road mile and 5km broadcasts will be open to all registered Inside Track users. Access to the live stream of the half marathon may be subject to broadcast rights restrictions in certain countries.
&ldquo;Riga, over the next few days, will make history,&rdquo; said Coe, speaking at the pre-championships press conference. &ldquo;We haven&rsquo;t had a new World Athletics Series event since the inaugural World Relays in 2014. We&rsquo;re bringing a unique running festival to the market and we&rsquo;re delighted that Riga is the host of these new championships. We have been working with a great members federation and an exceptional organising committee.
&ldquo;I see Riga as not just a global festival of running and outstanding suffusion of middle-distance and distance runners; it&rsquo;s an important way of democratising our sport. There are very few sports in the world where recreational participants can compete in the same event as world and Olympic champions.
&ldquo;This is a celebration of running at its best, across different distances,&rdquo; added Coe. &ldquo;From a personal perspective, I&rsquo;m delighted that we&rsquo;ve been able to formally enshrine the mile in a world championships, melding it with the 5km and half marathon. It&rsquo;s an important way of saying that, at every level, running is the most accessible and practised sport on the planet.&rdquo;
For Aigars Nords, head of the local organising committee, the event has secured Riga&rsquo;s place on the world road running map. The Latvian capital already welcomes runners for the Rimi Riga Marathon and Half Marathon, both World Athletics Label road races, and now many more stars in the sport will be taking to the city&rsquo;s streets, joined by mass event runners from more than 100 countries.
&ldquo;In 2021, when we were bidding for the World Athletics Road Running Championships here in Riga, we had this one secret goal &ndash; a long-term goal &ndash; in our minds and that was to put Riga on the world road running map,&rdquo; said Nords. &ldquo;Here we are, two and a half years later, on the eve of this unique championship.
&ldquo;This championship marks several historic firsts. It is a first World Athletics Series event that has ever happened in the Baltic countries, it is the first World Road Running Championships, and it is the first World Road Running Championships where the mass race runners can run together with the elite. I am very happy that Riga has been entrusted with this very significant task, to write a new page in road running &ndash; that is how we see it.&rdquo;
Jelena Prokopcuka, the Latvian great who twice won the New York City Marathon, said the championships were a &ldquo;great event for Latvia&rdquo; and that she was &ldquo;very happy to be a part of it&rdquo; as an event ambassador.
However, Prokopcuka will be no bystander on Sunday, the 47-year-old lacing up her shoes to compete in the half marathon alongside the masses. A bronze medallist at the 2002 World Half Marathon Championships, she knows this will be a far more relaxed effort as she tours the streets of the Latvian capital.
&ldquo;This race is a very big challenge for me, the last time I ran a half marathon was five years ago,&rdquo; she smiled. &ldquo;I will run with people who love running, who will participate in the championships for the first time. Each runner has their goals, and I&rsquo;d like to wish everyone to achieve their goals. Good luck on Sunday.&rdquo;
Peres Jepchirchir has lofty goals this weekend. The Olympic marathon champion from Kenya is looking to become just the fourth woman in history to win three world titles at the half marathon.
&ldquo;I know it won&rsquo;t be easy and the level of competition is very high, but I&rsquo;m going to try to do my best,&rdquo; said Jepchirchir, who won the world half marathon title in 2016 and 2020. &ldquo;Defending a title is never easy, but it&rsquo;s not hard if you&rsquo;ve trained well. I&rsquo;ve been focusing more on the marathon this year, but I&rsquo;m still going to try my best on Sunday.
&ldquo;Last year I was injured,&rdquo; added Jepchirchir, who returned to action in April with a third-place finish at the London Marathon in 2:18:38. &ldquo;But now I&rsquo;m completely healed and injury-free. I won the Great North Run a few weeks ago and I&rsquo;m looking ahead to the New York Marathon.&rdquo;
Australia&rsquo;s Jess Hull is among a select group of athletes who have competed at all three World Athletics Series events in 2023. Her year started with the World Athletics Cross Country Championships on home soil in Bathurst in February, it continued at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August and now it comes to a close on the roads of Riga, where she will race the mile.
&ldquo;As distance runners, we&rsquo;re lucky that we can be so versatile and we do have three opportunities to run at a global level across this season,&rdquo; explained the Oceanian record-holder, who claimed mixed relay bronze in Bathurst and finished seventh in the 1500m final in Budapest.
&ldquo;It has been an incredible season and if I can be just as consistent as I have been and tie a bow on what has been a great year, it&rsquo;s going to be really fun. Being part of the excitement of a brand new event has made it something to look forward to at the end of the calendar.&rdquo;
Riga also gives Hull the chance to race against Kenya&rsquo;s multiple world record-breaker Faith Kipyegon again, as she makes her road race debut. Hull ran a 1500m PB of 3:57.29 at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Florence in June, in a race that Kipyegon won in a world record of 3:49.11.
Of all the experiences she has had so far this year, that race is unsurprisingly one of Hull's highlights.
&ldquo;It was my PB, but being a part of the race when Faith broke the world record &ndash; and I think even surprised herself that night &ndash; was just incredible,&rdquo; she reflected. &ldquo;To be part of that field who celebrated her success and her journey to being the world record-holder &ndash; I don&rsquo;t think I&rsquo;ll ever forget that moment.&rdquo;
USA&rsquo;s Sam Prakel comes into the championships as a marked man after his time of 4:01.21 to win the US Road Mile Championships in Des Moines in April was recently ratified as the inaugural world record. The 28-year-old said the mantle of world record holder is &ldquo;an honour&rdquo;, adding: &ldquo;The mile is something I&rsquo;ve been racing since a very young age. Everyone knows it&rsquo;s not the fastest record, but it&rsquo;s a testament to my consistency and always showing up to every race.
Prakel will be proud to don the USA vest again having narrowly missed out on this year&rsquo;s World Athletics Championships in Budapest. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s the best track team in the world,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;When they announced this event last year, I knew it was something I wanted to do. I even scheduled my wedding for a week later so I could be here for this.&rdquo;
Prakel admitted the road is his favourite surface and Sunday&rsquo;s race will be his 17th road mile. He knows it presents a very different tactical challenge to the track. &ldquo;The strategy is a little different, mentally,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;In a road mile, you&rsquo;re having to go off feel. I&rsquo;m good at knowing my body and gauging my effort. Knowing the course is important. Every road mile I do, I study the course.&rdquo;

Highlights from the pre-event press conference

Coe: Riga set to make history with celebration of running at its best

World Athletics Heritage is delighted to honour the life and career of Juan Carlos Zabala, the 1932 Olympic marathon champion, with a World Athletics Heritage Plaque. Zabala, who at 20 years 301 days remains the youngest ever winner of an Olympic marathon, is the first Argentinian athlete to be recognised with the award.
The plaque was unveiled today at the &lsquo;Colonia Ricardo Gutierrez&rsquo; in Marcos Paz, 60km away&nbsp;from Buenos Aires, where the orphan Zabala spent his childhood.&nbsp;Among the distinguished&nbsp;guests assembled for the ceremony were members of Zabala's family, including his two daughters Magdalena and Ana Maria, and one of his grandsons.&nbsp;
The son of Delfo Cabrera, Argentinia's 1948 Olympic marathon champion who is also named Delfo, was also present. Both Zabala&rsquo;s and Cabrera&rsquo;s Olympic victories came on 7 August. Another very special guest at the ceremony was USA's Frank Shorter, the 1972 Olympic marathon gold and 1976 silver medallist.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6517bce2402737ba567917c0.jpg" alt="Guests gather to celebrate Juan Carlos Zabala" />
Guests gather to celebrate Juan Carlos Zabala
</div>
&ldquo;On behalf of Atletismo Sudamericano, I am proud to salute the memory of Juan Carlos Zabala, South America&rsquo;s first Olympic athletics gold medallist,&rdquo; commented the president of the area federation Helio Marinho Gesta de Melo. &ldquo;As his biography &ndash; &lsquo;Zabala, el campe&oacute;n excepcional&rsquo;, written by Rub&eacute;n Aguilera, Eduardo Biscayart and Luis Vinker, and published by the Argentine Athletics Confederation &ndash; recounts, the life of the 1932 Olympic marathon champion was a complex one.
&ldquo;Zabala was a precocious talent who, to this day, is the youngest ever Olympic gold medallist at the classic distance of 26.2 miles. He rebounded from the loss of his parents to win the ultimate glory of the Olympic laurels. Yet his life largely remains a mystery.
&ldquo;Zabala is without doubt a &lsquo;Legend&rsquo; and I am delighted that he has been honoured by the award of the World Athletics Heritage Plaque in that category,&rdquo; added De Melo.
"It represents a great pride for the Colonia Guti&eacute;rrez, and its history, to be the chosen place to receive the plaque from World Athletics that remembers the life and sports achievements of Juan Carlos Zabala, who in this land and in this track built his way to the maximum honour that any athlete could dream of: the Olympic gold medal,&rdquo; said Juan Torga, Director of Espacio 'Colonia Ricardo Guti&eacute;rrez'.
The <a href="https://worldathletics.org/heritage/plaque" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Athletics Heritage Plaque</a> is a location-based recognition, awarded for an outstanding contribution to the worldwide history and development of the sport of track and field athletics and of out-of-stadia athletics disciplines such as cross country, mountain, road, trail and ultra-running, and race walking.
Present at the unveiling today were Juan Scarpin, Director of Development of South American Athletics, Argentina, Daniel Sotto, President of the Argentine Confederation; Julian Peralta, President of the Buenos Aires Province Federation, and Daniel Diaz, Director of the Enard (National Entity of Sports High Performance).
Representing the Municipality of Marcos Paz were Ricardo Curutchet, Major, Maria Isabel Dominguez, Secretary of Human Development, Maria Eugenia Hernandez, Director of the Subsecretary of Sports Development, Juan Francisco Achucarro, Director of Competitive Sports, and Dario Gomez, Director of Social Sports.
Also attending were German Lauro, Manager of the Argentine Confederation, shot finalist at the 2012 Olympic Games, and 2013 &amp; 2015 World Athletics Championships, and Ruben Aguilera, journalist, and co-author of Zabala's biography.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6517bd14402737ba567917c3.jpg" alt="The Heritage Plaque which honours the life and career of Juan Carlos Zabala" />
The Heritage Plaque which honours the life and career of Juan Carlos Zabala
</div>
<h2>Juan Carlos Zabala &ndash; the champion without glory</h2>
Zabala reached the glory of winning the first Olympic gold medal in athletics for South America. His life was filled with difficulties, portraying a powerful story of achievements and resilience. Yet, it seems that he was never able to fully enjoy his ultimate running triumph which he attained on the roads of Los Angeles.
The early years of his life are part of a mystery that, even now, remain unsolved. The date of his birth has never been certified, as well as certain information about his parents, who died when he was an infant. The documents known cite 21 September 1911 as the date and Buenos Aires as the city. However, other versions mention 11 October 1911 (or even 1912) and Rosario as the city.
Zabala ended up at the &lsquo;Colonia Guti&eacute;rrez&rsquo; brought by the Buenos Aires Police on 16 January 1921, according to the historical records of the Colonia. By then he was an orphan without any family or guardian, very likely living in the streets of the Argentine capital. Later, in his adult life, Zabala used to claim that he lived off and on with his godfather, Doctor Agust&iacute;n Cabal, a public defender of minors. Doctor Cabal&rsquo;s name is mentioned in those documents, but they don&rsquo;t specify that he was his guardian or his godfather.
Sandra Jaca, who worked at the &lsquo;Colonia&rsquo; from 1991 to 2015, as a teacher, coordinator of activities and therapist, from her experiences at the &lsquo;Colonia&rsquo;, gave her theories about Zabala&rsquo;s mysterious early years. &ldquo;Sometimes children or young adults who have been in vulnerable situations develop the tendency to imagine situations, or fantasise about their own stories, as a way to protect themselves,&rdquo; she says. That could have been the reason for Zabala&rsquo;s projection of Doctor Cabal as his guardian.
<h2>Sterling&rsquo;s pupil</h2>
At the Colonia, Zabala benefitted from the change produced by the director in the early 1920s, Jos&eacute; Amatuzzo, who decided to turn the place into a more human institution. Amatuzzo decided to change the Colonia, which was initially created as reformatory into a source of hope, education, and professional skills.
Sports were part of that change. A 400m track was built in 1925 and a physical education teacher was brought to work with the children on that year. That man was Austrian Alexander Stirling, a former high jump and pole vault specialist.
Stirling became Zabala&rsquo;s first coach in those years and formed him as a runner, even though his athletics knowledge came from jumping events. Zabala went on to win the national titles at 3000m and 5000m in 1929 and 1930.
<h2>30,000m world record</h2>
In 1931, at his second South American Championships, he won the gold at 10,000m, setting a South American record of 31:19.0 in Buenos Aires. That performance and Zabala&rsquo;s progression made Stirling think that his pupil was ready for something larger. The Austrian projected a European tour at the second part of the year that ended up being a great success.
Zabala arrived in Europe in September and, quickly after settling in, competed in a 10,000m race in Berlin against the great Paavo Nurmi, who won the event in 31:19.1. Zabala finished third in 31:44.8.
On 10 October, Zabala showed why Stirling had decided to bring him to Europe, setting a world record for 30,000m in Vienna (1:42:30.4). Eighteen days later he competed in his first marathon in Kosiče, winning in 2:33:19, the best time in the world that year.
In 1932, Zabala improved the South American record at 5000m (14:55.4/5) on 30 April in Buenos Aires. A couple of days later, Stirling and Zabala travelled to the US to prepare for the Olympics. After the boat trip to New York, Zabala competed in races in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
In the Californian city, Zabala even took part of the Los Angeles Times Marathon, 43 days prior to the Olympic race. The event became a negative experience, as Zabala set off at a fast pace and eventually pulled out after mile 20, exhausted and with severe blisters on his feet.
<h2>A wild fight to the finish</h2>
His Olympic triumph happened on 8 August. He won the Olympic laurels after a great fight with Great Britain&rsquo;s Duncan Wright and Samuel Ferris, Finns Lauri Virtanen and Armas Toivonen, Japan&rsquo;s Seiichiro Tsuda and Onbay Kin, and Albert &lsquo;Whitey&rsquo; Michelsen from the US.
Los Angeles Times&rsquo; Braven Dyer&rsquo;s described the race well.
&ldquo;At the end of nineteen miles, Virtanen was leading the field by a good 300 yards. Toivonen was striding along and had a slight edge on Wright. (Seiichiro) Tsuda (Japan), (Samuel) Ferris (Great Britain) and (Albert &lsquo;Whitey&rsquo;) Michelsen (USA) followed about half a mile to the rear.
&ldquo;Wright suddenly went wild and forged into first place at the twenty-mile mark. Zabala, however, had kept his hold on second place by passing Virtanen, who was slowing up. Toivonen was third, with Virtanen fourth.
&ldquo;From the rear of the race came a flash of white. Press cars waited to see who it was. Americans hoped for Michelsen. But it was Ferris, the pink cheeked Britisher, burning up the pavement with strides that would have made Ben Eastman proud.
&ldquo;Tsuda, the valiant little Japanese, was tiring but held his position at sixth. He even had enough stuff remaining to pass up Virtanen. A few minutes later he took fifth.
&ldquo;As the boys turned north off Slauson on to Normandie, Zabala passed Wright. It looked as if the finish in the stadium would be a wow for all four leaders were within seventy-five yards of each other &ndash; Toivonen was third with Ferris coming fast in fourth.
&ldquo;Tsuda was a good fifth with Kin and Michelsen battling for sixth. (Onbay) Kin, Korean boy competing for Japan, was running well, and appeared to have an edge on &lsquo;Whitey&rsquo;.
&ldquo;The last two miles into the stadium was a wild fight. Zabala fought to hold his lead, while the other three called upon every muscle to hold the terrific pace and even pass Juan. However, the Argentine held his place all the way and even added a few yards.&rdquo;
Zabala won in an Olympic record of 2:31:36, ahead of Ferris (2:31:55) and Toivonen (2:32:12), becoming the youngest man ever to win the distance at the Games at 20 years and 301 days of age.
<h2>A second world record</h2>
Upon his return to Argentina, Zabala became the centre of controversy. He was suspended in 1933. After completing the punishment, he competed briefly in 1933-4 in the US and Brazil. Then he was also suspended in 1934, only coming back to competition in 1935 after travelling to Germany. In 1933 he also split from Stirling.
Zabala seemed to regain his form in 1936, coached in Germany by Arthur Lambert. On 19 April, at Heinrich Zisch Stadion in Munich, Zabala captured his second world record, this time at 20,000m with 1:04:00.2, erasing the previous mark of 1:04.29.0 set by Nurmi in Stockholm six years prior.
On 21 May Zabala bettered the South American 10,000m mark in Stuttgart with 30:56.2. With his confidence restored, Zabala headed to the Olympic Games in Berlin with ambition.
He finished a distant sixth in the 10,000m (31:22.0) on 2 August, and a week later he started the marathon. But another quick pace (1:11:19 at the half) left Zabala in poor condition for the second half of the race and he withdrew after 31km when he was no longer the leader. Japan&rsquo;s Kitei Son won in an Olympic record of 2:29:12.9.
Zabala retired soon after Berlin, and in the early 1940s he married Magdalena Lafrancone (1913-1996). The couple had three children: Juan Carlos (born in 1943), Ana Mar&iacute;a (born in 1947) and Magdalena (born in 1952).
In 1948, also on 8 August, fellow Argentine Delfo Cabrera won the Olympic marathon at the London Games, following Zabala&rsquo;s feat. In 1952 another Argentine, Reinaldo Gorno, was second in the Olympic marathon in Helsinki, coached by Alexander Stirling. Along with the 1924 triple jump silver of Luis Brunetto, Noem&iacute; Simonetto&rsquo;s silver in the long jump in 1948, they are the only Olympic medals in athletics won by Argentinians.
Despite all that he achieved, Zabala never quite gained the recognition he truly deserved, especially after overcoming so many obstacles.
He died at the San Isidro Hospital on the morning of 24 January 1983, five months after the celebration of the 50th anniversary of his victory in Los Angeles. Reports from friends say that he had fallen from a ladder white trying to trim a tree.
Sandra Jaca reflected: &ldquo;Zabala&rsquo;s legacy remains a strong portrait of achievement, with worldwide recognition. His story is an example of how someone could, with desire and good guidance, reach great goals and find moments of deep happiness, despite coming from a difficult youth. Zabala represents a great example, without forgetting Stirling, the person who formed him.&rdquo;
Eduardo Biscayart for World Athletics
 In collaboration with Rub&eacute;n Aguilera (Argentina), Olaf Brockmann (Austria), Richard Hymans (UK), Sandra Jaca (Argentina), Glen McMiken (USA), Bosse Nilsson (Sweden), Jos&eacute; Carlos Oru&eacute; (Argentina), N&eacute;stor Saavedra (Argentina), Dr. C&eacute;sar R. Torres (USA/Argentina), Luis Vinker (Argentina).
Sources: Los Angeles Times 1932-33, XI Olympic Games, Berlin, 1936: Official Report, v.2, South American Track &amp; Field Handbook &ndash; Max Heilrath, Winfried Kramer, Luigi Mengoni (1978), Progression of IAAF World Records, 2015 Edition &ndash; Richard Hymans, Imre Matrahaz, ATFS World Lists - Richard Hymans, Evoluci&oacute;n de los R&eacute;cords Argentinos &ndash; Samuel Engel, &lsquo;Der Leichathlet&rsquo; Magazine, 1936, The Chicago Tribune, 1932-33, The New York Times, 1932-33, La Naci&oacute;n 1928-1983, La Prensa 1928-1983, Caras y Caretas, El Gr&aacute;fico, Neues Wiener Tagblatt.
The book (in Spanish) &lsquo;Zabala, el campe&oacute;n excepcional&rsquo;, written by Rub&eacute;n Aguilera, Eduardo Biscayart and Luis Vinker, published by the Argentine Athletics Confederation, was released in September 2022. It can be purchased by contacting Eduardo Biscayart at: <a href="mailto:Eduardo.g.biscayart@gmail.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eduardo.g.biscayart@gmail.com</a> and can be downloaded at: <a href="https://biblioteca.atletismosudamericano.org/producto/zabala-excepcional/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">biblioteca.atletismosudamericano.org/producto/zabala-excepcional/</a>

Honouring the life and career of 1932 Olympic marathon champion Juan Carlos Zabala