November 15 , the sixth day of competition at the 15th National Games, with the men's and women's marathon gold medals decided in the morning, the athletics program officially kicked off in full.The first day of track and field also produced champions in the 4×100 and 4×400 m mixed relays.
Let's take a look at today's highlights.
In the marathon, which started at 7 a.m. and spanned Shenzhen and Hong Kong, He Jie of the Ningxia team and Zhang Deshun of the Yunnan team won the men's and women's titles, respectively.
Ningxia athlete He Jie held off strong pressure from the Yunnan team and other rivals, with a time of 2:12:07 crossed the line first to take the title, securing Ningxia's first-ever athletics gold in National Games history.Gao Peng of the Yunnan team 2:12:14 took second, while Wu Xiangdong of the Anhui team took third in 2:12:33.
Zhang Deshun of Yunnan 2:30:20 successfully defended her title,becoming the first athlete to win back-to-back marathon titles at the National Games. Competing as an individual, Ciren Cuomu took 2:30:25 for silver. Lu Ying of Henan took bronze in 2:30:44.
The Hebei team posted 3:21.10 to win the prelim, setting a PB and advancing to tonight's final. Sichuan, Shandong and Zhejiang teams also recorded season-best marks, joining Guangdong, Hunan, Anhui and Chongqing teams in the final.
Fujian team athletes Lin Yuwei and Ge Manqi, together with male athletes He Jinchong and Xiao Yuanpeng, set a PB with a time of 40.58 seconds and advanced to the final as prelim winners. Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan, Jiangsu, Hubei, Zhejiang and Shanghai teams also secured places in tonight's final.
In the women's race, Huang Anqi from the China Public Security Sports Association came from behind. After swimming and cycling she was fourth, but by the second lap of the run she passed Sichuan's Lin Xinyu to move into the lead and ultimately won with a time of 1:59:16. Sichuan's Lin Xinyu and Wei Wen took second and third.
The men's race featured intense battles in the cycling leg, with the lead changing hands several times. Henan's Fan Junjie moved into first after the cycling and, thanks to an excellent run, captured the title in1:47:47 . Liaoning's Chen Qing and Hong Kong's Oscar finished second and third.
Women's 800m heats started at 7:00 PM, three heats with a total of 20 athletes competed for places in the final.
Yunnan teamWu Hongjiao, Zhejiang teamRao Xinyu, and Jiangsu team's Cheng Mi advanced by finishing top three in their heats and also top three overall.Wu Hongjiaoclocked 2:06.26 to place first overall,Rao Xinyu ran 2:06.33, a season-best.Cheng Mi clocked 2:06.57 to set a new PB.
Other athletes who advanced include Jilin's Li Chunhui 2:07.62; Anhui's Gui Ruyi 2:07.62; Shanghai's Rongrong 2:09.62; and Zhejiang's Xu Hui 2:10.83 and Beijing'sChen Yumo 2:10.95.
The 4x400m mixed relay final was one of tonight's most-watched events. Guangdong, racing at home, built a clear advantage in the first two legs; after being overtaken on the third leg, they ultimately reclaimed the title thanks to a strong fourth leg.
Guangdong's quartet Liang Baotang, Kong Yingying, He Yu and Mo Jiadie worked excellently together, winning with a time of 3:17.54. Sichuan finished second in 3:17.66, and Hebei took bronze in 3:19.99.
Today's final highlight was the 4x100 m mixed relay final, with each provincial team fielding their strongest athletes. Fujian's Lin Yuwei, Ge Manqi, Xiao Yuanpeng and He Jinchong combined steady and outstanding performances to take the valuable title in 40.37.
Sichuan were second in 40.78; Hubei finished third in 40.92.
Guangdong's Zhu Cuiyan, Liang Xiaojing, Shi Junhao, Chen Guanfeng missed the podium after falling during a baton-exchange error.
Sichuan won two silver medals tonight.
Which event did you watch today? Which moment impressed you the most?
