Four-time world champion Liu Hong enjoyed a comfortable last 5km sole lead en route to winning the women’s 20km title at the second World Athletics Race Walking Tour Gold meeting of the year in Taicang on Saturday (8).

The 35-year-old Chinese veteran broke away out of a three-woman leading group after 15km and never looked back until reaching the finish line in 1:28:49. Her national teammate Yang Jiayu, the world record-holder and 2017 world champion, finished second in 1:29:42, followed by Su Wenxiu of China four seconds in arrears.

However, as the 24-year-old Su, a 1:29:00 performer, only entered the Chinese National Grand Prix that was jointly held with the World Athletics Race Walking Tour in the eastern Chinese city, third place in the Tour event went to China’s Yang Liujing in 1:32:27 as the 2019 world bronze medallist finished sixth overall in the race.

The race started at a moderate rhythm in sunny conditions. A seven-woman pack formed, comprising Liu, Yang Jiayu, Su, Gao Lan, Zhang Lingfen, Niu Zhuomayingji and Yin Lamei, who also entered the Tour event. Yang Liujing led a crowded chasing group lagging some 20 seconds behind. 

After the leaders passed through 5km in 22:29, Yin started to fade. Yang Liujing began to close on Yin metre-by-metre and eventually caught her at 8km.

The seasoned Liu, who owns a personal best time of 1:24:27 set two years ago in Huangshan, was the first to make a move at 10km and after another two kilometres, the leading group has been whittled down to three, consisting of Liu, Yang Jiayu and Su. 

After finishing the 15th lap, Liu cranked up the pace once again and this time neither Yang Jiayu nor Su managed to answer Liu’s powerful surge. Yang Jiayu gained a slim margin over Su during the penultimate lap before settling for second place.

“I didn’t set any specific goal for this race, because two weeks ago I just competed in a 35km race and next weekend I will go for another 35km event. So, I just took the race as a training session,” said Liu, who set an Asian 35km record of 2:40:06 on her debut over the distance in Dudince, Slovakia, on 25 March. She also plans to compete in the Japanese 35km Race Walking Championships in Wajima next Sunday.

“My plan was not to walk too fast and I tried to maintain my pace at around 4:30-4:35. The rhythm was pretty steady in the first half of the race and I found my body conditions were very good after halfway. So, I didn’t want to further control my pace and just pushed ahead to go for the win,” Liu added.

The men’s 20km race saw Ecuador’s David Hurtado claim the Tour event title with a career best of 1:18:45. But China’s Zhang Jun, National Games gold medallist in 2021, was the overall winner as he improved his PB by one second to register a world leading time of 1:17:38, finishing on top of the podium for the Chinese National Grand Prix event. 

China’s You Tao equalled his PB of 1:20:38 to finish second in the Tour event. His compatriot Niu Wenchao was third in 1:20:49.

The men’s race was held in the early morning when the weather was still cool and the rhythm was much faster in the early stages compared to the women’s race. China’s Qian Haifeng and Wen Yongjie were up in front during the opening two kilometres but were soon caught by Zhang and Hurtado when passing 5km in 19:38.

Wen was the first to fade from the leading pack and then Hurtado. After Qian and Zhang completed the 10th lap side by side in 39:01, the 22-year-old Qian, who has twice improved his PB this season to 1:19:09, chose to withdraw from the race, leaving Zhang with a comfortable sole lead.

The eighth-place finisher at the Tokyo Olympic Games continued to step up the pace, clocking a brisk 3:49 in the 11th kilometre to open up a 13-second gap on Hurtado.

The gap was further widened to nearly half a minute at 15km and Hurtado had also built a huge margin over other chasers. After the unopposed Zhang crossed the finish line, Hurtado waved a national flag to hit home in style. Meanwhile, You rallied to outrace Niu in the final kilometres.

“My expectation for the race was to improve my personal best. The race was fastand the weather was perfect,” said the 23-year-old Ecuadorian, who achieved his previous PB of 1:19:24 on 25 February. It is also Hurtado’s second straight victory achieved this year.

Early leader Wen failed to finish the race as China’s Li Yandong and Li Xingfu both achieved PBs to finish third and fourth in the overall standings in 1:19:49 and 1:19:52 respectively.

Vincent Wu for World Athletics