Chinese track and field star throws down a gantlet for Paris Olympics with record-breaking win

Star Chinese discus thrower Feng Bin made breaking the Asian Games record look so easy.

The 29-year-old world champion from Shandong province entered the throwing area on Sunday and adeptly unleashed her first attempt, breaking an Asian Games record that had stood for 13 years.

With a distance of 67.93 meters, she ousted compatriot Li Yangfeng, who threw 66.18m at the Guangzhou Asian Games in 2010.

It was still way short of Feng's personal best, though — a not inconsiderable 69.12m.

"This young individual possesses not only an inherent physical advantage, but, more crucially, demonstrates exceptional diligence and perceptiveness," Wang Junxian, Feng's foundational coach from the Penglai Athletic Sports School, proudly commented.

Early in 2006, Wang visited different schools to select potential athletes, and 12-year-old Feng caught his attention immediately.

Feng's father has a height of 180 cm, her mother measures 173 cm, her brother stands at 190 cm, and Feng, herself, now stands at 184 cm tall.

"At the time, the child had a height of 168 cm, and her arm span was 178 cm, exceeding her height by 10 cm. For a discus-throwing athlete, arm span is particularly important," noted Wang.

Discus throwing requires innate physical gifts, but also demands strength and technique.

Wang claims that one of Feng's significant advantages is her ability to grasp and comprehend techniques swiftly. Usually, as soon as he explained a specific movement or technique, Feng would immediately understand, a skill which significantly benefited her future development.

"The difference between a standing throw and a rotational throw for a discus athlete can be around 16 meters for foreign athletes and approximately 10 meters for Chinese athletes.

"If an athlete possesses high intelligence and good technique, they can often exceed a 16-meter difference. In this regard, Feng has a clear advantage," said Wang.

Before the competition in Hangzhou, the ownership of the gold medal was almost a foregone conclusion.

In early September, after clinching the title at a Diamond League meet in Xiamen, Fujian province, Feng made a wish: "I hope to update my personal best at the Asian Games and break the Asiad record."

She can scratch at least one of those from the list.

After inevitably claiming the Asian Games gold medal, Feng was satisfied with her performance.

"I'm really happy. After all, today is National Day, a very special day for every Chinese person.

"To win my first Asian Games medal on this day makes me extremely happy and excited," she said.

With a smile, she added, "Records are meant to be broken. I hope Jiang Zhichao (the Chinese athlete who won the silver medal) will also strive to surpass my achievements.

"For the entire 2023 season, my performance and technique have remained in a relatively good state."

Now Feng hopes to build on her winning momentum.

"This medal, just like the silver and bronze from (the recent world championships in) Budapest, holds significant meaning for me," she said. "It also lays the foundation for me to strive for better results at the Paris Olympics. In the coming year, I'll adjust the pace of my preparations and aim for my next goal."