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XIAMEN, China, Dec. 17-- The Chinese athletics community has witnessed a successful year of 2019 as their athletes renewed world and Asian records and the grassroots road running continued to boost with record participation. Olympic and world champion Liu Hong became the first woman ever to break four hours in the 50km race walk, set a world record of 3:59:15 in Huangshan in March. Five Asian records were also renewed by Chinese athletes this year. Liu then took her third world 20km race walk title in Doha, one of the three gold medals the Chinese team won in the Qatari capital. "The Chinese team won three gold, three silver and three bronze medals at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, finishing on the fourth position in both the medal table as well as the placing table with a total of 99 points. It was our best performance in the World Championships since the 1993 edition," said Yu Hongchen, vice-president and secretary general of the Chinese Athletics Association (CAA), when delivering the annual work report in Xiamen on Monday. Javelin thrower Lyu Huihui improved her own Asian record three times in the year to 67.98-meter while pole vaulter Li Ling also renewed her continental record to 4.72m in the Shanghai Diamond League in May. Xie Zhenye became the first Chinese to dip under the 20-second barrier in 200m sprint as he clocked 19.88s in the Diamond League London meet, knocking 0.09s off the previous Asian record achieved by Qatari Femi Ogunode four years ago. | 
