On March 10th, another day of elite gathering, the 2024 Nagoya Women’s Marathon in Japan kicked off at 8:10 am Beijing time. Chinese athletes Li Zhixuan, Xia Yuyu, and Li Jingfen went to Japan to compete, and the latter two attempted to run in 2 hours, 26 minutes, and 50 seconds to meet the Olympic standards. In the end, Xia Yuyu finished in 5th place in 2 hours, 25 minutes, and 45 seconds, breaking the PB+standard for the Paris Olympics!.
Due to the fact that Chinese players did not follow the first group aggressively, it was also difficult for us to capture the figures of the three of them in the broadcast footage. It was only during the first turn back that we intercepted the figure of Li Zhixuan in the second group..
The first group of 10 kilometers took 33 minutes and 05 seconds, with Yuka Ando ranking first among Japanese athletes, very aggressive. Xia Yuyu and Li Zhixuan followed the second group, taking 34 minutes and 01 seconds, with an average pace of 324; Li Jingfen ranked 42nd in 34 minutes and 55 seconds..
The first group of 15 kilometers took 49 minutes and 44 seconds, with Yuka Ando, Ayuko Suzuki, and Rika Kashida ranking in the top three among Japanese athletes. Xia Yuyu followed the second group in 51 minutes and 21 seconds, with an average pace of 326; Li Zhixuan is 3 seconds behind, while Li Jingfen remains in 30th place..
Half way through the competition, Xia Yuyu ranked 14th with a time of 72 minutes and 22 seconds, and an average pace of 326. If she can maintain this speed, she not only has a chance to achieve PB, but also has a chance to meet the standards of the Paris Olympics. Li Zhixuan and Li Jingfen’s rankings have also increased. On the side of Japanese athletes, Yuka Ando, Ayuko Suzuki, and Rika Kashida are still catching up with Minami Maeda’s standard time line of 2 hours, 18 minutes, and 59 seconds..
At 30K, we found Xia Yuyu’s figure in the top ten list. She took 1 hour, 43 minutes, and 58 seconds, with an average pace of 328, and still had a chance to meet the Olympic standards and refresh PB. Li Zhixuan also came to 18th place, and Li Jingfen came to 21st place. On the side of Japanese athletes, although Yuko Ando, Ayuko Suzuki, and Rika Kashida are still working hard, they are gradually moving away from the 2 hour, 18 minute, and 59 second time line, and it is almost impossible for them to squeeze out Minami Maeda’s Olympic qualification..
At 35K, Bahrain’s CHUMBA Eunice Chebichi came to the top, with 2022 tournament champion GEBRESLASE Gothytom behind her. GEBRESLASE felt unwell at 36.5 kilometers, stopped and withdrew from the race..
Xia Yuyu further advanced to 8th place, and today’s competition has a great chance of reaching the Olympic standard and refreshing PB; Li Zhixuan also came to 16th place, while Li Jingfen remained in 21st place. On the side of Japanese athletes, Yuka Ando continues to compete with the leading CHUMBA..
At 39K, Yuka Ando basically smoothed out the gap with CHUMBA, and the two will fight for the final champion..
In the end, Yuka Ando broke the PB record, ranking 8th in Japan’s history in 2 hours, 21 minutes, and 19 seconds. She won the championship of this year’s Nagoya Women’s Marathon, but did not surpass the result of Minami Maeda, and missed the Paris Olympics..
Xia Yuyu ran into 226 and finished in 5th place in 2 hours, 25 minutes, and 45 seconds, breaking the PB+standard for the Paris Olympics! She is also Zhang Deshun and Li.