BEIJING: World record holder Liu Hong won the women’s 20 kilometres walk on Friday to give hosts China a first gold medal of the world championships.
The title favourite broke clear early on alongside countrywoman Lu Xiuzhi, the pair building a massive lead in Beijing’s fierce morning heat but Liu proved the stronger, winning in one hour 27.45 minutes with Lu right behind her.
Wild cheers greeted Liu and Lu as they entered the Bird’s Nest stadium to complete a one-two finish for the Chinese, who had won three silver medals and one bronze in the first six days of competition.
Ukraine’s Lyudmyla Olyanovska took bronze, 28 seconds behind.
Liu, sporting dark glasses and canary yellow sneakers, had previously won two world bronze medals and a silver, beaten to gold in 2011 by Russian Olga Kaniskina who has since been banned for doping.
The 28-year-old Liu, from China’s southeast province of Jiangxi, finished fourth at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The Chinese duo opened a 26-second gap by the halfway point and as they weaved in and out of pesky back-markers on approach to the stadium even had time to exchange words as if out on a morning stroll.
Draped in Chinese flags, Liu and Lu jogged around a sun-baked Bird’s Nest together on a lap of honour, stopping to pose for photographs for joyous local fans.--AFP