Yu Ya-chien, Taiwan’s national record holder in the women’s hammer throw, yesterday won bronze at the Asian Athletics Championships in South Korea.
Yu recorded a throw of 64.25m on her fourth attempt at Gumi Stadium, clinching Taiwan’s first medal at the biennial tournament on its opening day.
The result did not surprise Yu’s coach, Lee Tsai-yi, who had predicted a close contest for the bronze medal between Yu and Japan’s Joy McArthur, with Ji Li and Li Jiangyan of China expected to dominate.
Photo: The Track and Field Association via CNA
Ji and Li claimed gold and silver with throws of 72.98m and 69.13m respectively, while McArthur threw 63.61m. McArthur’s compatriot Raika Murakami, the bronze medalist at the 2023 edition, placed fifth with 63.60m.
Yu’s performance ended Taiwan’s nearly two-decade medal drought in the women’s hammer throw, sports commentator Chen Kai said.
The last time a Taiwanese female athlete won a medal in the event was in 2007, when Huang Chih-feng finished third in the championships in Jordan.
Photo: The Track and Field Association via CNA
Since then, the event has been dominated by Chinese and Japanese throwers, Chen said in a social media post.
Yu holds the national record of 68.39m, set on April 8 at a tournament in China. It was the fifth time she broke the record.
The ongoing Asian Athletics Championships features 45 events, with 2,000 participants from 43 countries and territories competing through Saturday.
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