In a stunning display of athletic prowess, Wu Yanni clinched the women’s 100-meter hurdles title at the National Track and Field Championships and Grand Prix Finals in Rizhao City, Shandong Province. Wu achieved a personal best (PB) of 12.74 seconds, marking the best performance in Asia this year. Lin Yuwei secured second place with a time of 13.00 seconds, while Xia Si Ning finished fourth behind Chen Jiamin.
With the qualification period for the Paris Olympics ending on June 30, this competition was a crucial opportunity for Chinese athletes to secure their spots. The qualifying standard for the women’s 100m hurdles at the Paris Olympics is 12.77 seconds. Both Wu Yanni and Lin Yuwei had already met this standard with their times of 12.74 seconds at the Hangzhou Asian Games and 12.76 seconds at the Chengdu Universiade, respectively. Xia Si Ning, despite achieving a personal best of 13.08 seconds in Chongqing this May, still falls short of the qualifying mark.
Wu Yanni has been on an impressive streak, consistently improving her performance. Since March, she has set new personal bests in the 60m hurdles during multiple indoor competitions. In May, she claimed victory in two World Athletics Continental Tour events. Reflecting on her latest triumph and looking ahead to the Paris Olympics, Wu expressed her confidence: “The track and field stadium of the Paris Olympics is purple. I hope purple is my lucky color.”
Wu also shared a heartfelt message with her supporters: “I didn’t let everyone down this time. I hope that, win or lose, everyone will continue to support me and Chinese track and field. We are striving to reach the international stage. Please give the athletes some time.”