Shuying Gao of China advances to the Pole Vault final (© Getty Images)
The first of two national grand prix indoor meetings of the 2006 Chinese season took place in Shanghai last weekend (18 / 19) but without most of the country's star athletes. Olympic champion and World record holder for the 110m Hurdles Liu Xiang who was scheduled to compete at the 60m Hurdles, sprained his ankle three days before the competition and could not start after all.
60m and High Jump junior women’s record improved
Two national women’s junior indoor records were broken for women. 19-year-old Ma Xiaoyan, from Jiangsu, whose only accomplishment before this competition was a sixth place finish in the 2005 Chinese High School Games, took a surprise win in the 60m. She first set the fastest time and a personal best in the heats with a 7.38 finish, and then established a national junior indoor best, comfortably winning the final in 7.32, ahead of favourite Zhu Juanhong, who was well beaten in 7.54.
16-year-old Zheng Xingyuan, who outdoors last year grabbed the national junior record with a 1.92m clearance, won the women’s High Jump with a national indoor junior best of 1.90m which beat Gu Biwei who succeeded at 1.84m. 18-year-old Gu had jumped the previous record of 1.88m last winter. Zheng will surely be one of the favourites in the World Junior Championships in Beijing this summer. Last season she competed in the World Championships in Helsinki (1.84m – did not qualify) and took the silver medal in the East Asian Games in November.
Gao prevails over strong junior challenger
In the women's Pole Vault Asian record holder Gao Shuying won a tight competition against 18-year-old newcomer Zhao Yingzhu. Gao won with a 4.30m clearance, but Zhao made a fantastic debut in a national competition finishing second with a personal best of 4.20m. Another favourite Zhao Yingying, who just turned 20-year-old three days before the competition, struggled badly and could only clear 3.80m this time. She holds the Asian Indoor record with 4.45m from last winter and won the 2005 National Games and the East Asian Games as well.
The men's Triple Jump which was supposed to be the best quality competition of the meet, did not live up to expectations. Zhu Shujing won with a 16.49m jump ahead of Li Yanxi's 16.42m second place finish. National Games winner Li, jumped 17.15 outdoors and 16.89 indoors last season.
In the men’s indoor and outdoor national Pole vault record holder Liu Feiliang competing in-front of his Shanghai home crowd was upset with a surprise loss against 19-year-old Yang Quan. Yang set a personal best of 5.50m to win, with Liu's 5.40m his best.
The Chinese indoor season concludes with a second meeting next weekend in Beijing.
Mirko Jalava for the IAAF
Top results
National Indoor Grand Prix 1/2
Shanghai 18-19 February
Men
60m: Guo Fan 6.70; 2 Yang Yaozu 6.71.
200m: Yang Yaozu 21.47.
400m: Hu Bing 48.14.
800m: Bian Lei 1:52.70.
60m Hurdles: Liu Lilu 7.86.
High Jump: Wang Hao 2.20.
Pole Vault: Yang Quan 5.50; 2 Liu Feiliang 5.40.
Long Jump: Yu Zhenwei 7.87.
Triple Jump: Zhu Shujing 16.49; 2 Li Yanxi 16.42; 3 Lin Mujie 16.37.
Shot Put: Zhao Zhongjun 17.63.
Women
60m: Ma Xiaoyan 7.32 NJR (7.38 1h5)
200m: Liang Qiuping 24.74.
400m: He Yu 54.57.
800m: Xie Sainan 2:09.81.
60m Hurdles: Feng Yun 8.23
High Jump: Zheng Xingyuan 1.90 NJR; 2 Gu Biwei 1.84; 3 Zhao Jing 1.84.
Pole Vault: Gao Shuying 4.30; 2 Zhao Yingzhu 4.20; 3 Liang Dan 4.10; 4 Wu Sha 4.10; 5 Tao Qiong 4.00.
Long Jump: Guan Yingnan 6.35; 2 Chen Yaling 6.24.
Triple Jump: 1 Wang Yu 13.28; 2 Sha Li 13.14.
Shot Put: Li Fengfeng 18.32; 2 Li Ling 17.76; 3 Liu Shengying 16.60; 4 Li Bo 16.37; 5 Zuo Donghui 16.15; 6 Jiang Limin 16.02; 7 Liu Yingfan 15.81.
Pentathlon: 1 Fu Pengcheng 3996.
