Doha, April 22,2019: Records tumble on the second day of the Asian Championships in Doha, with Abderrahman Samba the main protagonist of a spectacular athletics night where six championships record fell and three world leads were established in total.
Samba’s victory was the maiden of Qatar’s first two gold medals at the Asian Athletics Association’s flagship event, with Abubaker Haydar Abdalla also making his mark with a convincing 800m race.
Qatar’s gold medal haul was matched before the day came to pass by India and China, while day one leaders Bahrain didn’t enrich their golden tally.
Samba was the first Qatari to win a medal of any colour in the renovated Khalifa International Stadium, with an astonishing 400m hurdles race which sent his fans in the stands into raptures. The clocked stopped at 47.51, not only a world lead but the best time ever set in April.
The 23-year-old Qatari didn’t seem jubilant after his race. On the contrary, he put a smile on his face and calmly threatened to tear the world record before this year ends.
“I am still training, have a lot to give and can go a second faster than I did today.”
When asked if that means he will break the world record, he simply replied “yes”.
The world record of 46.78 belongs to Kevin Young and remains unattached since the American set it at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.
Young has admitted that throughout the 1992 season, placed stickers with the numbers 46.89 in each spike to convince himself that he could break the world record. Samba, whose running style resembles Young’s, looks like he is in the same mood.
Speaking about his technique after the race, Samba explained that despite a slight head wind in the beginning (hence the sunglasses!) he switched from 13 to 14 strides only when he reached the seventh hurdle, which helped him maintain his speed.
Samba’s frenetic pace in conjunction with Khalifa’s proved fast track guided four of the other seven finalists breaking their personal bests. For Chen Chieh from Chinese Taipei (48.92) and Jabir Madari Plliyalil of India (49.13) these records were enough for silver and bronze.
Qatar’s second gold medal, courtesy of Abubaker Haydar Abdalla, was also combined with a world leading time and a huge personal best.
“I pushed from the beginning then kicked over and over again until the waning stages of the race.
“My dream for the World Championships here in Doha is to see my name among the finallists,” said the enthusiastic Qatari who is still 22.
World silver medallist Wang Zheng led a Chinese 1-2 in the hammer throw with a new championships record of 75.66, leaving her compatriot Luo Na in second place with 72.23.
“We are still in training mode. We came here to see the stadium and the facilities and adjust ourselves to the conditions we will face at the World Championships,” stated the winner.
Minutes before a sudden rain made those unprotected soaked, China won a second gold medal in the long jump with Lu Minjia who leaped 6.38. Japan’s 18-year-old Ayaka Kora was second in 6.16.
Two gold medals was India’s mass as well. Gomathi Marimuthu had to wait until her early 30s to gain her first international medal but, as she said, was confident she would make it. Shot putter Tajinder Pal Sing Toor exceeded the 20m mark twice to win in 20.22 and now sets sail for a new destination, the 21m, which he believes can reach at the World Championships in Doha.
Yoshihide Kiryu of Japan and Olga Safronova of Kazakhstan won the right to be called “fastest man and woman” in Asia for the next two years, both favoured by legal windy conditions. Safronova even broke the championships record with 11.17 (did the same in the semi-final with 11.21), while second place and third place went to China’s Liang Xiaojing (11.28) and Wei Yongli (11.37) respectively.
In the men’s 100m race Kiryu blasted out of the blocks and roared to a hard-fought victory. He clocked 10.10 to narrowly beat Indonesia’s new sprinting sensation, the reigning world U20 champion, Lalu Muhammad Zohri, who broke the national senior and junior records twice with 10.15 in the semi-final and 10.13 in the final.
Yousef Karam was a surprise winner in the 400m but only for those who didn’t notice his 45.04 timing in the semi-final. The Kuwaiti didn’t feel the pressure in the home straight, mainly put by Abbas Abubaker of Bahrain, and with an astounding finish he won in 44.84, a new national record.
In the men’s triple jump Rulsan Kurbanov of Uzbekistan won the gold with 16.93m. The Chinese duo of Zhu Yaming and Xu Xiaolong trailed back with 16.87 and 16.81 respectively.
Cheng Chao-Tsun was the pre-Championships favourite to win the javelin throw, and he justified the predictions but not as easy as he would have expected. The World University Games champion thought that his second throw at 86.72 a new championships record and world lead, was enough to secure gold but India’s Shivpal Singh sent almost ten minutes later his javelin to 86.23. Cheng was unable to throw more than three times due to a pain in his adductor, Singh didn’t get anywhere near his second attempt again and thus the gold medal went to Chinese Taipei, their first in the Championships.
Thi Lan Quach of Vietnam won gold medal in the women’s 400m hurdles (56.10).
In the morning session Thailand’s team in the 4X100m was the first to set a new championships best with a time of 38.72.
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