November 20, with the conclusion of the women's 10,000 meters, the middle- and long-distance athletics events at this National Games (800 m–marathon) came to a close. Win or lose, everything has been settled. This year a total of 207 athletes (including Hong Kong and Macau) participated in the middle- and long-distance events. Looking at their entry information and race results, there are quite a few points worth discussing. Among this year's 207 middle- and long-distance athletes, only three are from the post-80s generation: 1983 Hong Kong athleteZhang Yaoliang、87 年的the evergreen of Chinese marathoning Dong Guojian and 1988 Hong Kong female athleteYao Jiezhen。Zhang Yaoliang is the only competitor older than 40 among them.Their finishes could signal the end of the post-80s generation's era. Athletes born between 1990 and 1995 have also begun to decline in number — there are only 14 in total, and many of them will face an important decision about whether to retire after the National Games. There are 43 athletes born between 1995 and 1999; two marathon champions, Zhang Deshun and He Jie, are in this age group. The post-2000 generation has become an absolute new force, with 147 athletes taking the stage at this National Games.The backbone of the post-2000s are athletes born in 2001, who account for 27 spots. The 2008-bornJiangxi team's women's 800m athlete Ye Meiling became the youngest of the 207 competitors. The middle- and long-distance events produced 12 gold medals. Aside from the three post-1995 athletes—Zhang Deshun (born 1996), He Jie (born 1998) and Xi Xiaoheng (born 1999)—the rest were claimed by the post-2000 generation. Zhang Deshun was the oldest champion, while Yu Shuiqing (born 2006) took gold in both the 3000m steeplechase and the 5000m, making him the youngest champion. Among the athletes who stood on the podium, the 1994-born "President" Wu Xiangdong actually turned out to be the oldest among all middle- and long-distance medalists, while the marathon appears more age-tolerant—the only event without any post-2000 athletes on the podium. In the 10,000m to 800m events, of the 30 podium places, the post-2000 generation claimed 22, completing a full sweep.“post-2000 generation” occupied 22 spots, completing the sweep. Competing in multiple events is a common phenomenon in middle- and long-distance racing, usually across two events, but this year a few athletes completed three-event schedules, namelyXu Shuangshuang、Ciren Cuomu、Lu Ying、Dawa Jila、Yu Shuiqing、Feng Peiyou。 Liaoning team’s Yu Shuiqing enjoyed success across three events: in addition to winning the men's 3000 m steeplechase and the men's 5000 m, he was later awarded a silver medal in the men's 10,000 m. The runners with the highest mileage were Ciren Cuomu, Lu Ying, Dawa Jila and Feng Peiyou. All four completed the 5000 m, 10000 m and the marathon, covering a total of 57.195 km. Ciren Cuomu was the strongest performer — despite the intense, consecutive races she remained competitive, taking a silver, a bronze and a fourth place, a true workhorse. Finally, let's tally an interesting number: among the 207 competitors in the National Games middle- and long-distance events, which zodiac sign is the most common? The answer is Pisces, with 23 athletes. Close behind are Sagittarius and Capricorn, with 22 and 21 respectively. The fewest are Virgo, with only 11, while Scorpio has just one more. This seems somewhat different from the book Outliers, which found January to be the most common month.
Text: David /Editor:David Image:Trail Running Explosion/Visual: Five YearsTrainee
