The National Athletics Championships concluded last night at the Quzhou Sports Center in Zhejiang, where Shanghai’s Xu Zhuoyi surged to victory in the men’s 110m hurdles, capturing his first national championship title.
Xu, who reached the semifinals at the Paris Olympics, started in lane 6. The competition was fierce, with 18-year-old rising star Chen Yuanjiang, who had set a personal best in the semifinals, in lane 4, and defending champion Zhu Shenglong from Hubei in lane 5.
At the sound of the starting gun, Zhu was the quickest off the blocks. As the athletes cleared the first three hurdles, Liu Junxi from Jiangsu, running in lane 8, began to edge ahead. However, Xu displayed remarkable determination and a powerful finish, overtaking his competitors to win with a time of 13.31 seconds.
Liu secured second place, finishing in 13.41 seconds. Chen earned his first senior national championship medal, taking third place with a time of 13.49 seconds.
“The result of today’s race was within my expectations,” Xu reflected after the race. “During the pre-race warm-up, there was a minor incident—my ankle suddenly started hurting. I managed to deal with it in time, so it didn’t have much of an impact. The race went on as usual, and my plans weren’t disrupted.”
“Since returning from the Paris Olympics, I haven’t been training systematically and prepared for the race in a half-adjusted, half-practicing way,” he added. “I think the result of 13.31 seconds is acceptable. I had hoped to finish in 13.27 seconds to qualify for the World Championships next year, but given that I haven’t been training properly, I feel the result is still acceptable.”
Xu’s victory marks a significant milestone in his athletic career, showcasing his resilience and potential on the national stage. As the athletics season progresses, fans and analysts alike will be watching to see how he builds on this success.
Reference(s):
Xu, Wu win hurdles titles at National Athletics Championships
cgtn.com
