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Asian champion Li Ling soars to national title

Xinhua, June 28, 2015 Adjust font size:

Asian champion Li Ling dominated the women's pole vault event at China's National Athletics Championships here on Sunday but failed to renew her own Asian record.

In one of the few eye-catching finals Sunday evening at the National Stadium, Li cleared 4.50 meters to secure the title. She then tried on the height of 4.67m, one centimeter higher than the Asian record set by herself earlier this month at the Asian Championships in Wuhan, but failed all three efforts.

"I came for the 4.67 mark, but I felt a bit tired when I tried the height," the 25-year-old Li said afterwards. "I had to wait long before I started my competition, which cost my concentration, as there were too many competitors today."

Li proved a class above her opponents at the Bird's Nest Stadium, as 14out of the 17 athletes had finished their competitions before Li started her first attempt on 4.15m.

In the men's long jump, Li Jinzhe, the Asian Games champion, registered only two valid jumps but still landed the gold medal with a leap of 8.11m on his third attempt.

"I had planned to secure the title with the first two jumps - around 8.20m," said Li, who has a personal best of 8.47m. "However, I fouled in the first two rounds, which made me a little tense."

Li, who won silver medal in last year's World Indoor Championships, is considered the next icon in Chinese track and field, after Olympic champion hurdler Liu Xiang announced retirement in April. The 25-year-old Beijing native is also a major medal hopeful for the host nation when the World Championships take place in the Bird's Nest in August.

"My main aim for this competition is to adapt to the field here. I think, I've achieved it today," said Li. "I would do my best to improve my rhythm leading to the worlds."

Li revealed that he would next travel to Dalian, in northeast China's Liaoning province, for a training camp prior to August's World Championships.

The three-day National Championships also serve as a test event for the World Championships. Endi