BEIJING (AP) – China finally earned its first gold medal of the world championships on Friday with Liu Hong leading a 1-2 finish ahead of teammate Lu Xiuzhi in the 20-kilometer walk.
Despite the early-morning start, tens of thousands of home fans packed the stands in the Bird’s Nest to welcome home the walkers and cheer their first victory as the championships headed into the final weekend.
In a tight finish after they walked together almost the whole race, Liu barely edged Lu, with both finishing in 1 hour, 27 minutes, 45 seconds. The pair then fell into each other’s arms and soaked up the adoration of the crowd with the red Chinese flag hanging over their shoulders.
Lyudmyla Olyanovska of Ukraine took bronze, 28 seconds behind.
China has come close before, but three silvers have left the crowds disappointed. There never was any doubt they would go one better in the walk.