Wang still fast, without magic potion

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