China's Xue Fei wins the women's 5000m at the Asian Games (© Getty Images)
In the last of three national indoor meets in China in Beijing 26-27 February the best result was achieved by 18-year-old Li Ling, who only missed the Asian indoor record by 1cm and made a big improvement by clearing 4.45m in Beijing on Tuesday.
Li, who jumped 4.30m outdoors last year added 25cm to the indoor best. In the absence of stars including Liu Xiang there were only a handful of world class results in this meeting.
Li Ling, fourth at the 2007 World Championships women’s shot put in Osaka, started her season with a 18.77m indoor best and will be looking to get to the medal podium at the World Indoor Championships in Valencia. 19-year-old Liu Xiangrong also bettered her indoor best with 18.52m for the second place, her first 18m throw indoors.
In the women’s triple jump Xie Limei, 8th in Osaka, reached her indoor best with a 14.30m winning mark. 18-year-old Zheng Xingjuan, who will also compete in Valencia, won the high jump with a season’s best 1.91m clearance only missing the Asian junior indoor record by one centimetre. Zheng jumped 1.92m in March 2007.
Top Chinese distance runner, 2006 World Junior Champion and Asian Games winner Xue Fei was in action winning the 1500m in 4:16.45, a personal best. 18-year-old Xue has a best of 15:02.73 over 5000m in 2007 and has already been chosen to the Chinese Olympic team.
Another junior, 18-year-old Jiang Lan, was a double winner over 60/200m winning the shorter distance in 7.38 and setting a personal best at 200m with a 24.05 result.
Olympic 100m hopeful Hu Kai returned to top level after injuries winning the 60m final race one in a 6.65 season’s best. Hu has run 6.61 in 2006. Zhang Peimeng was the surprise winner of race two in 6.69 before Wen Yongyi, who could only manage 6.71 this time following his 6.58 national indoor record in January.
In the men’s 60m hurdles Shi Dongpeng started his season with a 7.81 heat win, but did not start the final. Shi, who was fifth in Osaka 110m hurdles final, will compete in Valencia with Liu Xiang.
In the high jump Wang Chen, who had his 18th birthday on Wednesday, won his event on Tuesday with a 2.20m result still being only 17 years old. Wang is the 2007 World Youth Champion from Ostrava.
In the men’s triple jump Li Yanxi won with a decent 16.72m result, but Zhong Minwei, who jumped 17.27m last season and has been chosen to the Olympic team, could only manage 15.27m and 21st place in the competition.
Mirko Jalava for the IAAF
