Wang still fast, without magic potion

JAKARTA (JP): No more turtle blood. And 33 minutes 58.5 seconds brought yesterday's last gold medal to Wang Junxia, the first woman ever to run 10,000 meters in less than 30 minutes, at the 11th Asian Track and Field Championships here.

The time was far slower than 31:23 she recorded at a Chinese track and field meet in Changchun earlier this month. It is still slower than the championship record of 32:25.27 set by compatriot Zhong Huandi in 1989.

And of course, it is nothing compared to the world mark of 29:31.78 she set in Beijing two years ago.

But the reason for her unspectacular performance yesterday was not the absence of the magic potion which used to be administered to her by her former coach Ma Junren.

Wang gave two reasons for her sluggish time. First, "I don't have good competitors here." She only had three minnow opponents yesterday. They were Indonesia's best two, Tri Asih Handayani, who clocked 35:45.07 to win the silver medal, and Ruwiyati, who recorded 36:00.23; and Iraq's Maysa Matrood, who won the bronze medal with 35:45.07.

The second reason she gave was Jakarta's warm weather. "I am not used to it," said the 22-year-old law student who gave up of her study for sports.

Wang also attributed her slower time to the vacuum period of one year after her bitter dispute with Ma Junren. "I have not taken part in any international competitions or any important big event like this for about one year. I am still trying to regain my old form," the 163cm-tall champion said.

The 46kg runner realizes that sooner or later she will have to face Ma Junren's new squad. But she prefers to take the positive attitude.

"We're competitors, but we're also friends. I wish him (Ma) good results with his new army," the short-haired runner who loves vegetable salad said.

The former member of the Ma's now-disbanded Army accused the controversial coach of having pocketed her money and labeled her rigorous training sessions "brutal."

Now, what happened to the Mercedes Benz car given to her by the International Amateur Athletics Federation after her historical Stuttgart victory? "The car is still there, waiting for me," said Wang, who was handed a golden wristwatch by her new coach Mao Dezhen after finishing yesterday's race.

"I am still learning to drive the car. I hope I can get a driving license soon," she added.

But Wang is also expecting another license: the Chinese Athletic Association's green light for her to compete in the Olympic Games in Atlanta next year.

"I have started training for the Olympic Games. If I am selected to go to Atlanta, it will be my first Olympic Games appearance," she beamed. (arf)

Result

Men's

20,000m walk 1. Li Mingcai (Chn) 1:23:58.80 (new meet record) 2. Yuri Gordeev (Kaz) 1:32:30.90 3. G. Saravanan (Mas) 1:35:39.60 4. Ede Sopandi (Ina) 1:40:21.80

100m 1. Lin Wei (Chn) 10.34 2. Anvar Kuchmuradov (Uzb) 10.43 3. Yoshitaka Ito (Jpn) 10.45

800m 1. Kim Yong-Hwan (Kor) 1:49.94 2. Mohammad Sulaeman (Qat) 1:50.05 3. Song Mingyou (Chn) 1:50.30

Long jump 1. Huang Geng (Chn) 8.26m (new meet record) 2. Chao Chih-Kuo (Tpe) 7.99 3. Abdul Rahm Al-Nubi (Qat) 7.87 4. Agus Reza Irawan (Ina) 7.85

Pole vault 1. Hideyuki Takei (Jpn) 5.30m 2. Kim Chul-kyun (Kor) 5.30 3. Fumiaki Kobayashi (Jpn) 5.10 6. Nunung Jayadi (Ina) 4.30 7. Hendiarsin Oslan (Ina) 4.30

Women's

100m 1. Cui Danfeng (Chn) 11.36 2. Susanthika Jayasinghe (Sri) 11.37 3. Victoria Tokonbaeva (Kaz) 11.49

800m 1. Jyotirmoy Sikdar (Ind) 2:06.75 2. Kumiko Okamoto (Jpn) 2:07.28 3. Shiny Wilson (Ind) 2:07.45

10,000m 1. Wang Junxia (Chn) 33:58.50 2. Tri Asih Handayani (Ina) 35:45.07 3. Maysa Matrood (Irq) 35:51.76

Discus throw 1. Li Qiumei (Chn) 58.26m 2. Park Kyung-hee (Kor) 48.04 3. Swaranjit Kaur (Ind) 47.50

Today's program

Finals program on the third day of the 11th Asian Track and Field Championships here (all in West Indonesian Time):

07.00 women's 10,000m walk 08.00 heptathlon (long jump) 09.20 heptathlon (javelin) 14.30 women's javelin 15.30 men's high jump 15.45 women's long jump 16.15 men's 400m hurdles 16.30 women's 400m hurdles 16.45 men's 5,000m 17.10 heptathlon (800m)

Medals tally

G S B Total China 8 1 1 10 Japan 1 2 2 5 Qatar 1 2 2 5 South Korea 1 2 0 3 India 1 0 3 4 Saudi Arabia 1 0 0 1 Turkmenistan 1 0 0 1 Kazakhstan 0 2 1 3 Uzbekistan 0 2 1 3 Indonesia 0 1 0 1 Taiwan 0 1 0 1 Sri Lanka 0 1 0 1 Malaysia 0 0 2 2 Iran 0 0 1 1 Iraq 0 0 1 1