2019 Asian Champs Diary: Gong and Lyu win, Obienna the surprise

DOHA (QAT, Apr 21): 23rd Asian Championships started with 8 finals, in men´s steeple winner John Koech from Bahrain clocked World leading 8:25.87 ahead of Avinash Sable from India 8:30.19. Chinese female throwing stars won as expected. World champion Gong Lijiao shot 19.18 ahead of Noora Jasim who got 18.00 national record for Bahrain and second Chinese Song Jiayuan third 17.70. Also Lyu Huihui was the best in javelin with meet record 65.83 over India´s Annu Rani 60.22 as second entered Chinese Liu Shiying was a non-starter. The biggest surprise of the day was the pole vault win by Ernest John Obienna from Philippines (coached by Vitaliy Petrov) who cleared 571 not only national but also meet record over Chinese and Japanese favorites, silver for Zhang Wei and bronze for Huang Bokai, both 566. London Olympic medalist Ehsan Hadadi won the discus with meet record 65.95, second Iran´s Behnam Shiri Jabilou 60.89. World medalist Salwa Naser from Bahrain was a clear 400 m winner in 51.34, Kazakhstan´s Elina Mikhina way back second in 53.19. In long distances before spare crowds gold medals for Bahrain also. Dawit Fikadu got the 10 000 m in 28:26.30 PB over team-mate Hassan Chani 28:31.30 and India´s Murli Kumar Gavit 28:38.34 PB. In women 5000 m Winfred Yavi achieved 15:28.87 PB to win over team-mate Bontu Rebitu 15:29.60 and again bronze for Indiaby Parul Chaudhary 15:36.03 PB.