![]() China saw breakthrough performances at the World Athletics Championships, which ended in Beijing on Sunday evening, scooping nine medals, including one gold, seven silvers and one bronze, to finish 11th in the medal table.
"We are excited to see more-balanced progress achieved by China at the World Championships, showcased by podium finishes in all four disciplines of walking, running and jumping as well as throwing, for the first time in the history of Chinese athletics," Du Zhaocai, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) council member and vice-chairman of the Chinese Athletics Association, made the comments at a news conference on Sunday.
China's solid improvement in athletics also attracted the attention of Sebastian Coe, the new president of the IAAF. "It's very obvious that China will play a huge part in the development of our sport going forward. They were very keen to establish some expertise in many other disciplines in track and field. The relay silver is pretty indicative of the progress that Chinese athletes have made," the Briton said on Sunday.
Men's high jump – Silver medal
Chinese high jumper Zhang Guowei won a silver by clearing 2.33 meters, which is China's best performance in men's high jump at World Athletics Championships.
Women's javelin thrower - Silver medal
Chinese Lyu Huihui won a silver with a new Asian record of 66.13 meters on her fifth try.
Men's 4x100 meters relay race- Silver medal
The men's team initially finished third in the 4x100m relay final but was upgraded to second place after the United States was disqualified for a false exchange. The home quartet delighted a rapturous crowd to clinch Asia's first silver in the sprint relay at the "worlds".
Su Bingtian also became the first Asian athlete to reach the 100-meter final after equaling his national record of 9.99 seconds in the semifinals.
Liu xiang, who worked as a guest TV commentator during the championships, was emotional as the men's relay team waved the national flag. "I am truly overwhelmed by this history-making moment ," the 32-year-old said.
Women's 20 km race walk - Gold and silver medals
Chinese race walker Liu Hong (middle) lived up to the huge expectations and won the first gold medal for China at the Beijing world athletics championships on Friday. Liu clocked 1 hour, 27 minutes and 45 seconds to finish first with a slight edge over teammate Lu Xiuzhi (left), who won the silver.
Men's 20 km race walk - Silver medal
Wang Zhen (right) crossed the line in a time of one hour, 19 min and 29 sec to win the silver medal.
Women's shot put - Silver medal
Gong Lijiao finished runner-up in the women's shot put with 20.30 meters.
Women's hammer throw - Silver medal
Zhang Wenxiu claimed China's third silver medal in the championships with a distance of 76.33 meters.
Men's long jump - Bronze medal
Long jumper Wang Jianan, 19, leapt 8.18 meters to clinch Asia's first bronze medal in the event. (责任编辑:voa365) |