Shi Dongpeng (l) with Liu Xiang (r) - after their 7th and 3rd place finishes in the 2003 World Champs 110mH Final (© Getty Images)
The crowd in Shijiazhuang, in the men's Chinese National Championships, got more than they expected with the men's 110m Hurdles final late on Monday night (20). Most of the people watching the meeting were just waiting to see the Olympic champion, but in fact they saw a tight race for the top podium.
Shi Dongpeng’s star begins to rise once more
Liu Xiang has not lost to Chinese opposition for over four years, but this time 21-year-old Shi Dongpeng was competing in his home town, and challenged him all the way. The Olympic Champion held on to win the race in windless conditions clocking 13.21, against Shi Dongpeng’s personal best of 13.29.
On April 22, 2001, 17-year-old Liu Xiang suffered his last loss in China to Chen Yanhao in another tight race 13.67-13.70. Chen ended his career finishing in the second place of the National Games during the same year, but there was another young runner coming forward to give Liu Xiang some competition. Shi Dongpeng, who finished third in 13.75 in that same close April 2001 race where Liu last lost, later recorded a still standing world youth best of 13.43 (May 2001), but his progression has not followed that of Liu Xiang's since.
Shi Dongpeng, made immediate impact in his first national race in Shijiazhuang in April 2000, as then the totally unknown 16-year-old in the heats set a personal best of 14.10s. However, in 2002 he could not better his personal best though he still clocked a fast time for a junior, 13.50. In 2003 he finally broke his 2,5-year-old PB winning the National Championships in 13.40, and of course was 7th in the World Championships in Paris, but last season he went down to a season's best of 13.50 again. 2005 looks to be much brighter as he already tied his PB 13.40 in May, and now ran 13.29 behind Liu to take the 9th position in the 2005 world list.
Qi Haifeng wins the Decathlon
21-year-old Qi Haifeng, who was fourth in Götzis Decathlon with a national record of 8290 points, took it easy in Shijiazhuang. Just going for the win, Qi Haifeng won the event with a total score of 7910 points, but was leading only by 40 points before the last event. Hong Qingyang, who recorded a personal best of 7771 points for second place, fell more behind during the last event, 1500m, but was still surprisingly close to the best Chinese Decathlete of all-time. 19-year-old Yu Bin set another personal best of 7561 for third place.
National Record holder loses in Pole Vault
Liu Feiliang, who took the national record from Zhang Hongwei in Eugene earlier this month with a 5.70m performance, had to settle for second place here with Zhang getting the title. Both vaulters ended the competition with same results, 5.30m. Gu Ming won the 1500m final in his season's best time of 3:46.92 and Li Runrun, who set a personal best in the qualification a day earlier, 7.87m, took the men's Long Jump with a modest result of 7.85m.
Favourite Wang Liangyu did not surrender in the men's 400m easing to a 46.47 win, Wang Xiaoxu took the second place and Li Yipeng was third with both timed at 46.66s.
Last day to go
The men's championships will conclude on Tuesday, a day which is packed with finals. The Women's championships will be held 24-26 June in Changsha.
Mirko Jalava for the IAAF
Results
400m:
Wang Liangyu 46.47; 2 Wang Xiaoxu 46.66; 3 Li Yipeng 46.66.
1500m:
Gu Ming 3:46.92; 2 Shi Linzhong 3:47.98; 3 Tang Baojun 3:48.23.
110m Hurdles (0.0):
Liu Xiang 13.21; 2 Shi Dongpeng 13.29; 3 Xing Yanan 13.85; 4 Wang Hui 13.88.
Pole Vault:
Zhang Hongwei 5.30; 2 Liu Feiliang 5.30.
Long Jump:
Li Runrun 7.85/-0.5; 2 Yu Zhenwei (86) 7.81/0.0; 3 Zhang Xin 7.68/-0.4.
Discus Throw, qualification:
Wu Tao 59.59.
Decathlon:
Qi Haifeng 7910 (11.05/0.0 7.38/-0.2 13.73 1.97 49.26 14.62/1.4
45.46 4.40 61.66 4:44.51);
2 Hong Qingyang 7771 (10.93/0.0 7.25/0.5 14.18
1.91 50.59 15.03/0.8 44.14 4.70 64.58 5:01.70);
3 Yu Bin 7561 (11.04/0.0
7.15/-0.4 14.31 1.91 50.56 14.93/1.4 40.13 4.50 60.52 4:58.41).
