Chinese traditional event is being eroded away

Since China was unable to win any medal in men's discus last year in Asian Game, this long lasting traditional event for China in Asian Athletics is losing their ground. Here rises the West Asians from India and Iran. Iranian Ehsan Hadidi first took over Asian record in 2005 Incheon Asian Championships by 10 cm (65.25m) from China's Li Shaojie's 65.15m set at 1996 Olympic trial. After a year setback, Hadidi improved to 67.88m in May 25 and 67.95m in Minsk yesterday (Jun 11). This mark can rank him top 8 in the world this year. On the other hand, US-based Indian Vikas Gowda had a throw of 64.96m this year, a new national record.

China only earn 1 medal in all throwing event (bronze javelin) in Asian Games last year compared to 3 golds in 1994, 1 gold in 1998 and 2 golds in 2002. West and central Asian countries are eating away China's ground. This is because there is no breakthrough in technique over the years. By the look of the results, we can take a glance of why their improvement is so little. In shotput, it takes 15 years to slash the national record from 19.78 (Ma Yongfeng) to 20.15m (Zhang Qi). Since that 20.15m, Zhang seems to suffer the national games symdrone that his results have been going backwards since. He is even absent in the recent World Champ trial. Most of the top domestic throwers wander between 18.5 and low 19m. Before 2000, 20m mark was not prevalent in Asia but India, Qatar and Kazahstan have produced several 20-m throwers since. In discus, Li Shaojie won the 1998 Asian Games and held Asian record from 1996 to 2005. The previous record was also held Chinese Ma Wenge at 65.06m. Over more than 10 years, only 2 throws from Chinese fled over 64m mark. One was Li again. Another was from new generation, Wu Tao. I guess he finds quite difficult to hold this ground for China because opponents over Asia are improving so fast. He won 2002 Asian Games at 60.76m and finished at 5th or 6th last year Asian Games. Nevertheless, his 59-60m level is enough to top in domestic competition since there is not much challenge domestically. About 59.5m, Wu once more won the World Champ Trial. Hammer throw is the 1st ground to lose. After Soviet Union was dissociated in 1992, a few (4 or 5 or 6) countries from the former Union merge to Asia. As usual, although these countries are not as strong as the big brother like Russia and Ukraine, they still produce many fine athletes since 1992. World Champion in men's hammer in 1993, Anxxxv (forgot his name) definitely has no problem to govern this continent. 5-time Asian Champion, Bi Zhong who held the previous Asian record 77.06m is not up to Anxxxv's standard. Furthermore, Bi's normal level is around 70-74m which makes the ground so easy to be swallow. After Anxxxv's retirement, it does not mean the reclaim of the power. Japan's Murofushi's rise again effortlessly pushes away Chinese throwers. Over more than 15 years, except Bi, no Chinese is able to throw over 74m. It is the reason why Chinese is so weak in this event. Javelin is last event to fall. First, Zhang Lianbian, then, Li Rongxiang. Although there was a period of time when Voronin from Uzkbestan has a furious competition in the mid 1990s, Li finally took the command after 1998 until 2005. In 2006, Li, at 34, start to be inflicted by injuries and his results are going downwards. Instead, throwers from Korea and Japan are rising. Park Jae-Myong won the Asian Games title last year and held national record of 82++, not far away from Li's 84.28m set in 2000. Li, recently competed in Cananda and only managed to go 57m. Anyway, this event is having better prospect than others. Young generation like Chen Qi had some 80m throws in recent years but he is still not very consistent. Qin Qiang just improved from 78.11 to 80+ in World Trial. He is only the one to see.