China's Xue Fei wins the women's 5000m at the Asian Games (© Getty Images)
The cool weather continued on third day of the 6th City Games in Wuhan, China (31 Oct). With temperature at 13-14C, distance running had good conditions and women took advantage of the weather.
This year’s edition of the City Games, the most important junior competition in China, has special importance because it should indicate Chinese prospects ahead of IAAF World Junior Championships in Athletics, Bydgoszcz, Poland (8-13 July 2008), even though some of the athletes on show in Wuhan will not be eligible given that those born 1987 to 1991 can compete whereas the qualification age for the global meet in 2008 covers the years 1989 to 1992.**
World junior champion in form
The women's 5000m final was as good as the heats suggested. The fast times from the heats where plenty of runners set personal bests, were bettered by half a minute and several runners entered the elite level of distance running.
Although the pace from the start was quite fast, the top five runners stayed together until the last lap and in the end the winner was no surprise. 18-year-old 2006 World Junior champion Xue Fei grabbed another title finishing in a fast 15:02.73 personal best, the best for a Chinese junior since Xing Huina's 14:56.15 in 2001.
Xue, who chopped an impressive 18 seconds off her 2006 PB, is the reigning World Junior champion and is eligible to defend her title in Bydgoszcz 2007, but she could be ready to fight for the top places in the Beijing Olympics as well. As a fast finisher, she is made for major competition running, especially against those who are used to the Grand Prix style races with pacemakers.
In the best 5000m junior race ever, 17-year-old Xie Fang lost by just over a second setting a personal best 15:03.95 for the second place. In a race where first nine finishers were juniors and top six set personal bests, first five athletes ran times which would have been enough to easily sweep the medals at any of the World Junior Championships in history.
17-year-old Zhang Yingying, who was recently second at the Beijing marathon, was third in 15:06.08 and 1500m winner He Pan fourth in 15:08.03, and Bai Xue was fifth in 15:09.84.
The first four runners qualified for the Beijing Olympics as their times are under the A-standard 15:09.00 and first three are eligible to compete at the 2007 World Junior Championships. The only favourite to fail in the race was the Beijing marathon winner Chen Rong, who faded to 11th place in 16:36.24, more than 1.5 minutes behind the winner. All of the top runners of the 5000m excluding 1500m winner He Pan have also been entered for Friday's 10,000m race which promises to be a good race as well.
Marathon star beaten
A Beijing marathon star was in the spotlight in the men's 5000m final as well. However, Ren Longyun, who set a fast national record of 2:08:15 in Beijing just 10 days ago, had to surrender in the final sprint to steeplechaser Lin Xiangqian, who grabbed the title in a personal best and competition record of 13:42.55. Ren finished a few metres back in a personal best 13:44.81.
Lin will be looking for another win on Friday in the steeplechase race and Ren will have another go at a gold medal in the 10,000m for which he is the lone favourite on Thursday (1 Nov).
First double winner
17-year-old Li Yanmei became the first double winner of the Games adding the Triple Jump title to the long jump gold. Li Yanmei set a personal best of 13.93m to win ahead of Liu Yanan's 13.80m result which was enough for the second place. Li will surely look for a place on the Chinese junior team in Bydgoszcz after this performance.
Yu Zipei was the winner of the men's 400m Hurdles in 50.80 seconds and 2006 World Junior Championships silver medallist Yang Yansheng easily took the Pole Vault title with a 5.25m clearance. Xin Jia won the men's Discus Throw with a 55.39m toss and favourite Song Lijuan took the Heptathlon title with 5249 points being the lone athlete to exceed 5000 points limit this time.
Mirko Jalava for the IAAF
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**NOTE: Any athlete under the age of 20 years but of at least 16 years of age on 31 December 2008 (that covers the year's 1989-1992) may compete in IAAF World Junior Championships in Athletics Bydgoszcz, Poland (8-13 July 2008).
