Fang Yaoqing in the triple jump at the Asian Indoor Championships (© Peh Siong San / Asian Athletics Association)
There were surprises galore on the first two days of the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, as the medal distribution spread out to as many countries as possible in the 13 titles decided so far.
World and Olympic finalist Fang Yaoqing smashed the championship record in the men’s triple jump, sailing out to an outright lifetime best of 17.20m in round two. The 26-year-old from China retired after the third round, confident that he had done enough to win. India’s Praveen Chithravel was the eventual runner-up with 16.98m.
Hosts Kazakhstan won their first title at the ongoing championships through distance runner Caroline Kipkirui. The 28-year-old, who finished seventh over 5000m and 10,000m at least year’s World Championships, overcame the challenge from China’s He Wuga to win the women’s 3000m in 9:01.98. World steeplechase champion Norah Jeruto finished off the pace back in seventh place.
Perhaps one of the biggest surprises of the championships so far came from Bangladeshi sprinter Imranur Rahman. The world indoor semifinalist outclassed the likes of Femi Ogunode to win the men’s 60m in 6.59 – a national record and the third-fastest time in the history of the championships. It was also the first-ever medal for Bangladesh at the Asian Indoor Championships.
Imran Rahman wins the 60m at the Asian Indoor Championships (© Peh Siong San / Asian Athletics Association)
Unlike in past editions, athletes from Qatar faced stiff competition in the track events. Quarter-miler Ismail Ibrahim took on Mikhail Litvin of the host country in the 400m final, but the Qatari proved to be the stronger of the two as he won in 46.25. It meant the title stayed with Qatar, with the late Abdalelah Haroun having won in 2016 and 2018. Litvin clocked 46.39 for the silver medal, just 0.13 shy of his PB.
All was not lost for Kazakhstan, however, as Elina Mikhina won the women’s 400m in 54.07.
Japan’s Kazuto Iizawa proved too good for five-time Asian indoor champion Mohamad Al-Garni and teammate Musaab Adam Ali by winning the men’s 1500m. Iizawa, who last week set an Asian indoor mile record of 3:56.01, won the final in 3:42.83 to earn his country’s first ever medal in that event at these championships. Garni, who put up a good fight until the final lap, took silver in 3:43.39.
Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Oanh won the women’s 1500m in 4:15.55, missing the 15-year-old championship record by just 0.13.
In the women’s 60m, Iran’s Farzaneh Fasihi – a bronze medallist at the last edition of the championships in 2018 – got the better of home favourite Olga Safronova to win in 7.28.
Pentathlon winner Ekaterina Voronina at the Asian Indoor Championships (© Peh Siong San / Asian Athletics Association)
Uzbekistan has earned two gold medals so far, thanks to Ekaterina Voronina and Sharifa Davronova. Voronina regained her title from seven years ago, winning the pentathlon with 4386. Davronova, meanwhile, won the women’s triple jump with her first-round leap of 13.98m.
Asian champion and continental record-holder Tajinderpal Singh led an Indian 1-2 in the men’s shot put (19.49m) from teammate Karanveer Singh (19.37m). Similarly, Korean duo Jeong Yu-Son (16.98m) and Lee Soojung (16.45m) took the first two places in the women’s shot put final.
Ram. Murali Krishnan for the World Athletics
