China's Liang betters women's 50km walk record at first attempt

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China’s Liang Rui took more than a minute off the world record for women’s 50km walk in Taicang County, Suzhou City in east China's Jiangsu Province on Saturday, claiming gold at the world race walking team championships. It was the 23-year-old's maiden outing in the endurance event.

Liang will win 50,000 US dollars once the record is ratified by the IAAF, the world governing body for athletics. She clocked four hours, four minutes and 35 seconds to top the podium, improving the previous mark of 4:05:56 set by Inez Henriques of Portugal in London world athletics championships last year.

Henriques’s time had earned her the first gold medal to be awarded in the event at the world championships after the women’s race was a late addition to the schedule.

Runner-up Yin Hang of China (1st L), winner Liang Rui of China (2nd L) and third placer Claire Tallent of Australia pose for photo for the women's 50km event at IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships in Taicang, east China, on May 5, 2018. /VCG Photo

The Portuguese world champion dropped out of Saturday’s race before the 30km mark to leave Liang to forge on through the drizzle and claim victory four and a half minutes clear of compatriot Yin Hang, the silver-medalist in London.

Australia’s Claire Tallent finished third in what was also her first attempt at the distance, which was first listed as a world record event in August 2015 as the IAAF looked to ensure equal competition opportunities for men and women.

Source(s): Reuters