Song Aimin of China competes at the Beijing Olympics where she came fourth (© Getty Images)
Suzhou, Chinasided contests, Chinese Huang Xiaoxiao and Kazakh Marina Maslenko were involved in a photo-finish in the women’s 400m as the Asian Grand Prix kicked of today. Both clocked 53.30 seconds, but the Chinese got the nod for the win.
All three fixtures of the 2009 Asian GP – Suzhou, Kunshan and Hong Kong – are part of a select group of Area meetings at which points can be acquired by athletes to qualify for the IAAF / VTB Bank World Athletics Final, to be held on 12-13 September in Thessaloniki, Greece.
Song dominates in the Discus Throw
With the Japanese dropping out at the last moment, apart from other withdrawals, the contests could not reach the expected heights. Yet, there were a few performers who lived up to their reputations and standing, none more emphatic in victory than Chinese Song Aimin in women’s Discus Throw.
The world leader this season with 64.83m, Song reached 63.91ms and that effort dwarfed the field which contained the top three Indians. Krishna Poonia could manage only 57.26m as against her season best of 58.95k. Seema Antil, struggling to come back into the kind of form that took her past the 64-metre mark in 2004, after a lean season last year, recorded a season best 55.94m that was only good enough for third.
Also living up to his stature was Chinese 110m high hurdler Shi Dongpeng who won in 13.58, a tenth of a second outside his season best. He was given a good fight over the hurdles by 18-year-old team-mate Xie Wenjun, but class and experience prevailed in the end.
Chinese javelin thrower Qin Qiang nailed a victory with a personal best 80.24m that put him among the top 15 in the world for the season. The 26-year-old Chinese had, incidentally, registered his previous best of 80.21m at the very same venue during the trials for the World Championships in 2007. He is now within the ‘B’ standard (78.00) for the Berlin World Championships.
The better-rated Korean Park Jae-Myung, who has crossed 83m this season, and another Chinese, Chen Qi, were second and third with 77.21m and 76.17m respectively.
In a close contest in the men’s 800m, Kuwait’s Mohammed Al-Azemi prevailed over Iranian Sadjad Moradi, 1:48.64 to 1:48.67 with two places behind them, Chinese Li Xiangyu and Indian Prakash Verma, coming under 1:49.
In the women’s High Jump, 21-year-old Uzbek, Nadiya Dussanova, scaled a personal best 1.95m to take the victory against a tough field. Yeketerina Yevseyeva (Kazakhstan) and Svetlana Radzivil (Uzbekistan) took the minor medals at 1.93m and 1.91m respectively but the surprising part was Anna Ustinova of Kazakhstan failing to reach the podium, finishing joint sixth with 2002 Asian Games champion Tatyana Effimenko of Kyrgyzstan at 1.84m.
The men’s High Jump did not have any surprises with the Asian champion, Lee Hup Wei of Malaysia, going over a season best 2.24m. Kazakhstan’s Sergey Zassimovich, who took two titles in the 2007 circuit, finished with second with 2.20m while Chinese Xu Xin clinched third on a countback after being tied at 2.15m with Indian Benedict Starli.
The expected duel in the men’s Triple Jump did not come off with Chinese Li Yanxi being absent. Korean Kim Deok-Hyun, the man in form this season, took the gold with a season-best 16.84m while Kazakhstan’s Yevgeniy Ektov had to surprisingly settle for third at 16.63m, behind 17-year-old Chinese Shu Cao who had the second best jump of his career, 16.68m.
Another Chinese youngster, 19-year-old Su Bingtian claimed the men’s 100m in 10.48, easily holding off the challenge from Sri Lankan Abepitiyage Shehan Sadaruwan who timed 10.59. Missing from the field were Japanese Naoki Tsukahara and Chinese Wen Yongyi, both experienced sprinters.
Experience prevailed in the women’s 100m, with Uzbek Guzel Khubbieva, 33, winning in 11.31, a season’s best for her. There was no challenge worth the name from Chinese Yulia Tao and Thai Nongnuch Sanrat who finished second and third.
By an IAAF Correspondent
Leading results:
Men:
100m: Race ‘A’: 1. Su Bingtian (Chn) 10.48, 2. A.S. Sadaruwan (Sri) 10.59, 3. Tan Juquan (Chn) 10.60; Race ‘B’: 1. Abdul Najeeb Qureshi (Ind) 10.70, 2. Tawarit Chantaphan (Tha) 10.75, 3. Wattana Deewong (Tha) 10.77;
400m: 1. Liu Xiaosheng (Chn) 46.88, 2. Bibin Mathew (Ind) 47.18, 3. Shake Mortaja (Ind) 47.56.
800m: 1. Mohammad Alazemi Kuw 1:48.64, 2. Sajad Moradi Iri 1:48.67, 3. Li Xiangyu (Chn) 1:48.78.
3000m: 1. Surendra Singh (Ind) 7:59.52, 2. Ravinder Bharadwaj (Ind) 7:59.81, 3. Sandip Kumar (Ind) 8:00.15.
110m Hurdles: 1. Shi Dongpeng (Chn) 13.58, 2. Xie Wenjun (Chn) 13.61, 3. Park Taekyong Kor 14.08.
High Jump: 1. Lee Hup Wei Mas 2.24, 2. Sergey Zassimovich (Kaz) 2.20, 3. Xu Xin (Chn) 2.15.
Triple Jump: 1. Kim Deok-Hyun (Kor) 16.84, 2. Shuo Cao (Chn) 16.68, 3. Yevgeniy Ektov (Kaz) 16.63.
Shot Put: 1. Chang Ming-Huang (Tpe) 19.45, 2. Om Prakash Singh (Ind) 19.36, 3. Saurabh Vij (Ind) 18.56.
Javelin Throw: 1. Qin Qiang (Chn) 80.24, 2. Park Jae-Myoung (Kor) 77.21, 3. Chen Qi (Chn) 76.17.
4 x 100m Relay: 1. China 39.48, 2. Thailand 39.91, 3. Hong Kong 40.70.
4 x 400m Relay: 1. India 3:10.6, 2. China 3:11.0 (Only two teams competed).
Women:
100m: Race ‘A’ : 1. Guzel Khubbieva (Uzb) 11.31, 2. Yulia Tao (Chn) 11.71, 3. Sanrat Nongnuch (Tha) 11.78; Race ‘B’: 1. Oranut Klomdee (Tha) 11.76, 2. H.M. Jyothi (Ind) 11.88, 3. Sangwan Jaksunin (Tha) 11.91;
400m: 1. Huang Xiaoxiao (Chn) 53.30; 2. Marina Maslenko (Kaz) 53.30; 3. Olga Tereshkova (Kaz) 54.14.
800m: 1. Margarita Matsko (Kaz) 2:03.38, 2. Truong Thanh Hang (Vie) 2:04.15, 3. Irina Moroz (Uzb) 2:04.19.
100m Hurdles: 1. Natalya Ivoninskaya (Kaz) 13.28, 2. Liu Jing (Chn) 13.36, 3. Sun Yawei (Chn) 13.43.
High Jump: 1. Nadiya Dusanova (Uzb) 1.95, 2. Yekaterina Yevseyeva (Kaz) 1.93, 3. Svetlana Radzivil (Uzb) 1.91.
Triple Jump: 1. Xie Limei (Chn) 14.19, 2. Aleksandra Kotlyarova (Uzb) 13.58, 3. Thitima Muangjan (Tha) 13.57.
Shot Put: 1. Gong Lijiao (Chn) 19.50, 2. Li Meiju (Chn) 18.86, 3. Leyla Rajabi (Iri) 17.20.
Discus Throw: 1. Song Aimin (Chn) 63.91, 2. Krishna Poonia (Ind) 57.26, 3. Seema Antil (Ind) 55.94.
4 x 100m Relay: 1. Thailand 44.66, 2. China 45.57, 3. India 45.65.
Click here for complete results
All three fixtures of the 2009 Asian GP – Suzhou, Kunshan and Hong Kong – are part of a select group of Area meetings at which points can be acquired by athletes to qualify for the IAAF / VTB Bank World Athletics Final, to be held on 12-13 September in Thessaloniki, Greece.
Song dominates in the Discus Throw
With the Japanese dropping out at the last moment, apart from other withdrawals, the contests could not reach the expected heights. Yet, there were a few performers who lived up to their reputations and standing, none more emphatic in victory than Chinese Song Aimin in women’s Discus Throw.
The world leader this season with 64.83m, Song reached 63.91ms and that effort dwarfed the field which contained the top three Indians. Krishna Poonia could manage only 57.26m as against her season best of 58.95k. Seema Antil, struggling to come back into the kind of form that took her past the 64-metre mark in 2004, after a lean season last year, recorded a season best 55.94m that was only good enough for third.
Also living up to his stature was Chinese 110m high hurdler Shi Dongpeng who won in 13.58, a tenth of a second outside his season best. He was given a good fight over the hurdles by 18-year-old team-mate Xie Wenjun, but class and experience prevailed in the end.
Chinese javelin thrower Qin Qiang nailed a victory with a personal best 80.24m that put him among the top 15 in the world for the season. The 26-year-old Chinese had, incidentally, registered his previous best of 80.21m at the very same venue during the trials for the World Championships in 2007. He is now within the ‘B’ standard (78.00) for the Berlin World Championships.
The better-rated Korean Park Jae-Myung, who has crossed 83m this season, and another Chinese, Chen Qi, were second and third with 77.21m and 76.17m respectively.
In a close contest in the men’s 800m, Kuwait’s Mohammed Al-Azemi prevailed over Iranian Sadjad Moradi, 1:48.64 to 1:48.67 with two places behind them, Chinese Li Xiangyu and Indian Prakash Verma, coming under 1:49.
In the women’s High Jump, 21-year-old Uzbek, Nadiya Dussanova, scaled a personal best 1.95m to take the victory against a tough field. Yeketerina Yevseyeva (Kazakhstan) and Svetlana Radzivil (Uzbekistan) took the minor medals at 1.93m and 1.91m respectively but the surprising part was Anna Ustinova of Kazakhstan failing to reach the podium, finishing joint sixth with 2002 Asian Games champion Tatyana Effimenko of Kyrgyzstan at 1.84m.
The men’s High Jump did not have any surprises with the Asian champion, Lee Hup Wei of Malaysia, going over a season best 2.24m. Kazakhstan’s Sergey Zassimovich, who took two titles in the 2007 circuit, finished with second with 2.20m while Chinese Xu Xin clinched third on a countback after being tied at 2.15m with Indian Benedict Starli.
The expected duel in the men’s Triple Jump did not come off with Chinese Li Yanxi being absent. Korean Kim Deok-Hyun, the man in form this season, took the gold with a season-best 16.84m while Kazakhstan’s Yevgeniy Ektov had to surprisingly settle for third at 16.63m, behind 17-year-old Chinese Shu Cao who had the second best jump of his career, 16.68m.
Another Chinese youngster, 19-year-old Su Bingtian claimed the men’s 100m in 10.48, easily holding off the challenge from Sri Lankan Abepitiyage Shehan Sadaruwan who timed 10.59. Missing from the field were Japanese Naoki Tsukahara and Chinese Wen Yongyi, both experienced sprinters.
Experience prevailed in the women’s 100m, with Uzbek Guzel Khubbieva, 33, winning in 11.31, a season’s best for her. There was no challenge worth the name from Chinese Yulia Tao and Thai Nongnuch Sanrat who finished second and third.
By an IAAF Correspondent
Leading results:
Men:
100m: Race ‘A’: 1. Su Bingtian (Chn) 10.48, 2. A.S. Sadaruwan (Sri) 10.59, 3. Tan Juquan (Chn) 10.60; Race ‘B’: 1. Abdul Najeeb Qureshi (Ind) 10.70, 2. Tawarit Chantaphan (Tha) 10.75, 3. Wattana Deewong (Tha) 10.77;
400m: 1. Liu Xiaosheng (Chn) 46.88, 2. Bibin Mathew (Ind) 47.18, 3. Shake Mortaja (Ind) 47.56.
800m: 1. Mohammad Alazemi Kuw 1:48.64, 2. Sajad Moradi Iri 1:48.67, 3. Li Xiangyu (Chn) 1:48.78.
3000m: 1. Surendra Singh (Ind) 7:59.52, 2. Ravinder Bharadwaj (Ind) 7:59.81, 3. Sandip Kumar (Ind) 8:00.15.
110m Hurdles: 1. Shi Dongpeng (Chn) 13.58, 2. Xie Wenjun (Chn) 13.61, 3. Park Taekyong Kor 14.08.
High Jump: 1. Lee Hup Wei Mas 2.24, 2. Sergey Zassimovich (Kaz) 2.20, 3. Xu Xin (Chn) 2.15.
Triple Jump: 1. Kim Deok-Hyun (Kor) 16.84, 2. Shuo Cao (Chn) 16.68, 3. Yevgeniy Ektov (Kaz) 16.63.
Shot Put: 1. Chang Ming-Huang (Tpe) 19.45, 2. Om Prakash Singh (Ind) 19.36, 3. Saurabh Vij (Ind) 18.56.
Javelin Throw: 1. Qin Qiang (Chn) 80.24, 2. Park Jae-Myoung (Kor) 77.21, 3. Chen Qi (Chn) 76.17.
4 x 100m Relay: 1. China 39.48, 2. Thailand 39.91, 3. Hong Kong 40.70.
4 x 400m Relay: 1. India 3:10.6, 2. China 3:11.0 (Only two teams competed).
Women:
100m: Race ‘A’ : 1. Guzel Khubbieva (Uzb) 11.31, 2. Yulia Tao (Chn) 11.71, 3. Sanrat Nongnuch (Tha) 11.78; Race ‘B’: 1. Oranut Klomdee (Tha) 11.76, 2. H.M. Jyothi (Ind) 11.88, 3. Sangwan Jaksunin (Tha) 11.91;
400m: 1. Huang Xiaoxiao (Chn) 53.30; 2. Marina Maslenko (Kaz) 53.30; 3. Olga Tereshkova (Kaz) 54.14.
800m: 1. Margarita Matsko (Kaz) 2:03.38, 2. Truong Thanh Hang (Vie) 2:04.15, 3. Irina Moroz (Uzb) 2:04.19.
100m Hurdles: 1. Natalya Ivoninskaya (Kaz) 13.28, 2. Liu Jing (Chn) 13.36, 3. Sun Yawei (Chn) 13.43.
High Jump: 1. Nadiya Dusanova (Uzb) 1.95, 2. Yekaterina Yevseyeva (Kaz) 1.93, 3. Svetlana Radzivil (Uzb) 1.91.
Triple Jump: 1. Xie Limei (Chn) 14.19, 2. Aleksandra Kotlyarova (Uzb) 13.58, 3. Thitima Muangjan (Tha) 13.57.
Shot Put: 1. Gong Lijiao (Chn) 19.50, 2. Li Meiju (Chn) 18.86, 3. Leyla Rajabi (Iri) 17.20.
Discus Throw: 1. Song Aimin (Chn) 63.91, 2. Krishna Poonia (Ind) 57.26, 3. Seema Antil (Ind) 55.94.
4 x 100m Relay: 1. Thailand 44.66, 2. China 45.57, 3. India 45.65.
Click here for complete results
