Budapest, August 17 (Xinhua) -- The 2023 World Athletics Championships will be held in Budapest, Hungary, from August 19 to 27. The Chinese track and field team sent 41 athletes to compete in 17 events. In women's throwing, men's jumping and other athletics events, as well as men's and women's race walking, the athletes of the Chinese team have the strength to compete for gold and silver.
The 34-year-old Gong Lijiao will embark on his ninth journey to the World Championships. In 2017 and 2019, Gong Lijiao won the women's shot put championship at the World Championships twice; At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, she continued her efforts, winning the gold medal with a personal best of 20.58m. At last year's Oregon Athletics World Championships, Gong Lijiao won silver with 20.39 meters, losing to the in-form American Erie and missing out on the opportunity to achieve three consecutive championships. However, the confident and optimistic Gong Lijiao has said that he wants to "win back what is lost" in Budapest.
On July 16, 2022, Gong Lijiao after the women's shot put final of the 2022 World Championships in Athletics. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Ying
Gong Lijiao has not competed abroad so far this season, but she has maintained an undefeated record in the domestic arena and has steadily improved, throwing the second best time in the world at the National Athletics Championships at the end of June, with a 20.06m annual time. After the race, she revealed that the expected result of the World Championships is set at around 20.50 meters.
Eventual world champion Yili has slipped in momentum this season, with her season-best time also 20.06m. Another American athlete, Evan, set an annual world best of 20.45m, but it was her only race this year to break the 20m.
If nothing else, the gold medal in this event at the World Championships will be produced between Gong Lijiao and two American athletes. Whoever can throw more than 20.30m early in the first three rounds, thereby establishing a psychological advantage, will greatly improve the possibility of winning the championship.
On March 5, Yang Jiayu (front right) won the championship and Ma Zhenxia (front left) won the second place in the women's 20km race walk competition at the 2023 National Race Walking Grand Prix & World Championships and Asian Games Trials. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Huang Bohan
Like Gong Lijiao, Chinese race walking is looking forward to "winning back what is lost" at the World Championships in Budapest. Race walking has always been the traditional advantage of Chinese athletics and a "big household" for winning gold. However, in the Tokyo Olympics and the Oregon World Championships, China's race walking failed to continue its gold winning momentum.
At the World Championships, China Race Walking sent a combination of new and old team, and achieved full participation in all four events. Among them, two women's events are the most promising gold points. China's women's 20km race walk lineup includes veteran Olympic champion Liu Hong, 2017 World Championship champion Yang Jiayu and 2022 World Race Walking Team Championship champion Ma Zhenxia. The women's 35km was led by the famous Cheyang Shijie, in addition to team world champion runner-up Li Maocuo and young player Bai Xueying who stood out in the trials.
In terms of main rivals, Peru's García León, the last World Championships women's 20km and 35km double champion, is still in excellent form, setting new personal bests in both events. Also in hot form this season is 27-year-old Spanish player Perez. She first set the annual world best time of 1 hour, 25 minutes and 30 seconds in the women's 20km race walk in March, and two months later set the new world record for the women's 35km race walk with a time of 2 hours, 37 minutes and 15 seconds.
On July 22, 2022, Cheyang Shijie was in the women's 35km race walk final of the 2022 World Athletics Championships. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wu Xiaoling
The women's 20km and 35km race walking competitions at the World Championships in Budapest were held on the 20th and 24th respectively, with only three days of rest in between. Compared with the two strong competitors, the advantage of Chinese athletes is that they do not compete in both events, and everyone does not need to retain in their respective events, and they can play their best to launch the most powerful impact on the gold medal.
In men's race walking, the Chinese team sent National Games champion Zhang Jun and up-and-coming dynasty and Niu Wenchao in the 20km event. The 35km race walk line-up includes He Xianghong, who set the Asian record in March and is the world's best of the season, as well as Wang Qin and Tashi Yangben.
In the lineup of the Chinese team, the defending men's long jump champion Wang Jianan, the defending women's discus champion Feng Bin, the Tokyo Olympic women's javelin champion Liu Shiying, the men's triple jump Olympic runner-up Zhu Yaming and the women's hammer throw star Wang Zheng also have strong competitiveness in their respective events.
China's Wang Jianan at the men's long jump award ceremony at the 2022 World Athletics Championships on July 17, 2022. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Ying
In addition to competing for gold and silver, the Chinese team is also tasked with obtaining more qualifications for the Paris Olympics and training young athletes. The average age of the Chinese team is 27 years old, which is one year lower than the Tokyo Olympic team.
Cai Yong, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the Chinese Athletic Association, said: "At this World Championships, we hope to do our best to win more qualifications for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, accumulate competition experience for young athletes, and strive for good results in advantageous events. ”