Chinese sports history in race walking

Role models of the Chinese government

China is an absolute world power in race walking, a track and field event that has acquired a prominent status/ position in Chinese sports culture.
Race walking is a discipline in which China has established global dominance which is very important for the nation's image and national pride.  

The Chinese government invests heavily in altitude training and technical perfection to prevent disqualification from international competitions.
The successes of stars like Yang Jiayu and Liu Hong are widely publicized in state media to encourage the population to take up recreational walking.
The Chinese government strongly encourages an active lifestyle through recreational walking to maintain a healthy way of life, with track and field stars serving as role models. 

Since the 2000s, China has become a major force in this athletic discipline. 
Chinese race walkers have set world and Olympic records and won numerous medals at major international competitions.

Overview of China's dominance in the 20 km Race walk

Below is an overview of China's dominance in the World Athletics Championships and the world rankings: 

World Athletics tournaments

a. Olympic Games

♦ Sydney 2000 Olympic Games 

Liping Wang, the Chinese star from the early 2000s, achieved a historic break by winning the gold medal in the 20 km Race walk with a then-Olympic record: 1 h 29' 05"

♦ London 2012 Olympic Games

Cheng Ding won gold in the 20 km Race walk at the London Olympic Games with a new Olympic record: 1:18:46.

It was China's first ever Olympic medal in that discipline.

♦ Rio 2016 Olympic Games

At the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, Zhen Wang and Zelin Cai won the gold and silver medals respectively in the 20 km Race walk. 

Liu Hong confirmed Chinese dominance by winning Olympic gold in the same discipline. 

b. World Championships

Liu Hong won her first world champion title in the 20 km Race walk at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu.

In 2015, she claimed her third world title at the World Championships in Beijing by narrowly beating her compatriot Lu Xiuzhy in the final sprint. 

At the 2013 World Championships in Moscow, Chen Ding (men) and Liu Hong (women) were crowned world champions in the 20 km Race walk. 

World rankings

Chinese dominance in the 20 km Race walk is clearly visible in the world rankings for women. 

a. Race walk 20 km 'women' 

China's Yang Jiayu holds the all-time world record in the women's 20 km Race walk with a stunning 1:23:49 set at the Chinese Race walking Championships in Huangshan on 20 March 2021.  

           World ranking 20 km Race walk Women "All-time"

1. Yang Jiayu (CHN)                1:23:49      2021   Huangshan (CHN)
2. Liu Hong (CHN)                   1:24:27      2021   Huangshan (CHN)
3. Qieyang Shijie (CHN)          1:24:45      2021   Huangshan (CHN)
4. Elmira Alembekova (RUS)   1:24:47      2015   Sochi (RUS)
5. Maria Pérez (E)                    1:25:30      2023   Córdoba (E)

b. Race walk 50 km 'women'

Chinese athlete Liu Hong set a new world record in the 50 km Race walk in Huangshan, China.
The 2016 Rio Olympic champion completed the 50 km distance in 3 h 59' 15" at an average speed of 12.539 km/h. With this, she is the first women in history to break the 4-hour barrier.  

           World ranking 50 km Race walk Women "All-time"

1. Liu Hong (CHN)                     3:59:15      2019   Huangshan (CHN)
2. Margarita Nikiforova (RUS)   3:59:56      2020   Voronovo (RUS)    
3. Maocuo Li (CHN)                   4:03:51      2019   Huangshan (CHN)    
4. Liang Rui (CHN)                    4:04:36      2018   Taicang (CHN)  
5. Eleonora Giorgi (I)                 4:04:50      2019   Alytus (LT) 

China is also represented in the top 5 of the world ranking Race walk 20 km for men. 

           World ranking 20 km Race walk Men "All-time"

  1. Toshikazu Yamanishi (J)              1:16:10      2025   Kobe (J)
  2. Yusuki Suzuki (J)                         1:16:36      2015   Nomi (J)
  3. Sergey Morozov (RUS)                1:16:43      2008   Saransk (RUS)
  4. Koki Ikeda (J)                               1:16:51      2024   Kobe (J)
  5. Kaihua Wang (CHN)                    1:16:54      2021   Huangshan (CHN)   
  6. Yohann Diniz (F)                          1:17:02      2015   Arles (F)
  7. Vladimir Kanaykin (RUS)             1:17:16      2007   Saransk (RUS)
  8. Jefferson Pérez (EC)                   1:17:21      2003   Paris (F)
  9. Francisco Javier Fernández (E)   1:17:22      2002   Turku (FIN)
10. Vladimir Stankin (RUS)                1:17:23      2004   Sochi (RUS)
10. Sergey Kozhevnikov (RUS)         1:17:23      2025   Votkinsk (RUS)    

Theo Bické
Manager Belgian Walking Association, abbreviated BWA