Xinhua News Agency, Paris, August 1 (Reporter Xu Dongyuan, Wu Junkuan) On the 1st, in the women's 20-kilometer race walking final of the Paris Olympic Games, the world record holder and Chinese player Yang Jiayu won the gold medal with a time of 1 hour, 25 minutes and 54 seconds, which is also the 12th Olympic gold medal in the history of Chinese track and field.
On August 1, Yang Jiayu sprinted to the finish line. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Gang
The race was postponed due to weather conditions. The race was held under the Eiffel Tower, and many Chinese spectators waved their national flags and cheered on the Chinese runners along the way.
On August 1, Yang Jiayu was in the game. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Lu Xiaowei
After the start of the game, Yang Jiayu rushed out of the first group and took the lead. At the 2km mark, the Peru runner ran first. Yang Jiayu followed closely in the front row of the first group, followed by Ma Zhenxia. At 5 kilometers, Yang Jiayu began to accelerate to take a large lead, and the advantage was getting bigger and bigger. At 7 kilometers, Yang Jiayu had a light gait and was 16 seconds ahead of the second place, but Ma Zhenxia still followed closely. At 9 km, close to 11 p.m., the temperature rose significantly, and the competitors began to rehydrate at the refueling station to cool down. By the 13km mark, Yang Jiayu was up to 44 seconds away from the second group. At the 14km mark, the second group started to exert their strength, and by the 18km mark, Yang Jiayu had only 15 seconds left in the lead.
Entering the final kilometer, Spain's Perez chased closely, and Yang Jiayu withstood the pressure, leading the second place by 25 seconds, and crossed the finish line with a smile. "I heard the coach shouting from the side of the track all the time to make me relax, make me believe in myself and make me laugh." Yang Jiayu said after the game.
On August 1, Yang Jiayu was in the game. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Ying
Talking about the tactics of this game, Yang Jiayu said frankly: "The initial tactic was to follow 10 kilometers and then accelerate, but the coach always believed that I had the strength to win the championship, so today according to my physical condition, I changed the tactics on the spot." ”
At the 2019 World Athletics Championships, Yang Jiayu was sent out and missed the final. At the Tokyo Olympics, she received her third red card and was suspended for 2 minutes and withdrew directly from the gold medal competition. And this time, Yang Jiayu won wonderful.
"I'm very excited, I've been waiting for eight years for this gold medal today. From start to finish, I always walked at my own pace and was confident. She said.
Spain's Perez won the silver medal and Australia's Montag won the bronze medal. The Chinese team Ma Zhenxia and the five-time Olympic "veteran" Liu Hong finished 11th and 21st respectively.