Marathon, the grand finale of the athletics event of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, is Chinese athletes expected to stage a miracle?
With the end of the 2 days and 3 race walking events, Hokkaido Sapporo ushered in the Tokyo Olympic Marathon on the 7th. At the Olympics, marathons are a unique presence. On the one hand, the marathon has been an official event since 1896 and has a long history. On the other hand, the men's marathon is generally placed on the last day of the Olympic Games, and the top 3 are awarded at the closing ceremony.
At the Tokyo Olympic Games, the Chinese delegation will have 3 athletes from each sex to participate in the full quota. On the one hand, this is due to the good atmosphere of marathon sports at the mass level in China in the past few years, and on the other hand, it is also the result of scientific training at the competitive level. At present, the Chinese sports delegation has won 2 gold medals in athletics, and the marathon event in the finale can bring some excitement and surprises to the Chinese people?
Not in Tokyo in Sapporo, but the weather is still hot and humid
Only a few events, such as athletics walking, marathons, and soccer (some), were held outside Tokyo. Considering the high summer temperatures in Tokyo, long-distance and high-intensity sports such as race walking and marathons are placed in Sapporo, Hokkaido.
However, judging from the race walking competitions in the past two days, Sapporo has also recently encountered the challenge of high temperature and humidity. Therefore, this morning's women's marathon will start at 6:00 a.m. (5:00 Beijing time).
The Tokyo Olympics were largely held in empty spaces. Only road bikes and soccer tournaments in 2 prefectures outside of Tokyo have spectators. There are 5 race walks and marathons held in Sapporo, and because they are held in streets and parks, there are also live spectators to watch the races.
Judging from the announced marathon route, this marathon route is actually around 3 circles. The runners started by running south and then back to the starting point, almost 22 kilometers. Then run 2 laps north, almost 10 km each, and return to the starting point. The overall curve of these 3 laps is not too much, the track is relatively flat overall, and there is no additional difficulty for the runners. However, the weather is not very powerful, and the temperature in Sapporo a few days ago afternoon was 32-33 degrees, and the humidity was 68%. According to the forecast, the minimum temperature for the two days of the marathon is 21 degrees, so the women's marathon starts at 6 a.m. In addition to epidemic prevention, players also need to do a good job of drinking water, replenishment and cooling.
The Summer Olympics are basically held in the summer, the weather is relatively hot, and the suitable temperature for marathons is 5-15 degrees. Therefore, the Olympic marathon results are not excellent. Only 133 of the 157 male runners of the Rio Olympic Marathon completed the race. The current men's marathon Olympic record is 2:06:32 at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, set by Kenya's Wan Jiru, but the world record is 2:01:39, a difference of nearly 5 minutes. It's understandable that the Olympics are only held once every four years, and there are thousands of marathons around the world every year, but the weather, as well as heavy rankings and light results, are also factors.
There is hope for the Chinese marathon, but it needs to face up to the gap
The Chinese representative team of the Tokyo Olympic Marathon event had a full quota of 6 participants, plus 1 substitute for each man and a woman, and 8 people were on the marathon registration list.
Affected by the epidemic, marathon runners have participated less this year. However, in general, the players are more systematic in preparation. For example, last year, in Nagoya, Japan, and Shanghai, twice ran within 2 hours and 27 minutes, which was the champion of domestic athletes in 2018-2020 for three consecutive years. This year, Li Zhixuan mainly trained in the Yunnan Plateau. In June this year, she participated in the 10,000-meter national athletics championships and Olympic trials held in Shangyu, Zhejiang.
According to coach Li Guoqiang, this competition is a high-quality and intense training course based on the premise of the Tokyo Marathon. In an interview with the author, Coach Li Guoqiang said: "After the shangyu competition in June, we went to Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, and then went to Kunming to further increase the amount of running, increase the special quality of training, and enter the special intensive training. "Affected by the epidemic, Coach Li Guoqiang did not go to the scene in Tokyo. He went to Beijing on July 27, sent Li Zhixuan away on the 31st, and returned to Yunnan to lead some of the team members to prepare for this year's National Games.
The Chinese players who participate in the competition face not only the challenge of the weather in Sapporo, but also the challenge of many masters.
The registration criteria for athletics at the Tokyo Olympics have been greatly improved. The marathon standard for the Rio 2016 Olympics is 2:19:00 for men and 2:45:00 for women, while the Tokyo Olympics has been raised to 2:11:30 for men and 2:29:30 for women.
There are currently 97 women's runners (including substitutes) eligible for the marathon, from 44 countries and regions, of which 95 reached the 2:29:30 registration standard, 9 with a best time in 2 hours and 20 minutes, including Kosgai, who set a world record of 2:14:04 in the women's marathon in 2019. Li Zhixuan's 2:26:15 was in 30th place. It is more difficult to break through the best marathon ranking of Chinese athletes in the Olympic Games, that is, Zhou Chunxiu's bronze medal in the Beijing Olympic Games.
Pictured: The scene of the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece that year.
There are 116 male athletes, also from 44 countries and regions, and 1 refugee athlete. The leader is the world record holder Kipchoge. Among the contestants, there are 10 players with a personal best time in 2 hours and 5 minutes, and they are strong contenders for the championship. Including China, Japan, the United States and other countries and regions of the full quota of players. Japan sent out Daisuke, Hattori Isamu, and Nakamura, all of whom had their best results in the top 31.
Dong Guojian, who ran his personal best and second best in China (2:08:28) at the 2019 Berlin Marathon, ranked 47th. He has the experience of participating in the National Games, the World Championships, and the Olympic Games, and if he breaks through the best place of China's male athletes in the Olympic Games, Deng Haiyang will rank 25th in the Beijing Olympic Games, even if it is a victory. In terms of results, Dong Guojian maintained the best result of China's male athletes in the Olympic Games, that is, the 2:15:32 of the Rio Olympic Games.
In 1984, the women's marathon became an Olympic event.
Marathons are about "hard power." China's female players rank 30 and later; male players Dong Guojian, Peng Jianhua and Yang Shaohui are in 47 and later. But the marathon pays more attention to the "fighting spirit". At the very least, athletes can make it a "small goal" to break through our country's rankings and achievements in the Olympic Games. The ideal is still to be had, what if it is realized?
About the Author:
Chen Guoqiang, male, is an associate professor at Shanghai University of Sport, a master supervisor, and a doctor of journalism and communication.
Visiting Scholar, School of Public Health, Indiana University,USA (2013-2014)
Column Editor-in-Chief: Chen Hua Text Editor: Chen Hua Title Image Source: Xinhua News Agency
Source: Author: Chen Guoqiang