The World Athletics Indoor Championships Nanjing 25 kicked off on March 21 at the “Nanjing’s Cube”. Over 500 top athletes from more than 120 countries and regions gathered in Nanjing to compete for glory.
On the first day, renowned athletes like Andy Díaz Hernández, Hamish Kerr, Ronnie Baker, ZHU Yaming, GONG Lijiao, XIE Zhenye, and others competed in events such as the men’s 400m, men’s 800m, women’s 800m, and men’s 60m, showcasing a mix of “dreams and passion, speed and power”. The day saw 5 gold medals awarded, with China’s team claiming one silver medal.
The first gold medal of the competition came in the men’s triple jump. Italy’s Andy Díaz Hernández won the gold with a jump of 17.80 meters, setting a personal best and marking the best result in the world this season. China’s ZHU Yaming also set a personal best for the season with 17.33 meters, earning the silver medal. China’s SU Wen set a personal best of 17.09 meters and finished 5th.
In the men’s high jump, South Korea’s WOO Sanghyeok claimed the gold with a jump of 2.31 meters, beating New Zealand’s Hamish Kerr and Jamaica’s Raymond Richards.
In the women’s shot put, Canada’s Sarah Mitton won the gold with a throw of 20.48 meters, followed by Jessica Schilder from the Netherlands with 20.07 meters for silver and Chase Jackson from the U.S. with 20.06 meters for bronze. China’s GONG Lijiao, who did not perform at her best, placed 5th with 18.84 meters.
In the women’s pentathlon, Finland’s Saga Vanninen won the gold with a total score of 4821 points, while Ireland’s Kate O’Connor claimed silver with 4742 points and the U.S.’s Taliyah Brooks took bronze with 4669 points. China’s LIU Jingyi set multiple personal records during the competition.
The highly anticipated men’s 60m “battle of the flyers” wrapped up the day. Top athletes such as China’s XIE Zhenye, rising star DENG Xinrui, U.S. sprinter Ronnie Baker, and South Africa’s Akani Simbine competed in the race. In the end, Britain’s Jeremiah Azu took the gold with a time of 6.49 seconds, setting a personal best. Australia’s Lachlan Kennedy came in second with 6.50 seconds, and South Africa’s Akani Simbine took third with 6.54 seconds. China’s XIE Zhenye finished fourth with a time of 6.58 seconds.
Additionally, in the women’s 400m, six athletes, including Britain’s Amber Anning (50.79 seconds), Norway’s Henriette Jæger (51.42 seconds), and Chile’s Martina Weil (51.67 seconds), met the qualification standard for the final. Chinese athlete LIU Yinglan set her personal best at 53.14 seconds but did not advance to the final, finishing 9th. In the first round of the men’s 800m, China’s young athlete XI Xiao Heng finished 7th in his group with a time of 1:48.06, setting a personal best and advancing to the semifinals. In the men’s 400m first round, China’s Ailixier Wumaier placed 4th in his group with 48.73 seconds, unfortunately not advancing.
The excitement continues. Tomorrow, the events will feature men’s pole vault, women’s triple jump, women’s 400m, men’s 400m, men’s 60m hurdles, and women’s 60m. Athletes like Sam Kendricks, Grant Holloway, and LIANG Xiaojing will also compete.
With many top athletes appearing, the competition is full of highlights. Molly Caudery, the women’s pole vault champion from the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24, will defend her title in Nanjing. World pole vault record holder Armand Duplantis will aim for his third consecutive indoor world championship title. China’s young athlete LIU Junxi will also compete in the men’s 60m hurdles, aiming for glory.
The event is star-studded, and the competition promises to be fierce. On the second day, 9 gold medals will be awarded, and we look forward to seeing every athlete push their limits and surpass themselves at the “Nanjing’s Cube”. See you on the field tomorrow!
BACK
