By Yemi Babalola, Lagos
For once in this feature, this week we would be going to the Asian continent to celebrate long distance racer and star, Wang Juanxia, who is one of pacesetters and Chinese track and field athlete.
Wang Junxia is our amazon for the week. She was born in the year 1973 on January 17, in the Chinese city of Jiaohe, Jilin City in China. Wang developed an interest in sport from a tender age, and at the age of 19 in Seoul South Korea; she won the 10,000 meters Gold at the 1992 World Junior Championships in Athletics. Defeating Africans Gete Wami of Ethiopia and Sally Barsosio of Kenya, who won Silver and Bronze medal respectively in the race. This win kicked off her professional career as a long distance athlete.
In 1993, Wang who was just recovering from an undisclosed sickness took part in the world championships, which took place in Stuttgart Germany, won the Gold for the 10,000 meters race, and set a record, defeating compatriot Zhang Huandi and Sally Barsosio of Kenya.
This period was when Wang began setting record in the world of long distance racing, she set a world-leading time and former Asian best in marathon (2:24:07) in April 1993. In May of the same year, she broke the Asian record of 3000 m in a fast time of 8:27.68 in the Chinese National Championships.
By the year 1994 Wang began suffering a dip in her racing form, though, she won the Asian Games in 10,000 m with a world-leading time (30:50.34) later in the year in Hiroshima. By the following year, she parted ways with her coach Ma Junren, which further affected her dip in form negatively.
Ahead of the Atlanta 1996 Olympics, Wang announced her coming back to the racetracks in the Olympics trials and began training with a new coach Mao Dezhen in preparation for the event. This paid off as she won Gold at the 5000 meters race, and was shocked by Fernada Ribeiro of Portugal in the 10,000 meters race, as Fernanda made a surprising final lap kick to win Gold ahead of Wang, who could only settle for Silver medal.
The Olympics was Wang’s final competitive event, as after it she retired from racing. After which she got married to Zhan Yu in 1997. She is currently married to her third husband Li Huiyang.
Looking at Wang’s achievements over the years, in 1994, she won the Jesse Owens prize for her remarkable performances in 1993. She was the first and only Chinese and Asian person to win the prize. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) listed Wang in its Hall of Fame. In 1993, she was awarded the United Press International Athlete of the Year. Likewise, she won the Women’s Track & Field Athlete of the Year for the same year.
Wang holds the record for Women’s 3,000 metersuntil date and was the record holder for Women’s 10,000 metersuntil the 2016 when, Almaz Ayana of Ethiopia broke the record.
Wang is a living legend of track and field, and remains China’s most successful runner ever. Her career has indeed been successful and one that would not be forgotten soon in the world of sport.
