China's Liu Hong celebrates after winning the Women's 20 kilometers Race Walk Final at the 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha, September 29, 2019. /VCG Photo
China's star race walker Liu Hong was conferred with a commemorative medal at the annual World Athletics Awards in Monaco on Sunday. Liu became the first woman to break the four-hour barrier in 50 kilometers event as she cruised to a 3:59:15 victory to set the world record at the Chinese Race Walk Grand Prix in March.
VCG Photo
The 31-year-old is the first Chinese race walker in history to hold both 20 and 50 kilometers race walk world records.
She returned from a two-year-long maternity break in January.
Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge and the United States' Dalilah Muhammad have been named World Athletics' Male and Female Athlete of the Year, respectively.