China have medal hopes in more events in Beijing worlds
BEIJING, China (Xinhua) –China are expecting medals from more events than just the race walking and women’s throwing events at the World Athletics Championships that opened here yesterday.
China may witness some breakthroughs in the men’s high jump and long jump.
Zhang Guowei, one of Chinese athletics’ biggest gains this season, who has cleared 2.38 metres, has a chance to better China’s bronze medal performance at the World Championships and emulate his idol Zhu Jianhua, who holds the national record of 2.39 metres for 30 years.
However, the battle for medals is wide open as Qatar’s world indoor champion Mutaz Essa Barshim, Diamond League winner Russia’s Daniil Tsyplakov, Italian Marco Fassinotti, and American JaCorian Duffield could be on the podium.
“I’d rather compete against myself than my opponents. I met them in previous competitions, but I just focused on my own performance,” said Zhang prior to the World Championships.
China have also pinned their medal hopes on 2014 world indoor runner-up Li Jinzhe in the men’s long jump.
But the 25-year-old needs to find his best form in order to beat American Jeffery Henderson, who jumped a world-leading 8.52m at the recent Pan American Games.
Defending champion Aleksandr Menkov also has work to do to match the kind of form that brought him gold in Moscow two years ago with a 8.56m personal best.
Then comes China’s traditionally strong event — race walking.
As Russia withdrew most of its race walking team from the international competitions in the wake of a series of doping allegations, there will be a golden chance for China.
London Olympics champion Chen Ding and London bronze medalist Wang Zhen will vie for the men’s 20km race title while Lyu Xiuzhi eyes the women’s medal.
Two-time world championships medallist Gong Lijiao will again compete for a position on the podium in the women’s shot put.
In the men’s 100m, Su Bingtian is out of the reach of the podium, but the Chinese will be as pleased if he can better his own national record of 9.99 seconds after he became the first Chinese to break the 10-second barrier in May’s Diamond League in the US.