Marathon Race Walk Mixed Relay: Chinese Team Zhang Jun and Yang Jiayu Penalized for Lifting Infraction, Finish in 15th Place

At 1:30 PM on August 7, the marathon race walk mixed relay took place at the Paris Olympics, a new event in the Olympic program. Each team consists of one male and one female race walker who cover the marathon distance of 42.195 kilometers, divided into four stages with two relays.

China fielded two teams: He Xianghong (male) / Qi Yang Shijie (female), and Zhang Jun (male) / Yang Jiayu (female).

First stage: Chinese racers Zhang Jun and He Xianghong started first, with Zhang Jun keeping pace with the leading pack formed by the German and Spanish teams for the first 7.4 kilometers, while He Xianghong was around 15th place. At the end of the 11.4-kilometer segment, Zhang Jun finished in 7th place with a time of 43 minutes and 41 seconds, handing over to teammate Yang Jiayu for the second leg; the other Chinese racer, He Xianghong, completed the segment in 44 minutes and 49 seconds, placing 15th, and passed the baton to Qi Yang Shijie.

In the second stage, Yang Jiayu quickly got into her stride and by the 17.4-kilometer mark, she had moved up to second place, neck and neck with Peru’s Leon; the other Chinese racer, Qi Yang Shijie, also performed excellently, ranking 12th with a total time of 1 hour 10 minutes and 17 seconds after the 17.4-kilometer checkpoint. At the end of this stage, the Yang Jiayu/Zhang Jun duo ranked second with a total time of 1 hour 26 minutes and 23 seconds, while He Xianghong/Qi Yang Shijie were in ninth place.

The third stage resumed with the male racers, and when Zhang Jun reached the 24.4-kilometer mark, he was penalized with a cumulative four-minute penalty for lifting, causing his ranking to drop to 14th place. At the end of this segment, Zhang Jun’s time was 40 minutes and 23 seconds, and the team’s total time of 2 hours 10 minutes and 46 seconds kept them in 14th place, while He Xianghong/Qi Yang Shijie were in 16th place.

In the fourth stage, Yang Jiayu received a one-minute penalty for lifting at the 32.4-kilometer checkpoint, effectively ruling out any chance of a medal. In the end, He Xianghong/Qi Yang Shijie finished in 14th place with a total time of 2 hours 59 minutes and 13 seconds, while Zhang Jun/Yang Jiayu placed 15th with a total time of 3 hours and 43 seconds.

The Spanish duo Martin/Perez won the gold with a time of 2 hours 50 minutes and 31 seconds, followed by the Ecuadorian and Australian teams in second and third places.